The online programs of the
French Wine Society are a model for truly interactive wine education. I passed the French Wine Scholar exam last year and signed up in March for the
Bordeaux Master Program as Bordeaux is just an area I don’t know much about, and looking at past MW exams, it seems pretty important. The program was led by the
Dewey Markham Jr., author of
1855: A History of the Bordeaux Classification and ran for about three months with 20 live, interactive webinars and weekly reading assignments.
First off, Mr. Markham has that rare ability to take utterly confusing topics like the Côtes of Bordeaux or the classification systems and break them down to their historical origins and then lead the student to put these pieces back together again to understand what’s going on today. His core curriculum was supplemented by webinars from guest lecturers including Roger Bohmrich, MW (covering Garagistes and the economics of Bordeaux), Charles Curtis, MW (two centuries of vintages, and collecting & investing in Bordeaux), and Joel Butler, MW (Bordeaux terroir and the meaning in appellation). The quality of the lectures as well as the reading assignments (over 125 pages) were excellent. I also opted to attend an all-day review that included some well-organized tastings of Bordeaux wines (by soil type and by AOC).
Secondly, the technology was amazing. I hate to date myself, but I didn’t realize online education went beyond passively watching a presentation recording. The webinars were live and the technology such that if you had a question during the presentation, you could ‘wave your hand’ and the presenter would answer your question live. Sure, it could make the presentation go longer than an hour (and it often did), but all presentations were available online afterwards as well. And anything not answered could be posted to the bulletin board which all instructors were active on.
Finally, I just took the final exam this past weekend, opting to take it in person in Washington DC (there was no NYC provider, and there’s an upcharge to take the exam online). The exam consisted of a map identification exercise (10 points), 50 multiple-choice questions (50 points), and five short essay questions (40 points). I don’t think all of the exams have been turned in yet, so I’ll just say that the questions were fair and presented clearly. And I should have studied more.
It looks like the next Bordeaux Master Class will run in May of next year and I obviously recommend it. They also hinted that there is a Burgundy Master Class in the works for 2012 as well. Rhône and Provence also have Master Level programs, but these are limited to a detailed study manual and online exam.
So I’ll find out in a few weeks if I passed.
If you’re an essay grader reading this blog post, may I say WOW! Have you lost weight? You look fabulous!! And that color is absolutely charming on you!
Channing Daughters is probably my favorite winery on the east end of Long Island and not just because winemaker Christopher Tracy is an MW candidate. The range of styles the winery offers is exciting and delicious. The east end of Long Island has producing wine for over 35 years now, and while some styles of wine are starting to establish themselves (I love the local Sauvignon Blancs and Cabernet Francs), I appreciate that the team at Channing Daughters is really pushing the envelope. They’ve planted a number of atypical varietals and make wines ranging from the typical fruit-driven & refreshing to single-varietal rosés (including one from Refosco), skin-fermented whites, ripasso reds, orange wines, and even a Madeira-style Merlot dessert wine!
