Rhys Pender’s Wine Plus
Wine Plus+ Links with UBC Okanagan
Wine Plus+ is excited to announce an agreement to offer the WSET courses in conjuction with UBC Okanagan in Kelowna starting this Fall. Courses will be held on the UBCO campus in Kelowna and all three levels of WSET course – Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced will be on offer. To launch these new programs we are offereing a discounted rate for classes this Fall. Foundation Certificate is just $200 and the Intermediate Certificate just $700, both including the WSET exam. Follow the links to register at www.wineplus.ca.
WSET Fall Schedule – Penticton & Kelowna
There is a full range of courses offered at the mentioned discounted prices for this Fall. All WSET classes are taught by Master of Wine Rhys Pender. The Fall schedule is shown below. Register now as courses are filling up fast. Register at www.wineplus.ca
PENTICTON:
- Found. (2 x evenings) – SPECIAL PRICE $200 $300 (Incl. Exam) Wed, Aug 25 & Sep 8, 2010 (6:00 – 9:30 pm)
- Inter. (3 day) – SPECIAL PRICE $700 $800 (incl. Exam), Sundays, Nov 28, Dec 12 & 19, 2010 (9am - 5pm)
- Adv. (6-day) – SPECIAL PRICE $1100 $1400 (incl. Exam) Mon’s, Oct 18, 25, Nov 1, 8, 29 & Dec 6 (9am-5pm)
KELOWNA:
- Found. (2 x evening) – SPECIAL PRICE $200 $300 (incl. Exam), Tues, Sep 14 & 28, 2010 (6 – 9:30pm)
- Inter. (6 x eve) - SPECIAL PRICE $700 $800 (incl. Exam), Tues, Oct 12, 19, 26, Nov 9, 30, Dec 6 (6 – 9:30pm)
Training, Education & Corporate Events
Wine Plus+ specializes in offering a variety of wine training and education events. We will happily develop a cost-effective program for employee training or fun and educational corporate tasting events. Contact us at rhys@wineplus.ca for more details. Rhys Pender MW will personally conduct all staff training sessions.
Tasting Series
The Tasting Series begins again on September 20th in Penticton with a tasting of White Burgundy. There are still a few spots left for the first tasting and for those who want to purchase all four upcoming tastings this Fall for a discounted price. Each tasting regularly just $40 (+tax). Click on the PayPal links at http://www.wineplus.ca/Register.html to sign up.
Wine Selection of the Month
Domaine de Beaurenard – Cotes du Rhone, France. 2007 (13.5%) $24 – 90 pts
Medium-ruby in colour. The nose is quite intense with ripe red cherry, floral, spice, candy floss and clove – all typical of the Grenache grape. There is also a warming softness to the nose that is very inviting. The palate is dry and quite full, again with that warming, cuddly feeling. Acid and tannins are both soft and blueberry and cherry fruit finish with leather, graphite and a touch of garrigue. Good length. A very nice & great value wine. RATING: 90 pts
See more wine reviews at www.rhyspender.com
Contact Wine Plus+
Rhys Pender MW
Mobile: 250.317.8796
Basic Wine Training at Liberty
Basic Training: $295 + GST
(604) 925-3663
email Tyler Dawson
For consumers and industry alike, Basic Training provides you with the tools to taste and communicate the experience of wine. Sensory-based, this is a taste-first format and all wines are tasted blind.
Dates and Times:
Wednesdays 6:00-8:30pm
September 8 to 29, 2010
Location:
The LIBERTY WINE CELLAR
100-291 East 2nd Avenue,
Vancouver B.C. V5T 1B8
Delivery Format:
Sit down workshop, Materials are provided
Course Outline:
Day One
- The Tasting Machine
- Thresholds of Perception
- Balancing Act
Day Two
- Wine Shapes / Stereogustation
- The cork….a bottle’s history
- Wine Faults? Not Your Fault
Day Three
- Well Fortified
- Through the Flor
- When Talking About Wine
Day Four
- Keep your Concentration
- Ode to Botrytis
- Conclusions
Fine Vintage Wine & Spirit Educattion Trust Courses
Come and learn about the fascinating world of wine from our knowledgeable instructors. There are courses to suit every level of knowledge from beginner to expert. At Fine Vintage we pour outstanding quality wines and our instructors are amongst the most qualified in Canada. Please feel free to forward this to your friends.
