The Second Glass

My older brother is renowned throughout the family, and amongst my jealous friends, for his amazingly thoughtful and generous gifts – he really out did himself in Christmas 2005 when he presented me with my beloved Vespa, Judy! So, when Christmas 2006 rolled around I could scarcely imagine that even he, with his exemplary gift giving skills, would be able to come up with yet another life changing gift. Alas, I learned again, never underestimate big brothers…especially Ted Maloney.

Underneath the tree in 2006 was a letter from The Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) informing me that a gift certificate to their ‘Food and Wine Pairing Workshop’ had been purchased under my name. A few months later, on a wintery February evening in London, I threw on my mittens, scarf, and helmet, and scooted from my job in West London over Waterloo Bridge to the WSET Bermondsey St International Headquarters.

Now this was a basic, level 1 course, with a bit of cheese, salmon, tomato, green apple, etc but by the time I scooted home (don’t worry, I responsibly, though regrettably, used a spittoon) I fancied myself as somewhat of a food and wine pairing connoisseur. This was my introduction into understanding the basics of acidity and body but the teachers and my classmates were so relaxed and fun that it made me feel like I had learned the lot.

Several months went by, I moved back to Boston for the month before my brother’s wedding, and when I returned to London I was eager to both participate more fully in what this amazing city has to offer and to expand my knowledge beyond ‘salmon needs a high acid wine to cut through the fat.’ So I remembered Ted’s gift and WSET and signed up for their Thursday evening 10 week Level 2 Intermediate Course. Thursdays quickly became my favourite day of the week and the lectures were divvied up by grape varieties and then a week on Italy, Spain, and Portugal, bubbles and sweets, and fortified, spirits, and liquors – all very manageable.

The highlight came mid-way during the course when Ted was in Europe on business and we decided to meet in Paris for the weekend. I walked into our parent’s Parisian flat just as Ted was opening a bottle of red, perfect timing as usual for this perpetually tardy reveler, and kiddingly boasted that I no longer needed labels and could place the wine blind…rooky move for any little sister as he immediately hid the bottle behind his back with one hand and handed me a glass with the other. But when I said it was a Cote du Rhone (not yet knowing the major differences between the North and South of the Rhone Valley) his eyes lit up with approval and I knew I was absolutely hooked with on this wine thing!

Drinking and showing off all at the same time! Oh, how now I miss those little moments of assuredness and the feeling of improvement. I’m now half way through the 15 week Level 3 Advanced Course and am completely overwhelmed not to mention humbled. I attend every Wednesday night religiously (well except when Owen convinced me to leave work early and start drinking late afternoon martini’s – if I miss a question on Bordeaux I will blame him fully.) However, Wednesday’s don’t carry the same sort of excitement that Thursday did when I was in Intermediate… in fact, I’ve recently realized that I’m one of only a small handful of those enrolled in the class who aren’t professionals in the wine industry already.

Somehow I missed the disclaimer, ‘This course MAY also be suitable for people who are not employed within the drinks industry’… To make matters worse, tonight is a workshop on Central and Southeastern Europe! Fancy a Xinomavro from Greece anyone? So I’ve gone from understanding acid to needing to know the local varieties of Bulgaria (Mavrud, Melnik, Pamis and Gamza if you didn’t know and were interested.)

More on how they are on the palette later… For now I’ve booked out the weekend to make flash cards in prep for the exam because as talented as Ted is at gift giving, he’s even more so at pushing me to my best. If you haven’t already, sign up for a WSET course as soon as you can as they are offered all around the globe!