Wines of France

Culinary Class | This program is completed

13000 Interstate 30 Little Rock, AR 72210 United States

Wine Studies Room

Beginner

6/18/2019 (one day)

6:00 PM-8:30 PM on Tue

Download iCalendar

$65.00

When we consider classic wines of the world, no country is better represented than France. To many, wine regions of this country represent a standard of quality and style by which the noble grapes are defined. Wine producers around the world look here to understand potential wine styles and quality.

In this session, we will explore noble grapes and classic regions from which they come. Students will learn the factors that help to understand the apex of grape selection, site, and climate that come together in a concept known as Terroir. These factors will help students understand the connection between climate and site selection to wine style. This understanding will help promote confidence when choosing wine from a list or wine shop. Students will also learn strategies for selecting wines that will improve with age to build a personal wine collection.

This session will include a selection of hors d’oeuvres inspired by the cuisine of the South of France.

Kenneth Lipsmeyer, DWS Ken Lipsmeyer’s love affair with wine began in the early 1980’s while a studying in Budapest. Friends in university were headed out to harvest grapes inviting Ken to join in. What followed was a week-long adventure of grape picking, wine making, and Hungarian Goulash made by camp fire while drinking Egar Bikaver, a local wine. That early experience preceded years of exploring wine regions across the globe including France, Switzerland, Italy, Croatia, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Canada, and the USA. Much of this time, Ken worked in the industry as a Sommelier on cruise ships and in formal restaurants, including one that he owned, 9 Jones Restaurant, in New York City. Ken has been teaching and training about wine and spirits since the 1980’s. He has been a full-time wine instructor since 2010, when he joined Pulaski Tech’s Hospitality program. His credentials include certifications with several international wine-education organizations, but he is most proud of his Diploma of Wines and Spirits, awarded by the Wine and Spirits Education Trust. Ken’s philosophy of wine education is to start by understanding the flavor preference of one’s own palate and then try to understand the impact nature plays on wine so that students can better navigate the wine list and shelf to find wines they enjoy.