STUDY Of The VINE

  • SUB-TOPICS Of STUDY Of “The VINE”
    1. What is Wine Knowledge?
    2. Wine Institutes/ Academics
    3. Wine Pioneers
    4. The Sommelier & Wine
    5. Wine Festivals & Conferences
    6. Archeology & Wine
    7. How to Self-Study Wine
    8. Other Sub-Topics of the Study of “The Vine”

1) WHAT Is WINE KNOWLEDGE?

HISTORY- Not Until Recently, No One Cared or Wrote About Wines of Greek and Roman Times.  Most of What We Know Now About Wine is From Excavating Old Sights and Tombs. Prior to the Written Alphabet There Was Little Known About Wine Culture at All. Give Credit to Men Like: Cato, Horace, Virgil and Pliny, Who Were the First to Classify and Log the Different Grapes at the Time.

  • Treatise– (A Written Work Dealing Formally and Systematically With a Subject.)  Hesiod, Cato Varro, Columella, Pliny and Vergil Were All Roman Writers Who Get Credit For Being Pioneers of Writing and Documenting Grapes and Wine Culture.
  • WINE & PHILOSOPHY? “Wine Can Be an Entire Discipline or Study Onto Itself, One That Entire Schools Revolve Around?”
    • “Since the 1800’s Wine Has Been Seen as Entire Disciple On to Itself. Universities Have Entire Departments Dedicated to the Study of “The Vine” and People Consumed With Collecting Its Information.”

ESOTERIC– To Be Understood by Only a Small Number of People Who Possess Specialize Knowledge, Lingo, Interests, or Passion.

DEMYSTIFY- To Make a Difficult or Esoteric Subject Clearer and Easier to Understand.

SCHOLAR- Specialist In a Particular Branch of Study, a Person Who’s Highly Educated or Has an Aptitude For Study.

  • ENOLOGY- Study of Wine and Wine Making.
  • ENOPHILE- Someone Who’s Possessed With Viticulture and “The Vine”.
  • ENOLOGIST- Someone Who Studies Oenology.
  • VITICULTURE- Study of “The Vine”, Which Deals With a Series of Events From Vineyard to Vitification to Evaluation and Enjoying. Over Sees Everything From the Vineyard Through Harvest to the Entire Wine-Making Process From Crush to the Release of Wine.
    VINOUS- Term Used to Pertaining to Anything Relating to Wine.

PASSION- A Deep, Intense or Unnatural Liking For Something.

  • For Longer Than Recorded History, Mankind Has Been Enamored With Wine and Has Included Grapes In Its Culture.  There Has Been a Passion For Growing the Crop and Producing Wine From Its Bounty.  Man’s Passion For Grapes, Wine and “The Vine” is Hard to Quantify But is Something That Has Been With Us of Years, Generations, Centuries, and Millennium.

“During the Process of Researching Demystifying “The Vine”, I Realized I Was Suffering From Enophilia: a Strict Disciplined Devotion to the Appreciation and Consumption of “The Vine”.”

  • REASONS To STUDY The VINE
    • For Personal Enrichment.
    • To Pass a Test.
    • To Be Proficient at Something Secure a Better Wine Job.
    • Be a Better Wine Taster Become More Confident Buying Wine.
    • Impress the Opposites Sex.
    • Hide That You’re a Wine-O.
  • WINE & PHILOSOPHY?  “How Can We Quantify How Much Someone Knows About Wine?”
    • “How Can We Quantify How Much Someone Knows About Wine?  Is Wine Knowledge Measured  by How Much Someone Can Memorize or Recite On a Test?  Could it Be the Wine Concepts They Have Grasped and Understand?  Could it Be the Amount of Wine or Bottles They Have Consumed Over the Decades?  How About the Number of Wine Regions They Have Traveled to?”
  • WINE & PHILOSOPHY?  “Can the Entire Wine World Ever Be Demystified In a Complete Way/ In its Entirety?”
    • “There Will Come a Time In the Future When We as an Industry Know Everything There is to Know? The Entire Wine World With All Its Knowledge is Immense. Its History Dates Back 8 Millennia. Over the Past Millennia and Even More So the Past Few Centuries the Wine World Has Been Shrunk and Generally Figured Out and Documented.”

TRAINING Vs. EDUCATION

  • Training- Process of Learning Something With a Goal of Performing a Specific Skill or Behavior.
    • The Pursuit of an Ability.
    • Teaches Certain Tasks.
    • Practical Application.
    • Narrow Scope.
  • Education- The Systematic Process of Learning Something With a Goal of Acquiring Knowledge.
    • The Pursuit of Knowledge.
    • Develops a Sense of Reasoning and Judgement.
    • Theoretical Application.
    • Wide Scopes.

EARTH SCIENCE– The Study of the Earth and Space, Its Impact On Human Activity, the Earth’s Environment and Its Many Practical Applications. Its Four Sectors…

  • Geology- Science of the Earth
  • Meteorology- Science of the Atmosphere
  • Oceanography- Science of the Oceans
  • Astronomy- Science of the Universe

2) WINE INSTITUTES/ ACADEMICS

An Academic and Intellectual Location, A Place Where There’s an Ongoing Research Team Assembled and Its Goal is to Advance Man’s Understanding of “The Vine.”

