Two Days, A World of Knowledge CIA Wine Lovers Boot Camp By Donna Altes
How much can you learn about wine in just two days? According to Donna Altes, a lot. A concierge for the Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa in Napa, CA and an educational consultant for National Geographic Learning in Boston, MA, Donna attended Wine Lovers Boot Camp— Taste Like a Pro in July, and it changed her perspective and grew her appreciation of wine.
My fascination with wine began 35 years ago, when I was a tour guide at Inglenook Winery in Rutherford, CA. Everyone around me was talking wine, tasting wine, bringing wine to dinner parties. I started with white zinfandel, and then, through a lot of education, tasting experiences, and incredible mentors, I learned to adore full-bodied red wines. I have always aspired to raise my level of wine education to a point where I can blind taste, and identify a wine’s terroir, varietal, country of origin, and year. That’s what inspired me to enroll in Wine Lovers Boot Camp at the CIA. Having a Master Sommelier, Bob Bath, teach the class was icing on the cake. He created a comfortable, safe atmosphere so none of us were afraid to venture out and share with the class when we were asked. And with his tutelage and patience, our self-confidence with identifying wines grew immeasurably. In just two days, we could identify minerals, fruits, vegetation, terroir, region, varietal, and more, with surprising success. I also learned from him that when wine doesn’t taste in balance, it can be brought into balance with the right foods. This was huge for me. We learned so much about the history of wine, the appellations in the Napa Valley and the rest of the world, and the nuances of wine. In addition to the top-notch instructor and facilities, my favorite parts of Boot Camp were the wine and food pairing experiences, the camaraderie with the other participants, and the restaurant dinner, where we practiced everything we had learned in the classroom and lab. It was an incredible experience, and I came away with a vast amount of knowledge and material that I can reference for years.
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I have another reference that I’ve taken home with me, too. Every time I sit down with the wine-tasting wheel in front of me and taste or drink wine, I hear Bob Bath in the back of my head: “What vegetation, what fruits, what minerals do you sense?” So my Boot Camp experience goes with me everywhere I go. Learn more about Bob Bath on page 19.
Issue 17
TASTE 9