Fundamentals of Cooking With Wine

Cost: $39

Date: 01/09/2010, 03/13/2010

Time: 10:00am - 1:00pm

Location: 975 Detroit Ave. Ste B, Concord, CA 94518

Spaces: 10

Level: Anyone who enjoys cooking

To sign up: 925-270-1657 or sign up online by adding this seminar to your cart.


Reserve a space in Fundamentals of Cooking With Wine
Explore the basics of wine flavor and how it pertains to cooking with wine. Appropriate for anyone who enjoys cooking.

About this class:

In this seminar, we will explore the basics of wine flavor and how it pertains to cooking. Wine is a complicated topic - but cooking with it doesn't have to be. The basics of terminology, wine flavor, acidity, sweetness, alcohol, and varietal impact will be discussed with examples to taste for each.

You do not need to be a wine expert or great chef to appreciate this class. The material is designed with the typical "foodie" in mind.

Terminology: We will briefly discuss the vocabulary of "cooking with wine", including deglaze, acidity, residual sugar, reduction, dry, oxidation, tannin, and varietal.

Wine flavor: This is perhaps one of the most important factors in choosing a wine for cooking. During this time, we will discuss the impact of 1) flavor intensity, 2) varietal derived flavors, 3) as well as flavor harmony in the final dish. We will explore these qualities with real wine samples at various levels of reduction (which concentrates the flavors).

Acidity: We will explore what causes acidity in wine and how this can impact your cooking. You will have the opportunity to taste the various types of acids found in foods (Tartaric, Citric and Malic) in their raw form. Don't worry, this is completely food safe!

Alcohol: Because it has a lower boiling point than water, alcohol evaporates quickly. We will discuss how this affects your cooking and explore a few myths about alcohol in cooking.

Varietal Impact: We will discuss how varietal choice in a wine for cooking affects the flavor of your food. This will be supported by samples of various wines.

Oxidation: How long does a bottle of wine last after being opened? You'll taste wine at varying levels of oxidation/staleness. We'll discuss how these flavors affect your cooking and what you can do to avoid them.


About the instructor:

Casey Cobb is president and founder of Academy Culinary Wines - a winery that creates specialty wines for everyday gourmet cooking. In addition to being a wine taster, he is also a certified coffee taster. His world revolves around flavors and he's a passionate advocate for truly appreciating gourmet food and beverages.



What will be provided:
We will provide everything you need to learn and enjoy your time in the class. Wine samples and glasses will be provided for instructional purposes. Bread, crackers and water will be available as flavor-neutral snacks and palate cleansers.