ACADEME- A Place or Campus In Which Instruction is Given Regarding a Certain Discipline or Type of Knowledge. Usually Involve a Society In Which There’s a Connection with Study and Like Thinking. (Modern Day University)

  • Since the 1800’s Viticulture and Viniculture Have Been Recognized as an Academic Discipline. The Knowledge and the Advancement of Wine Has Been Pursued at Academic Institutions Since the Late 1800’s. University of California at Davis and University of Bordeaux, Get Credit For the First Sights of Academe to Work Along With Their Local Wine Regions to Research, Refinement and Solution In the Wine Industry.
  • DNA. Testing- Conservation of Endangered Vines-Education

RESEARCH INSTITUTES Of The WORLD

OLD WORLD

  • ACADEMICS~ ~Institut National de Montpellier~     @Montpellier, France
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Institute of Wine~     @San Michele, All’Adige
  • ACADEMICS~ ~School of Viticulture and Oenology~     @Conegliano, Veneto, Italy
    • First Wine School In Italy, Opened In 1876.
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Geilweilerhof AKA=Julius-Kuhn-Institute~     @Siebeldingen, Pfalz
    • Specialization~ Breeding Vine Varieties Which Combine Resistance to Fungal Disease With Quality.
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Federal Institute Klosterneuburg~     @Niederosterreich, Austria
    • Specialization~ Research In Cross Breeding Vinifera Wine Grapes.
  • ACADEMICS~ ~State Wine Institute Freiburg~      @Freiburg, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
    • Specialization~ Testing and Research Institute For Applied Practical Test In Plant Protection, Oenology, Viticulture, Resistance and Clone Breeding.
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Charles Sturt University~   @
  • ACADEMICS~ ~VSSVVM.~     @Modra, Slovakia
    • Specialization~ Research and Breeding Station For Enology and Viticulture.
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Viticultural Institute of Neustadt~     @Pfalz, Germany
    • Specialization~ Conduct Research and Educate Future Generations of Vintners.
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Geisenheim Grape Breeding Institute~     @Rheingau, Germany
    • Specialization~ Grape Research For the Practical Advancement of Wine.
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Wadenswil~    @Lake Zurich, Switzerland
    • Specialization~ Research For Combating Viticultural Catastrophes.
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Changins~      @La Cote, Lake Geneva, Switzerland
    • Specialization~  Research For Improving Plant Material.
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Agrosocope~      @Lake Geneva, Switzerland
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Centre du Rose~  @Lidauban
    • Specialization~ Cross Breeding Projects to Optimize the Performance of Provencal Varieties.
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Ariel University~     @Isreal
    • Specialization~ Project to Bing the Indigenous Species of Isreal Grapes Back to Life.
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Pecs University~ @Pecs, Hungary
    • Specialization~ Viticulture & Oenology
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Wine Institute/ Vine Institute of Greece~       @Athens, Greece
    • Specialization~ Devoted to Researching Greek Wine and Native Grapes and Preserving and Improving the Country’s Winemaking.
  • ACADEMICS~ ~University of Turin~   @Turin, Piemonte
    • Specialization~ Viticulture & Onology

NEW WORLD– United States

  • ACADEMICS~ ~Allan Hancock College~     @Santa Maria, California 
    • Specialization~ Viticulture and Enology Degree Programs.
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Arkansas Tech University~     @Arkansas
    • Specialization~ Viticulture and Enology Degree Programs.
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Cornell University~     @Geneva, New York
    • Specialization~ Viticulture and Enology Degree Programs.
  • ACADEMICS~ ~University of California Davis~      @Davis, California
    • Specialization~ Viticulture and Enology Program…DNA. Profiling.
  • ACADEMICS~ ~University of California Fresno~     @Fresno, California
    • Specialization~ Viticulture and Enology Program.
  • ACADEMICS~ ~University of California San Luis Obispo~     @San Luis Obispo, California
    • Specialization~ Viticulture and Enology Degree Programs.
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Finger Lakes Community College~     @Finger Lakes, New York
    • Specialization~ Viticulture & Enology Degree Program.
  • ACADEMIC~ ~Linfield University~ @Mcminville, Oregon

    • Specialization~ Viticulture and Viniculture Degrees
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Las Positas College~     @Livermore, California
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Michigan State University~      @East Lansing, Michigan
    • Specialization~ Viticulture & Enology Degree Program.
  • ACADEMICS~ ~University of  Minnesota~   @Minnesota
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Napa Valley College~     @Napa, California
    • Specialization~ 3 Viticulture and Enology Degree Programs.
  • ACADEMICS~ ~New York Wine & Culinary Center~     @Canandaigua, Finger Lakes
  • ACADEMICS~ ~New York State Agricultural Experiment Center~   @Geneva, New York
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Santa Rosa Junior College~      @Santa Rosa, California
    • Specialization~ 3 Viticulture and Enology Degree Programs.
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Southern Oregon Wine Institute~     @Umqua Valley, Oregon
    • Specialization~ Viticulture and Enology.
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Walla Walla Community College~     @Walla Walla, Washington
    • Specialization~ Enology & Viticulture Program.
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Washington State University~      @Pulman, Washington
    • Specialization~ Viticulture & Enology…Economic Impact on Wine Industry.
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Virginia Tech University~      @Blacksburg, Virginia
    • Specialization~ Enological and Viticultural Research.
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Yakina Valley Community College~     @Yakima, Washington
    • Specialization~ Viticulture & Enology Degree Programs.
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Yavapai College~     @Prescott, Arizona
    • Specialization~ Viticulture & Enology Degree Programs.
  • ACADEMICS~ ~International Fruit Genetics and the Grapery~      @Bakersfield
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Potapenko Viticulture Research Institute~      @Rostov Oblast, Russia

NEW WORLD– Other

  • ACADEMICS~ ~Adelaide University~     @Australia
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Stellenbosch University~      @Stellenbosch, South Africa
    • Specialization~ Viticulture & Enology.
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Brock University~     @Canada
    • Specialization~ Cool Climate Enology & Viticulture Institute CCOVI.
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Catena Institute of Wine~     @Mendoza, Argentina
    • Specialization~ Malbec and High Altitude Viticulture and Viniculture.
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Csiro~   @Australia
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Universiade Nacional de Cuyo~     @Valley de Cuyo, Argentina
    • Specialization~ Collaboration With UC. Davis.
  • ACADEMICS~ ~Lincoln University~     @Canterbury, New Zealand
    • Specialization~ Viticulture & Enology Research.

