Riesling Expert Tasting Series
A New Virtual Experience begins May 1, 2020
Our Rieslings are some of the finest in the the Finger Lakes, and can be compared favorably to benchmark styles from around the world. This tasting series will explore the many expressions of our signature grape. Each wine in the series has been rated at least 90 points (“outstanding”) by Wine Spectator, Robert Parker or Vinous Media. Participants who show they have tasted all six wines (different vintages are ok) and joined in the tastings on Facebook Live and/or Vimeo Live will earn a “Silver Thread Riesling Expert” award.
We will host a “test” live session on Thursday, 4/30, for anyone who wants practice accessing the Live Feed before the actual first tasting on May 1. The landing page for the test session is here.
- Session 1: Dry Rieslings & Age-ability of Riesling- May 1, 5:30-6:30, featuring Dry Riesling 2014 and Dry Riesling 2018
- Session 2: Off-dry Rieslings and Single Vineyard Styles—May 8, 5:30-6:30pm, featuring Riesling Estate Vineyard 2018 and Riesling Doyle Fournier Vineyard 2018
- Session 3: Medium-sweet Rieslings and Late Harvest Style– May 15, 5:30-6:30pm, featuring Semi-dry Riesling 2018 and Riesling Late Harvest Select Gridley Bluff Point Vineyard 2017 or Riesling Late Harvest Select Doyle Fournier Vineyard 2019
Purchase the wines for this tasting series here.
Anyone is welcome to participate in the virtual tastings, even if you don’t have the wine we are drinking and do not choose to earn the award.
To enroll in the Riesling Expert award program, please click here.
Course Materials
We recommend you download and review the following documents prior to the tastings sessions.
Riesling Expert Welcome Letter
Riesling Expert Winemaker Notes
Riesling Expert Supplemental Materials-Week 1
Riesling Expert Supplemental Materials-Week2
Riesling Expert Supplemental Materials-Week 3
Optional–AWS Wine Evaluation Chart p. 1
Optional: AWS Wine Evaluation Chart p. 2
Optional: White Wine Making Diagram
Instructors
Tastings are led by co-owners Paul and Shannon Brock, who are wine educators as well as winemakers.
Paul has an M.S. in Enology and Viticulture from Cornell University, a level 3 certification from Wine & Spirit Education Trust, and is a Certified Wine Judge through American Wine Society. He has been teaching winemaking as a professor at Finger Lakes Community College for 10 years.
Shannon holds the prestigious Level 4 Diploma in Wine & Spirits from Wine & Spirit Education Trust, is a Certified Wine Judge through American Wine Society, and has an M.Ed. from University of Virginia Curry School of Education. She has been a WSET Certified Wine Instructor for 13 years.