TO REGISTER, please visit www.FineVintageLtd.com/Register
Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Fall 2010 Courses
1 Day FOUNDATION $399 (includes WSET exam, instruction, wine & study guide)
VANCOUVER 1 Sat, Sept 25, 2010 9:30am-5:30pm
VANCOUVER 1 Sat, Nov 6, 2010 9:30am-5:30pm
PENTICTON 1 Sat, Sept 25. 2010 9:30am-5:30pm
VICTORIA 1 Sat, Oct 23. 2010 9:30am-5:30pm
CALGARY 1 Sat, Nov 27, 2010 9:30am-5:30pm
4 Week FOUNDATION $499 (includes WSET exam, instruction, wine & study guide)
VANCOUVER 4 Tues, Sept 21-Oct 12, 2010 6:00-9:00pm
KELOWNA 4 Tues, Sept 21-Oct 12, 2010 6:00-9:00pm
CALGARY 4 Tues, Sept 21-Oct 12, 2010 6:00-9:00pm
3 Day INTERMEDIATE $950 (includes WSET exam, instruction, wine & study guide)
VANCOUVER Sat/Sun/Sun, Nov 13, 14 & 21, 2010 9:30am-5:30pm
PENTICTON Sat/Sat/Sun, Oct 16, 23& 24, 2010 9:30am-5:30pm
9 Week INTERMEDIATE $950 (includes WSET exam, instruction, wine & study guide)
CALGARY 9 Tues, Oct 19-Dec 14, 2010 6:00-9:00pm
KELOWNA 9 Tues, Oct 19-Dec 14, 2010 6:00-9:00pm
VANCOUVER 9 Mon, Oct 18-Dec 13, 2010 6:00-9:00pm
VANCOUVER 9 Tues, Oct 19-Dec 14, 2010 6:00-9:00pm
6 Day ADVANCED $1525 (includes WSET exam, instruction, wine & study guide)
VANCOUVER 2 X Sat/Sun/Mon, Oct2-4, 16-18, 2010 9:30am-5:00pm
PENTICTON 3 X Sat/Sun, Nov 6,7, 20, 21, Dec 4,5, 2010 9:30am-5:00pm
*also optional ½ hour of exam prep & question time each day of the advanced course – until 5:30pm
15 Week ADVANCED $1525 (includes WSET exam, instruction, wine & study guide)
VANCOUVER 15 Wed, Sept 8-Dec 15, 2010 6:00-8:30 pm*
CALGARY 15 Wed, March 2- June 10, 2011 6:00-8:30 pm*
KELOWNA 15 Wed, March 2 – June 10 2011 6:00-8:30 pm*
*also optional ½ hour of exam prep & question time each night of the advanced course – until 9pm
Court of Master Sommeliers Come to Vancouver
COURT OF MASTER SOMMELIERS TO BRING ITS LEADING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS TO VANCOUVER
Only a few spaces remain for the Introductory and Certified Examinations on June 26 – 28
Beginning on June 26, numerous individuals will partake in an intensive, two-day instruction and training session to learn the art and science of wine and spirits service from a select group of the world’s foremost experts on the topic, Master Sommeliers Tim Gaiser, Darius Allyn, and John Szabo, one of only two Canadians who holds a Master Sommelier diploma. Participants will conclude the Court of Master Sommeliers-sponsored course by sitting for the first of the organization’s four exams, each of which requires an increasingly keen dedication to the mastery of all elements of beverage theory and service. Those who excel in the upcoming training program may even go on to eventually join the exclusive group of just 105 individuals in North America with the coveted title of Master Sommelier.
Despite the daunting road ahead, these applicants jumped at the opportunity to learn from these Master Sommeliers and sit for the Introductory Exam. The Court’s unmatched expertise, combined with the public’s growing interest in wine in recent years, has meant that these courses fill up far in advance and generally command a sizable waitlist. For the upcoming Vancouver Introductory Course, to be held at the renowned International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Vancouver, only a few spaces remain for sommeliers interested in beginning their pursuit of the Court’s highest designation.