INTERNATIONAL GRAPE GENOME PROJECT- Multi National Collaborative Grapevine Research Project With an Emphasis On Grapevine Genomics.  This Multinational Project Involves Research Enters In Australia, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Italy, South Africa, Spain and USA.

  • **Refer to “OLD WORLD/ NEW WORLD/ Locations” For Additional Information.

CHEVALIERS Du TASTEVIN

  • Exclusive Bacchanalian Fraternity of Burgundy Wine Connoisseurs.  Originally Formed Under an Ancient Regime it Was Reestablished In 1934, and Based at Clos de Vougeot a 12th. Century Chateau In Burgundy France. The Revival Was Motivated by an Economic Necessity, The Collapse In Sales of Burgundy In the Wake of the World Financial Crisis.
  • Mission– Promoting All Things Burgundian, In Particular Its Great Wines and Traditional Cuisine But Also the Survival and Revival of the Region’s Feast, Festivals, Customs and Folklore as Well as the Development of Tourism In Burgundy.

3) WINE PIONEERS

  • PIONEERS~ Someone Who Develops or is the First to Use or Apply a New Methods, Knowledge or Activity.

ACADEMIC PIONEERS Of The WORLD

  • PIONEERS~  ~Moderates Columella~ 500 “Rome” Author Who’s 12 Volumes of De Re Rustica Was the Leading Wine Agriculture Book Up to the 500’s
  • PIONEERS~  ~Monks~ “Burgundy” Keeping and Progressing Wine Culture During Dark Times and Into the Renaissance.
  • PIONEERS~  ~Oliver di Serres~ 1300’s “French” Author and Soil Scientist Wrote Theatre d’Agriculture, the Leading Wine Agriculture Book of Its Time.
  • PIONEERS~  ~Derek Bacciocco~ “California”, Modern Sommelier, and Wine Education.
  • PIONEERS~  ~Pierre Galet~ 1900’s “French”, Ampelographer and Author.
  • PIONEERS~  ~Paul Truel~ 1900’s “French”, Institut National Agronomique/ Montpelier.
  • PIONEERS~  ~Dr. Jose Vouillamor~ “Author”/ Authority On Origin and Parentage of Grape Varieties Through DNA. Profiling.
  • PIONEERS~  ~A.M. Negrul~ “Russian”, Ground Breaking Ampelographer
  • **Refer to “BIBLIOGRAPHY/ Pioneers” For Detailed List of Other Pioneers.

4) The SOMMELIER & WINE

SOMMELIER– Certified Wine Expert/ Wine Professional/ Wine Ambassador

HISTORY- ~Worshipful Company of Vintners~ Established In 1300’s to Help With the Importation, Regulation and Sale of Wine In a Time When Governmental Support Programs Didn’t Exist.

  • During the French Renaissance a Sommelier Was the Title of the Person Responsible For Stocking Wine and Food For the King During His Time of Travel. The Food and Drink For His Trip Was Kept a Carriage Called and Somme. His Duties Was to Ensure the Condition of the Wine and Food But Also Making Sure the Food and Drink Wasn’t Poisoned by an Enemy, the Sommelier Achieved This by Tasting the Food and Drink Before Service.
  • “Sommelier”…+Pronounced…“Suh-muhl-yei”
  • Guild of Sommelier– International Membership Organization For Sommeliers and Wine Professionals. The Guild Strives to Promote Wine Education, Enrichment, Collaboration and Healthy Debate Among Our Members While Maintaining the Chief Values of the Sommelier Profession: Hospitality, Humility, and Integrity
  • Court of Master Sommeliers– Was Established In 1977, Collection of Master Sommeliers
    • Tested On– 1-Theory 2-Blind Tasting 3-Service
    • Levels– Sommelier, Certified Sommelier, Advanced Sommelier, Master Sommelier (236 Members)
  • “Mission Statement”  “To Promote Excellence In Hotel and Restaurant Beverage Service. Members Are Worldwide and Come From Diverse Backgrounds and Experiences, They Share a Proven Mastery of the Art, Science and History That Informs a Sommelier Work.”
  • WINE & PHILOSOPHY?–“CONTENTIOUS WINE ISSUE!” 
    • “There is No Formal Definition of What a Sommelier is!”
    • NO…“In Order to Become a Sommelier the Court of Master Sommeliers Makes Somm’s Memorize the World of Wine With All Its Definition and Wine Nuances But the Court Will Not Come Up With a True Formal Definition.”
  • In Void of a Formal Definition I Have Came Up With My Own Definition.
    • “A Person In a a Restaurant Who is Wine Focused and Does Wine Service.  This Professionally Certified Person Helps the Customer Choose a Wine From the Wine List,  Pair Food With the Chosen Wine. This Person Delivers the Wine and Preforms the Wine Service of Opening the Wine and Serving It to Said Customer.”
    • This Wine Professional/ Wine Steward Is Often the Person Running the Wine Program and Curating the Wine List.
  • Majority of the People Wanting the Best In Wine Education Are Getting Certified Through the Guild of Sommeliers. This is Great For American Wine Culture and Wine Education as a Whole.
  • Humility- A Modest or Low Outward View of One’s Own Importance, Knowledge Accumulation or Self Worth, A State of Being Humble.

“You Are an Expert In Your Own Taste, Somms Are Experts of the Entire Wine World.”

PROFESSIONAL SOMMELIER

  • To Some (Including Master Sommeliers) In Order to Truly Be a Sommelier One Needs to Be On a Restaurant Floor Selling Highly Marked-Up Wine From a Cultivated Wine-List, While Matching the Wine With Food.
  • Responsibilities- Advising Customers On the Matching of Food With Highly Marked-Up Wine In a Restaurant While Showing Humility and Passion.
  • Oversee Wine Departments, Buys Wine, Stocks and Organizes Wine Cellar, Creates Wine List, Sees to Wine Businesses Profitability, Emphasizes Wine Culture and Education While Balancing Customer Service.
  • Matching/ Calibrating People’s Palates and Price Range to the Proper Wine They Are Looking Seeking.

