Where the $&#% Do I Start?!

Noelle HarmanJune 22, 2023

Seven Sparkling Wines To Revisit Just Before Your Exams

Studying for sparkling wine blind tasting exams can be a lot of fun! But there are definitely some wines that show up on exams that can trip students up if they haven’t had much tasting experience with them. We go through a list of seven bottles of sparkling wines—from Champagne to Prosecco to Cava and Sekt—that we think are most worth prioritizing to taste in your studies.

Amber LeBeauMay 25, 2022

How to Get the Most Out of Your Wine Textbooks With the 3 A's

Does a new wine textbook thrill you at the thought of diving in? Or does flipping through it fill you with worry and dread over how in the world are you going to learn all this stuff? Believe it or not, the best way for both types to start is by putting away the highlighters, pens and flashcards and learning the 3 A’s with how to get the most from their wine textbooks.

Study tipsAmber LeBeauMarch 30, 2022wine text, memory, wine exams, learning toolsComment

3 Memory Techniques to Nail Important Numbers on Your Wine Exams

Yields, rainfall numbers, latitude, elevation, minimum/maximum alcohol, sugars, grape blends. There are numbers everywhere and trying to cram them all in your head is enough to make any wine student pound their head in misery. But fear not! We’ve got a few tips here to supercharge your wine studies and help you nail these numbers on your exam!

Study tipsAmber LeBeauMarch 16, 2022Memory devices, wine examsComment

Five Great Wine Books Written by Women to Help With Your Studies

While the wine world often gets a rep as an “Old Boys Club,” there are tons of fantastic women wine writers out there with books that deserve to be on any wine student’s bookshelf. With March 8th being International Women’s Day, we wanted to highlight five great books by women authors that we think are particularly valuable for wine students who are preparing for advanced exams.

RecommendationAmber LeBeauMarch 7, 2022Wine books

A snapshot of Oregon Pinot noir - 3 great resources

RecommendationAmber LeBeauFebruary 8, 2022Oregon wine, Pinot noir, wine podcast, winery websiteComment

Exam Tip - Swiss Army Knife Concepts - Blending

When you are preparing for wine exams, you often don’t know what to expect. Like setting out for a hike, the elements and examiners can throw almost anything at you. But, remember, while the world of wine is vast, it’s also very connected. There are several key concepts that are almost like having a Swiss Army Knife in your back pocket on exam day. We explore one of those concepts (blending) in this post.

Study tipsAmber LeBeauDecember 29, 2021exam tips, winemakingComment

4 Best Podcasts to Learn More About Madeira Wine

A look at some of the best podcasts out there to help wine students learn more about the unique fortified wine of Madeira.

RecommendationAmber LeBeauDecember 8, 2021MadeiraComment

Take a Walk on the Red Side Part II - Lambrusco

Lambrusco is a sparkling red from north-central Italy that can show up on blind tasting wine exams. It can be fully sparkling (spumante) like most sparkling Shiraz or semi-sparkling (frizzante). The bubbles come courtesy of the Charmat tank method (though there are some boutique producers doing traditional method) and can range in sweetness from dry secco, off-dry amabile and sweet dolce styles.

Top Wines to tryAmber LeBeauDecember 5, 2021Lambrusco, Sparkling wine, Italian wine Comment

5 Great Resources to Learn More About South African Wine

Whether you are diving deep into the world of South African wines for a research paper, boning up for an exam or just want learn more about this dynamic wine-producing country, we’ve got you covered with our recommendations of five great resources (3 books and 2 websites) that are most worth your time to check out.

RecommendationAmber LeBeauNovember 28, 2021South Africa, Wine books, websites, podcastsComment