For individuals who have already passed the Introductory Sommelier Exam, Master Gaiser and his colleagues also will proctor the day-long Certified Exam on June 28, the second of the Court’s prestigious educational programs. These candidates will attempt to demonstrate an even higher level of proficiency in wine theory and beverage service. As the second phase in the Court’s coursework, this examination is critical in discerning the introductory candidates from those who will ultimately become Master Sommeliers.
“Every individual who participates in our Level I and Level II programs brings with them great enthusiasm and a unique perspective to this vocation,” stated Master Gaiser. “I look forward to helping these candidates develop the skills they will need to reach the top of their field.”
Master Gaiser passed the Court of Master Sommeliers Masters Exam in 1992, after several years of study and preparation. He is currently the Education Chair for the American Chapter of the Court of Master Sommeliers as well as a contributing editor for Fine Cooking Magazine. Master Gaiser also serves as an adjunct professor for the Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Napa Valley.
“With each new exam, it is always exciting to see who will walk through those classroom doors,” said Frederick Dame, Chairman Emeritus of the American Chapter of the Court of Master Sommeliers and current President of the Guild of Sommeliers Education Foundation. “Working with young sommeliers provides the Court a wonderful opportunity to ensure that the next generation of wine professionals shares our passion for wine and wine service. Each of these candidates has the potential to be the next great Master Sommelier.”
About the Court of Master Sommeliers
The Court of Master Sommeliers was established in England in 1977 to encourage improved standards of beverage knowledge and service in hotels and restaurants. The first Master Sommelier Diploma Exam to be held in the United States was in 1987. The title Master Sommelier marks the highest recognition of wine and spirits knowledge, beverage service abilities, and professionalism in the hospitality trade. Education was then, and remains today, the Court’s charter. There are four stages involved in attaining the top qualifications of Master Sommelier: 1) Introductory Sommelier Course; 2) Certified Sommelier Exam; 3) Advanced Sommelier Course; and 4) Master Sommelier Diploma.
There are 105 professionals who have earned the title Master Sommelier in North America. Of those, 90 are men and 15 are women. There are 170 professionals worldwide who have received the title of Master Sommelier since the first Master Sommelier Diploma Exam.
# # #
WSET at Pacific Institute
Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts (PICA) is a dynamic, trend-forward Institution committed to providing industry relevant, top-notch educational opportunities. Proudly then, we congratulate Tim Ellison, fresh off a plane from London and newly minted with BC’s fourth and ninth in Canada, Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET®) UK, Level Three Assessor Qualification. After 3 days of intensive study, testing, and evaluations by panels of experts at the WSET® head office in London England, Ellison successfully achieved the highest level of assessment qualification available.
Ellison states, “My intensive education and training sessions in London has enhanced my ability to better deliver PICA’s full range of WSET® Programs; increasing student success and enjoyment.”
Tim Ellison is PICA’s resident, Diploma of Wines & Spirits (WSET®) designated, Sommelier & Special Programs Director. Ellison is also the only Certified Chef de Cuisine (CCC) and holder of a Diploma in Hospitality Administration (BCIT) with this highest of WSET® qualifications in Canada.
PICA, founded in 1997, is one of Vancouver’s first accredited private culinary institutes to provide diploma programs in Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry Arts. As a designated WSET® provider PICA offers Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced Wine Certificate programs; visit PICA Wine Education. PICA also operates an award winning Bistro 101®, a 52-seat on-site fine dining restaurant, as well as, a bustling bakeshop; Bakery 101®. Keeping PICA even busier are professional Catering and Cake departments. Completing this unique culinary centre is an ever changing array of Short programs that has made PICA Vancouver’s original hands-on cooking class purveyor. PICA is of elite status among culinary institutions in Canada and in being such continues to raise the bar.
Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts provides top-calibre instruction in an intimate and interactive environment; drawing an international attraction. Utilizing the finest facilities, PICA’s dedicated Chef Instructors are seasoned professionals trained in classic French and International cuisine. PICA is situated at the gateway to Granville Island at 1505 West Second Avenue, Vancouver, BC. To contact please call (604) 734-4488 or visit PICACHEF.