“If You Don’t Work In a Restaurant Doing Wine Service Your Not a Professional Sommelier.”

MODERN SOMMELIER

  • The Modern Sommelier (Someone Who is Certified and A Sommelier But Doesn’t Work In a Resaurant) is Someone Who Cares For Hospitality Through Wine; by Service, Education or Sales.
  • The Modern Sommelier Are Anti-Stuffy Men and Women Needs to Be All Things In/ to the Wine World. A Server, Seller, Educator, Trend-Setter, Influencer, Entrepreneur, Traveler, Cultivate a “Wine Passion Project” and Posses Great Style.
  • WINE & PHILOSOPHY? “Is the Goal of Getting Certified In the Wine Industry to Pass a Test or to Become a More Educated Professional/ Wine Educator?”
    • “If You Want to Take Your Minor Interest In Wine Further, Taste Wine, Read, and Take Some Wine Classes. If You Want to Take Your Major Interest In Wine Further, Taste All the Wine You Can, Read Everything You Can and Take Organized/ Certified Wine Classes.”
  • WINE & PHILOSOPHY?–“CONTENTIOUS WINE ISSUE!” “Someone Who Passes the “Court of Master Sommeliers” Exam is Considered a Sommelier Even Though They Don’t Work at a Restaurant or Wine Industry!”
    • YES…“Recently There Has Been Great Interest In Wine and as a Result People Are Getting Educated by the Court of Master Sommeliers. These People Who Obtain Their Sommelier Certification Are “Somms” Even if  They’re Not Working In a Restaurants, or Have No Intention of Working as a Wine Professional at All.”
    • NO…“Unless You Are Working On a Restaurant Floor, Pairing Food With Marked-Up Wine You Are Not a Sommelier.”
  • Any Form of Higher Education You Can Achieve For Yourself or In Your Professional Trade is Beneficial Weather Your On the Restaurant Floor or In a Retail Environment or Enjoying Wine Personally. The More Knowledge You Have the More of an Understanding On a Region and Wine Style is Going to Help You Succeed In Your Chosen Wine Field or Personal Gratification.
  • WINE SCANDALS~  ~Master Sommelier Exam Annulled After Leak.~
    • “Detailed Information On the Identity of the Wines Making Up the Master Sommelier Blind Tasting Portion of the Exam Was Leaked by a Current Master Sommelier.  As a Result the Tasting Part of the 2018 Master Sommelier Was Annulled and the 23 People Who Past Had to Come and Retake the Exam.”

SOMM CULTURE

  • WINE & PHILOSOPHY?  “What is Somm Culture?”
    • “Somm. Culture is Yet to Be Fully Defined. While I Feel It Centers Around Hospitality and Knowledge it Also Encompasses Blind Tasting, Being a Wine Influencer, Wine Nerdiness, Wine Obscurity and Passion.”

SOMMELIER FACE-OFF OR CHALLENGES

  • ~Best Somelier In America~
  • ~Best Your Sommelier~
  • ~Somm Slam~
  • ~Somms Under Fire~
  • ~TexSom~
  • ~TopSomm~
  • ~Worlds Best Sommelier~
  • ~Somm Challange~

MASTER SOMMS WHO HAVE DIRECTLY INFLUENCED ME

  • ~Geoff Cruth~  Master Sommelier, President GuildSomm
  • ~Fred Dane~  Master Sommelier(1st American), Legion, President GuildSomm
  • ~Larry Stone~  Master Sommelier/ Wine Maker-Lingua Franca
  • ~Chris Tanghe~  Master Sommelier, Chief Instructor/ Guild Somm
  • ~David Keck~  Master Sommelier

OTHER WINE CERTIFICATIONS

  • Association de la Sommelerie Interationale ASI.– Non-Profit Organization Founded In Reims In 1969 and Has the Following Aims:
    • Co-Ordinate Actions Aimed at Developing and Advancing the Profession by Various Means.
    • To Enhance the Sommelier’s Profession as Well as Education the Consumer.
    • To Defend the Ethics of the Profession.
  • Certified Specialist of Wine-
  • Certified Wine Educator-
  • Institute of Masters of Wine- The Evolution of the Worshipful Company of Vintners & the Wine and Spirit Association. Where First to Give a Test to Calibrate the Members of the Wine Service Industry. Number of Members- 384
  • International Sommelier Guild ISG.
  • Society of Wine Educators SWE.
  • Wine Scholar Guild
  • Wine & Spirit Education Trust WSET– British Organization Which Arranges Courses and Exams In the Field of Wine and Spirits. WSET. Was Founded In 1969 and is Headquartered In London and is Generally Regarded as One of the Worlds Leading Provider of Wine Education.  LEVELS:
    • Level 1- A Beginner Level Introduction to Wine Suitable For Those Starting a Wine Career or Pursuing an Interest In Wine.
    • Level 2- A Beginner to Intermediate Level Qualification Exploring Wine, Suitable For Industry Professionals And Wine Enthusiasts.
    • Level 3- An Advanced Level Qualification For Professionals Working In the Wine Industry and For Wine Enthusiasts.
    • Level 4 Diploma- An Expert-Level Qualification Covering All Aspects of Wine.
    • Master of Wine-

WINE GROUPES

  • American Wine Society
    • Mission~ We Are Passionate Wine Explorers-Both Beginner and Expert Who Believe Wine Discovery is a Fine and Lifelong Adventure That Should Be Shared.

5) WINE FESTIVALS & CONFERENCES

An Annual Wine “Conference” or “Festival” to Study/ Celebrate Viticulture or Viniculture or Some Other Wine Influenced Topic.  These Wine Events Generally Include Wine Consumption Along With and Educational Portions or Other Aspects Involving Wine Culture Such as Eating.

  • Wine Festival- More For the Navice Drinker Who’s In More of a Party Atmosphere.
  • Wine Conferences– Centers More Around Knowledge or Networking.
    • Meeting and Talking to Wine Makers, Experts, Influencers In the Wine Community Face to Face. Along With Tastings There Are Usually Seminars.

