Born in the USA: Wines from the West Coast

Culinary Class | This program is completed

13000 Interstate 30 Little Rock, AR 72210 United States

Wine Studies Room

Beginner

7/23/2019 (one day)

6:00 PM-8:30 PM on Tue

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$65.00

The challenge of the US wine scene for consumers is the very diversity that we celebrate. In the ‘New World’, the winemaker is unconstrained by tradition and rules that define wine styles of a region. However, this freedom may come at a cost –uncertainty and confusion on the part of consumers who may have difficulty navigating the diversity of styles the New World offers.

In this session, we will explore the wines of the Western USA including Columbia Valley, Willamette Valley, Napa Valley, Sonoma Coast, Central Coast, and Sierra Foothills. We will explore factors that help to predict wine styles to help consumers select wines according to their palate and taste preference.

Tonight’s session will include selection of hors d’oeuvres inspired by West Coast cuisine.

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.