Wine geeks unite!

The more I learn about wine, the more I realize how much there is to know. And the more I realize what a geek I’m becoming. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course. I mean, in the geek world, wine geeks are still pretty cool. And we’re way fun at a dinner parties.

I’ve come to accept and even love my geekiness. For whatever reason, wine fascinates me. And that’s okay. Some people collect stamps, others (my father) buy stones and watch really long and boring videos on flint knapping. I buy wine books, try to memorize the Grand Crus of Bordeaux and get way too into soil types.

So you can imagine my inner geek’s excitement when I signed up for a two-day introductory sommelier course with the Court of Master Sommeliers. The Court is an international organization that provides four stages of sommelier courses and examinations. It’s sort of like the Harvard of the wine world. Only 170 people have received the top title of Master Sommelier since the first Master exam in 1969.

I wrote about the Court a few months ago while researching local educational opportunities for wine lovers. There are many organizations to choose from and each offer slightly different certifications. I decided to start with the Court because their intro course provided two days of instruction and blind tastings before the exam, as opposed to other home-study programs without the benefit of teachers or wine.

The intro courses are held at different locations across the country every few weeks. A few times a year, there’s one within driving distance from Palm Beach County. I decided to head up to Orlando in March for a course at Disney’s Contemporary Resort.

While it’s true that almost everyone passes the intro course, it’s expected that students come with a pretty good background in wine. There’s a suggested reading list on the website, so I spent some time brushing up on my regions beforehand.

We started at 6:30 am on a Tuesday. I’ll admit, it was my first time swirling before sunrise. But don’t think that means we were drunk by lunch. Spitting was not only encouraged, it was required. Our goal was to detect clues in what we smelled and tasted to help us determine what and where the wine was from. We needed our senses intact!

While blind tasting is not a part of the intro exam, it’s good practice for those planning to go on in the program to the certified sommelier exam. It also breaks up the lectures and makes the course more interactive. Yes, it’s nerve-wracking to be called upon in a room full of wine geeks, but hey, tasting wine is also fun. And the more you practice the deductive tasting method, the better at it you become.

In between those tastings we had a whirlwind tour of all of the world’s major winemaking regions and some of the minor ones, too. It was a ton of information to cram into two days, but there were also a fair number of hints thrown in. So those who paid attention had a pretty good idea of what would be on the exam.

Master Sommelier Eric Hemer reviews Italian wine regions

The course ended around 5 pm on Day 1 and I spent most of the night memorizing the first and second growths of Bordeaux. Day 2 followed a similar format with a few service demonstrations at the end of the lectures. Then we sat for a 70-question multiple-choice exam.

The exam wasn’t as difficult as I had expected. The Master Sommeliers did a good job of preparing us for what was on it, and almost all of the students passed. Afterwards, we received pins, diplomas and sparkling wine in celebration of our success and we were encouraged to continue to the next level.

While the two days of wine geekiness was my version of heaven, I don’t think the Court of Sommeliers is for everyone. My intro course was filled mostly with people working in the service industry and just a few serious hobbyists. Novice wine drinkers would likely be overwhelmed. But for the wine geeks of the world, or those looking to make a career in wine, The Court is a great tool for development and networking.

And while I do plan to eventually take the certified exam, my next step involved treating myself to some top quality Bordeaux! So I stopped off at a wine shop on my way back to West Palm and that’s when I realized how much knowledge I’d accumulated since Monday. As I walked the aisles, all of the labels were now familiar. There’s that second growth from St. Julien… and that third growth from St. Estephe that the Masters said had the quality of a second! I felt comfortable, confident and ready to shop!

The info:
http://www.mastersommeliers.org/

Upcoming local intro courses – $495
Two-day course and multiple-choice exam

June 28-29, 2010
The Westin Diplomat Golf Resort and Spa
501 Diplomat Parkway
Hallandale Beach (Miami Suburb), FL
8 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

August 16-17
The Breakers
One South County Road
Palm Beach, FL
8 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.