WINE EVENTS Of AMERICA

JANUARY

  • FESTIVALS~ ~Wine Speak~ (January/ Paso Robles)
  • FESTIVALS~ ~Unified Wine & Grape Symposium~ (January/ Sacramento)
    • Mission~ Trade Show Where Producers Go to Buy Their Grape Growing and Wine Making Products…There is Every Thing There But Wine.
  • FESTIVALS~ ~Vinco~ (January/ Grand Junction, Colorado)
    • Mission~ Bringing Together Top Experts In Enology, Viticulture and Business to Grand Junction Each Year as Well as Networking.

FEBURARY

  • FESTIVALS~  ~International Alsace Varietals Festival~ (February/ Mendocino)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Rhone Rangers~ (February/ Paso Robles)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Virginia Wine Expo~ (February/ Richmond, Virginia)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Zinfandel Experience Zin. EX.~ (February/ San Fransisco)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Kosher Food & Wine Experience~ (February, Los Angeles)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Oregon Chardonnay Celebration~ (February/ McMinnville)

MARCH

  • FESTIVALS~  ~Central Coast Wine Conference & Trade Show~ (March/ Paso Robles)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~World of Pinot~ (March/ Santa Barbara)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~VinExpo~ (March/ New York)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~New York Drinks New York~ (March/ New York)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Southern Oregon Grape Symposium~ (March/ Rogue Valley)

APRIL

  • FESTIVALS~  ~Paso Robles CAB.”Cabernet and Bordeaux“~ (April/ Paso Robles)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Pebble Beach Wine~ (April/ Pebble Beach-Monterey)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~San Diego County Vintners Wine~ (April/ San Diego)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Wine Spectator’s Grand Tour~ (April/ Las Vegas)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Hill County Wine Festival~ (April/ Texas)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Austin Wine~ (April/ Austin)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Lodi Wine Festival~ (April/ Lodi)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Charbono Festival~ (April/ San Diego)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Suisun Valley Passport Wine Festival~ (April/ Suisun Valley)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Sierra Pelona Valley AVA. Wine~ (April)

MAY

  • FESTIVALS~ ~May is Oregon Wine Month~ (Greater Oregon)
  • FESTIVALS~ ~Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival~ (May/ Mendocino)
  • FESTIVALS~ ~United States Trade Tasting~ (May/ New York)
  • FESTIVALS~ ~Somm Summit~ (July/ Seattle)
  • FESTIVALS~ ~Wine Spectator’s Grand Tour~ (May/ Chicago)
  • FESTIVALS~ ~Wine Spectator’s Grand Tour~ (May/ Miami)
  • FESTIVALS~ ~Lake County Wine Adventure~ (May/ Lakeport)
  • FESTIVALS~ ~Bottle Rock~ (May/ Napa)
  • FESTIVALS~ ~Wine & Waves~ (May/ Avila Beach)
  • FESTIVALS~ ~Zin-Fest~ (May/ Lodi)
  • FESTIVALS~ ~Uncorked Tour~ (May/ Rogue Valley)
  • FESTIVALS~ ~San Temecula Valley Wine Festival~ (May/ Temecula, California)
  • FESTIVALS~ ~Calistoga Wine Festival~ (May, Calistoga, California)
  • FESTIVALS~ ~I Love Gamay Festival~ (May/ Portland, Oregon)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Verde Valley Wine Festival~ (May/ Cottonwood, Arizona)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Oregon Wine Symposium~ (May, Portland, Oregon)
  • FESTIVALS~ ~Oregon Pinot Camp~ (June/ Willamette Valley)
  • FESTIVALS~ ~Uncorked Tour~ (May/ Rogue Valley)

JUNE

  • FESTIVALS~ ~Monterey Wine~ (August/ Monterey)
  • FESTIVALS~ ~Santa Barbara Wine & Food Festival~ (June/ Santa Barbara)
  • FESTIVALS~ ~International Volcanic Wine~ (June/ New York City)
    • Mission~ Primary Purpose is to Establish a Volcanic Wine Movement and Provide Opportunities For Volcanic Wine Producers Around the World.
  • FESTIVALS~ ~Oregon Pinot Camp~ (June/ Willamette Valley)

JULY

  • FESTIVALS~  ~California Wine Festival~ (July/ Santa Barbara)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~International Bulk Wine and Spirits Show~ (July/ San Francisco)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~International Pinot Noir Celebration~ (July/ McMinnville, Oregon)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Somm Summit~ (July/ Seattle)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Napa Valley Wine Festival~ (July/ Napa)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Bounty of the Hudson~ (July/ New York)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Finger Lakes Wine~ (July/ New York)

AUGUST

  • FESTIVALS~  ~Nat-Diego~ (August/ San Diego) Natural Wines
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Oregon Wine Experience~ (August/ Jacksonville, Oregon)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Salinas Valley Wine~ (August/ Salinas)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~West of the West Wine~ (August/ Occidental, Sonoma)
  • FESTIVALS~ ~Wind to Wine Festival~ (August/ Petaluma)

SEPTEMBER

  • FESTIVALS~  ~Virginia Wine Festival~ (September/ Ashburn, Virginia)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Barbera Festival~ (September/ Sierra Foothills)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Grape-Fest~ (September/ Texas)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Lodi Grape Festival~ (September/ Lodi)
  • FESTIVALS~ ~Lake Geneva Wine Festival~ (September/ Wisconsin)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Naples Grape Festival~ (September/ Finger Lakes)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Pinknic~ (September/ New York City/ Governors Island) Rose Wine Party
  • FESTIVALS~ ~Colorado Mountain Winefest~ (September/ Grand Valley, Colorado)

