Emerson once said, “To be great is to be misunderstood.”  If I didn’t know any better, I would think he was referring to wine.  During my thirty plus years as a Certified Wine Educator, I have found that, to this day, people still view wine as too complicated to understand.  If there’s anything at all complicated about wine I can assure you it is only in the process of making it.  For the rest of us, discovering our own tastes should be about as complicated as it gets. 

But as wine’s popularity continues to grow, understanding wine--from how to taste wine to how to pick a good $10 bottle--still remains a mystery.  Walk down the aisle of any wine shop and you’ll find many varietals from various parts of the world.  White or red?  Chardonnay or Zinfandel? Rosé or sparkling? With so many wines to choose from, it is no wonder that many of us are confused, possibly intimidated or just plain clueless about how to taste and purchase wine.

To help you on your educational journey to understanding the wide world of wine, I encourage you to indulge your passion for wine through wine events, seminars, educational classes and presentations—all of which I offer.  Most of my classes and seminars are open to the public.  At other times I am invited to be the keynote speaker at a corporate event, or to preside over some of the most prestigious wine judging competitions in Northern California.  From Wine Appreciation 101 to three-day workshops, each can be customized to create a fun and memorable wine tasting experience for the public-at-large, at corporate functions or private gatherings.  Whatever your preference, I promise to engage your senses and expand your knowledge about how to taste and enjoy wine—just like a pro!

In Vino Veritas!

– G.M. “Pooch” Pucilowski