OCTOBER

  • FESTIVALS~  ~New York Wine Experience~ (October/ New York City)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Fredericksburg Wine Festival~ (October/ Texas)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Sonoma County Havest Fair~ (September/ Sonoma)
  • FESTIVALS~   ~Willcox Wine~ (October/ Willcox)

NOVEMBER

  • FESTIVALS~  ~Garagist Wine Festival~ (November/ Paso Robles)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Pinotfest~ (November/ San Francisco)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Raw Wine Fair~ (November/ New York)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Raw Wine Fair~ (November/ Los Angeles)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Sommcon~ (November/ San Diego)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Napa Valley Film Festival~ (November/ Napa)

DECEMBER

  • FESTIVALS~

WINE EVENTS OUTSIDE Of AMERICA

JANUARY

  • FESTIVALS~  ~Winter Wine Festival~ (January/ Vancouver Island)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Niagara Icewine Festival~ (January/ Ontario, Canada)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Tasmanian Wine Show~ (January/ Tasmania, Australia)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Central Otago Pinot Noir Celebration Festival~ (January/ New Zealand)

FEBURARY

  • FESTIVALS~  ~Chardonnay & Sparkling Wine Symposium~ (February/New Zealand)
  • FESTIVALS~ ~Vancouver International Wine Festival~ (February/Canada)

MARCH

  • FESTIVALS~  ~Argentina Grape Harvest Festival~ (March/ Mendoza, Argentina)
  • FESTIVALS~ ~Hungarian Wine Summit~ (March/ Budapest)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Melbourne Food & Wine Festival~ (March/ Melbourne, Australia)
  • FESTIVALS~   ~Prowein~ (March/ Dusseldorf, German)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Raw Wine Fair~ (March/ London)

APRIL

  • FESTIVALS~  ~Vinitaly~ (April/ Verona)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Divinum~ (April/ Morges, Switzerland)
  • FESTIVALS~ ~Orange Wine Festival~ (Izola, Slovenia/ April)

MAY

  • FESTIVALS~  ~International Cool Climate Wine Symposium~ (May/ England)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~London Wine Fair~ (May/ London)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~ProWine~ (May/ Hong Kong, China)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Shanghai International Wine Exhibition~ (May/ China)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Festival do Vinho do Douro Superior~ (May/ Portugal)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Indegena~ (May/ Piemonte, Itlay)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Jerez Horse Fair~ (May/ Andalusia, Spain)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Conegliano Valdobbiandene Festival~ (May/ Veneto, Italy)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~London Wine Fair~ (May/ London)
  • FESTIVALS~ ~Vievinum~ (May/ Vienna)
    • Mission~ The Largest and Most Important Showcase of Austrian Wine.

JUNE

  • FESTIVALS~  ~Festa Dell’Uva~ (June/ Chianti)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Haro Wine Festival/ Batalla del Vino/ Wine Battle~ (June/ Rioja)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Vinexpo~ (June/ Bordeaux)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Caves Ouvertes Vaud/ Vaud Open Cellers~ (June/ Vaud)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Rose Wine Expo~ (June/ Bulgaria)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Black Sea Winemaking  Forum~ (June/ Bulgaria)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Winexpo Georgia~ (June/ Georgia)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Malvasia Day Festival~ (June/ Aeolian Islands, Sicily)

JULY

  • FESTIVALS~  ~Festival of  Furmint~ (July/ Tokay, Hungary)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~San Fermin~ (July/ Pamplona, Spain)

AUGUST

  • FESTIVALS~ ~Albariño Wine Festival~ (August/ Cambados/Rias Baixas)
  • FESTIVALS~ ~Fiestas de la Vendimia~ (August/ Jumilla, Spain)
  • FESTIVALS~ ~Rebula Wine Experience~(August/ Brda)
    • Focuses of Rebula Producers From Brda(Slovenia) & Collio(Italy)
  • FESTIVALS– ~Limassol Wine Festival~ (August/ Cyprus)

SEPTEMBER

  • FESTIVALS~  ~Okanagan Valley Wine Festival~ (September/ Canada)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Fete de Vendanges~ (September/ Lutry, Switzerland)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Oxford Wine Festival~ (September/ Oxford, England)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Festival of San Mateo~ (September/ Logrono), Wine Harvest Festival
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Alto Adige Wine Summit~ (September/ Bolzano)

OCTOBER

  • FESTIVALS~  ~Cavatast/ Festival of Cava~ (October/ Barcelona, Spain)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Festival of the Grape~ (October/ Okanagan Valley, Canada)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Stiges Wine Harvest~ (October)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~National Wine Day of Moldova~ (October/ Moldova)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~“Tulburel” Young Wine Festival~ (October/ Moldova)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~“Ro-Wine”, International Wine Festival~ (October/ Romania)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~EXPO Drink & Wine Bucharest~ (October/ Romania)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Wine Festival Ukraine~ (October/ Ukraine)

NOVEMBER

  • FESTIVALS~  ~Villa d’Este Wine Symposium~ (November/ Lake Como, Italy)
    • Gathering of Major Actors of the Wine Industry: Producers, Negociants, Distributors, Suppliers Medias Politics and Wine Lovers or Collectors
  • FESTIVALS~  ~Hong Kong International Wine Fair~ (November/ Hong Kong)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~St. Martin’s Festival~ (November 11th./ Hungary)
    • Celebrating New Wine Paired w/ Goose
  • FESTIVALS~  ~“Jubilee” Young Wine Festival~ (November/ Bulgaria)
  • FESTIVALS~  ~“Goodwine” Romania’s Wine Fair~ (November/ Romania)

DECEMBER

  • FESTIVALS~

6) ARCHEOLOGY & WINE

  • PALAEOTHNOBOTANY- Study of the Botanical Remains of Plants, Including Grapes and Wine Residue Found In Archaeological Excavations From Used In Ancient Times.
  • ARCHEOLOGY- Study of the History of Wine by Analysis of Excavated Sights and Artifact.
    • Wood, Skin Bladders, Earth-Ware Are Some of the Only Things That Have Lasted Over Time.
    • Analyzing- Tartaric Acid, Salts, Residual Sugars, Sediment

MOSAIC- Group Who’s Goal is Grape Conservation and to Save Rare, Indigenous Varietals From Extinction.

  • 155+ Varietals Are Planted On 25 ac. or Less

ARCHEOLOGICAL WINE FINDS Of The OLD WORLD

FIRST EVIDENCE OF WINEMAKING- Shulaveri-Shomnu First Culture to Produce Wine. In a Stone-Aged Settlement In Kakheti Called Gadachrili Gora, Archeologists Unearthed the Oldest Evidence of Winemaking  In the World.  DNA. Testing Dated the Residues Found In Pottery to Between 5,800-6,000 BC..

FIRST EVIDENCE OF WINEMAKING FACILITY- Archaeological Evidence of One of Oldest Wine Production Facilities. Located In Areni, Armenia About 80 km. From the Capital of Yerevan. This Cave Complex Called/ Named Areni-1, Dates Back to 4,000 BC..  The Facility Consisted of a Shallow 4 Foot Basin Where to Grapes Where Crushed by Foot. With a Narrow Channel Funneling the Juice and Leading to a Buried Clay Earth-Ware.

BYZANTINE AREA WINERY- Located In Yavne/Yibna, 25km. South of Tel Aviv In Israel.

  • 2019- The Rediscovered Winery For the 500’s Had the Complicity to Produce Over 3 Million Bottles of Wine Annually. From the Study of the Site it Looks Like the Winery Worked and Marketed Itself as a Brand.
  • The Site Was Found and Excavated by the Israel Antiquities Authority.

DOLIA- Ship Designed to Carry Amphora For Trade.

  • Discovering Ship Wrecks From Ancient Times Gives us Insight to Wine Trade. Use the Matching of Amphora Style From Different Periods to Figure Out What the Year Was and Who Was Trading Wine With Who.

CHAMPAGNE IN The Bottom of The BALTIC SEA

  • 1998- 400 Bottles of  1907 Heidsieck Champagne Were Discovered In a Shipwreck at the Bottom of Baltic Sea. The Bottles Sat In Darkness and Protected by Near-Constant Temperatures and Pressure.  The Bottle Were In Perfect Condition and Auctioned Off to Wine Connoisseurs.
  • 2010- 168 Bottles of Veuve Clicquot Were Found In a Shipwreck In the Baltic Sea.

CHAMPAGNE CELLER DISCOVERY

  •  19 Champagne Bottles Were Discovered at Pol Rogers Cellars In Epernay While Reinforcing and Old Wine Cellar.  The Bottles Were From 1887 to 1898 and Said to Be Lost When the Cellar Collapsed On February 23rd., 1990.  The Recovered Bottles Were In Drinkable Condition With Lees and Co2 Present.

GEORGE WASHINGTONS’ BARTAB

  •  2001- The Bar Tab For George Washingtons’ 1787 Farewell Party Was Found and Intact and Legible.  According to the Bill the 55 “Founding Fathers” In Attendance Consumed:
    • 54 Bottles Madeira   |   60 Bottles Claret
    • 8 Bottles of Whiskey   |   22 Bottles of Porter
    • 8 Bottles of Hard Cider   |   15 Beers 
    • 7 Bowls of Alcoholic Punch

ARCHEOLOGICAL WINE FINDS Of The NEW WORLD

CENTURIES OLD MADEIRA- Found Behind a Demolished Wall of Kean University/ Liberty Hall Museum In New Jersey. 3 Sealed Cases From as Far Back as 1796 and Early 1800’s.

7) HOW TO SELF STUDY WINE

USE/ HAVE DISCIPLINE

KNOW WHAT YOU ARE STUDYING FOR

  • Are You Studying For Personal Growth or to Pass an Exam?

CREATE AN EFFECTIVE STUDY PLAN

  • Day to Day, Week to Week, Month to Month

ASSESS WHAT YOU ARE GOOD AT AND WHAT NEEDS WORK

  • Knowing Your Strengths and Weaknesses Will Help Guide You.

USE DIFFERENT METHODS Of LEARNING

CREATE A STUDY TEAM

  • Find Like Minded People Who Want to Achieve the Same Goals.

TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR LEARNING

KEEPING WINE NOTES

“Although Myself and Demystifying “The Vine” Are a Source of Worldly Wine Information,  I Specialize and Champion the Wine Regions of Sonoma, Columbia Valley, and Northern Italy.”

REASONS FOR KEEPING WINE-NOTES

“I’ve Committed to Memory and Forgotten the Grand Crus of Burgundy So Many Times That Keeping Wine Notes is Essential.”

  • Keeping Wine-Notes Because I Can’t Possible Remember All the Information In the Wine World.
  • Keeping Wine-Notes Helps Me Sort Information In a Ultra-Organized Way.
  • Keeping Wine-Notes Provides Me a Valuable Resource and Research Tool.
  • Keeping Wine-Notes Gives Me Knowledge and Wisdom Which I Can Communicate and Share Wine Another.
  • Keeping Wine-Notes Helps Me Document a Places I Have Visited or a Wine I Have Experience.
  • Keeping Detailed Notes Lets Me Measure or Calibrate What Information I Know and What Information I Haven’t Learned Yet
  • Constant Learning Experiences and Past Tastings Are Like Previous Lessons That With the Help of Notes I Can Retrieve and Reflect On More Easy.
  • I Have a Very Limited Capacity For Storing Information In My Head, I Never Memorize Something I Can Document an Easily Look Up.
  • WINE & PHILOSOPHY?–“CONTENTIOUS WINE ISSUE!” “Demystifying “The Vine” is One of the Best Resource and Research Web-Sites For Wine In the World!”
    • YES…“It’s 2020 and the Entire Wine World is Not Fully Organized.  There Are Many Web-Sites That Make it Easy to Find Information About Wine and DtheV.com is One of Them.”

“What I Want to Know About “The Vine” is Far Greater Than What I Could Ever Memorize.”

  • OTHER COMPILATION Of WINE INFORMATION SIGHTS
    • Guild-Somm Web-Sight
    • Demystifying “The Vine”
    • World Atlas of Wine
    • Oxford Companion
    • Wikipedia

“The More You Become Involved With Wine the More You Want to Make Sure Your Getting the Most of Your Time and Money. Keeping Notes is One Way.”

8) OTHER SUB-TOPICS Of The STUDY Of WINE

EARTH SCIENCE– The Study of the Earth and Space, Its Impact On Human Activity, the Earth’s Environment and Its Many Practical Applications. Its Four Sectors…

  • Geology: Science of the Earth
  • Meteorology: Science of the Atmosphere
  • Oceanography: Science of the Oceans
  • Astronomy: Science of the Universe

DISSERTATION– A Thesis or Study On a Particular Subject, Usually Written as a Requirement to a Higher Learning Level, or Acceptance Within a Pretentious Industry.

    • MY WINE DISSERTATION~
  • ~I Want to Disprove the Theory or Wine Dogma That There Are Up to 10,000 Grapes Varieties.~
    • “I Want to Discover, Evaluate, Catalog and Study the Worlds Grapes, While Bringing Attention to the Fact That There Are Not +5,000 to 10,000 Different Grapes Varieties.  I Want to Promote and Demystify the Genetic Lineage and Historical Significance of All the Worlds Grapes.  If You Google “How Many Grape Varieties Are There?”  The Answer is 10,000. This is Wine “Dogma”.  There Once Could Have Been That Many, “Maybe”, We Will Never Know.  Between Natural Calamities Such and Phylloxera and Powdery Mildew and Human Intervention Such as Urban Sprawl the Past Two Centuries Most of These Varieties Could Have Died Off.”
    • Number of Varietals Experts Thinks Exist… +5,000-10,000
    • Number of Varietals I Thinks Exist… 2,200-ish
    • Number of Grape Varietals I’ve “Discovered/ Logged”…2,003
    • Number of Grape Varietals I’ve “Personally/ Orally Evaluated” 203
    • MY WINE DISSERTATION~
  • ~Drinking Red Wine, Especially Full Bodied Reds From California is a Very Serious Wine Endeavor and One That Should Not Be Taken Lightly.~
    • “Drinking California Red Wine Has the Heightened Potential For Serious “Accute” Health Reactions.  Red Grapes, Mostly Thick Skinned Full Body Wines and the Warm Climate Leads to Developed Skin Maturity and Elevated Alcohol Levels.  Always Try to Limit Red Wine Consumption to 3 Glasses or Less and Hydrate Thoroughly or the Possibility of  Red Wine Hangover.”

MY IMMUNENESS To ANONYMOUS WINE

  • I’ve Become Immune and Un-Interested In Anonymous Wine.  Anonymous Low Quality Wine That Doesn’t Come From Anywhere Stated.  Unless…
    • I’m Drinking Just For the Intoxicant Factor.
    • I’m Drinking Just For the Refreshing, Thirst Quenching Factor.
    • Both of the Above Reasons Aren’t Very Often.
  • I’m Driven to Understand Wine or Seek Out a Personal Connection With the Bottle.  I Enjoy a Wine More If I Have Visited the Region Where the Grapes Where Grown. If I Know the Location I Can Pitcher the Topography of the Vineyards In My Head Just by Closing My Eyes. If I Know the Producer and Their Backstory It Brings Me a Deeper Meaning.  I Want and Need the Wine Be More Than Just an Anonymous Glass of Fermented Grape Juice.   When Everything the Wine Represents Comes Together It Becomes More Than a Glass of Wine, It Becomes Something More…A Heightened Wine Experience.

MY THOUGHTS…

“I Want to Leave a Wine Legacy With Demystifying “The Vine” That Has a Positive Effect On the Wine World by Helping it to Be Organized and More Easily Understood.”

“I Compile the Information That Master Somm’s Memorize.”

“I Get Satisfaction Sharing the Wine Information That Made Me a Better Wine Drinker.”

“I’m Compiling All What’s Known In the Wine World, Summarizing the Information Through D. the V. and Then Putting the Information Out For People to Consume However They Seem Beneficial.”

“I Want to Pursue My Passion For Wine and Continue to Learn For Myself and Teach Others While Being Taught by Others.”

“I Started to Ask Questions That I Couldn’t Find the Answers to and Still Have a Hard Time Finding the Answers to.”

“I Created the Book and Website That I Wanted to Learn and Study From.”

“I’m Fucking Obsessed by “The Vine.””

“I Have a Relentless Desire to Quantify and Organize the Wine World.”

“I Have Become Completely Possessed and Dedicated to “The Vine”. I’m Enlightened and  Have the Ability to Educate Myself and Further Demystify Others.”

“I Had a Moment When I Discovered My Passion of “The Vine”. Wine is Something That Resonates On a Deeper Level Inside Me, I Want to Know Everything.”

“I Consider Myself One of the Brightest Wine Minds In the World.”

“With Thirst Comes Knowledge, With Knowledge Comes Thirst.”

“I’m Taking the Entire Wine World and Distilling it Down Into Easily Digestible Sections For People to Better Understand.”

“I Enjoy Wines and Always On the “Look-Out” For a Bottle That Takes Me to a Location and Teaches Me Something About Its Place of Origin or Its People.”

THEIR QUATES…

“One of the First Thing I Noticed About “The Vine” is That it Stimulated the Right Side of My Brain.”…Jancis Robinson

“A Bottle Can Bring You Intellectual Pleasure or Sensual Pleasure.”…Jancis Robinson

“Wine Requires Expertise, Mental, Physical and Emotional Commitment Over a Long Period of Time.”…Karen MacNeil

**Refer to “BIBLIOGRAPHY/ Sources” For Details On Scholarly Works Referenced.