A student sniffs the aroma of an elixir.
By MADDY VITALE
Passion Vines in Somers Point is ready to take wine aficionados on a six-week tour of wines. Wine Foundations classes led by a sommelier will delve into the tastes, scents, flavors and aromas of elixirs from around the world.
“You are not only hearing about the wines of the world, but experiencing them firsthand,” explained Passion Vines House Sommelier David Setley, who will be teaching the classes. “Each week, people will be tasting eight to 10 wines. We are not only taking them on an academic tour of the wine, but we are taking them on a tour of the world where the wines are from.”
Students will learn about Old World and New World wines. Some of the wine regions they will learn about are in Greece, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Argentina, Chile, Australia and New Zealand. Each session will give students a history and education on the various wines and regions.
The six-week sensory experience designed for the beginners to intermediate-level wine lovers begins on Tuesday, Jan. 16, and runs for six weeks. Classes are each Tuesday from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
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The course will be held at Passion Vine’s Queen Jayne’s Lounge and Royal Drinkery located at 264 New Road in Somers Point. The cost until the end of December is $449, which will increase by $50 after that time. Classes are limited to 40 students.
Michael Bray, owner and founder of Passion Vines in both Somers Point and Egg Harbor Township, said the Wine Foundations course makes a great holiday gift.
“It is an unbelievable gift for anyone scratching their healthy level of curiosity. The classes instill people with more confidence at the end of every session. It’s my kind of date night. It is the New Age book club.” Bray said. “For those who are gifting the classes or for those who want to take advantage of a discount, we have a $50 savings through the end of the month.”
Bray and his team have offered wine tasting since 2004, but the six-week course offers another level of service to the customer, he noted.
“Passion Vines has always been committed to education. When learning, you’re growing and you’re happy,” he said. “Our goal with every customer, whether coming for an event or a drink at the bar, our mission is for them to have learned something new.”
Students will learn about wines from around the world.
Since 2004, Passion Vines has given “thousands of tastings, ranging from a casual fun ladies night to two or more intensive wine tastings,” Bray said.
“For the most part, most of our tastings were a one-off, an hour or two. They were fun and informative and professional and that was it,” he explained. “We would adjourn knowing a little more. We got to a point within our own journey where we wanted to challenge ourselves and add more value for our customers and community. We thought what better way than to devise a curriculum over weeks to teach about wine.”
In 2018, Passion Vines began offering the wine course. It was successful for its first and second year. But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bray put a pause on the course until this year.
Setley couldn’t be happier about the courses being offered again. He loves sharing his knowledge with students who, like him, have an interest in learning more about wines.
The Ocean City resident and former college professor of business received his sommelier certification several years ago and now he spends his retirement imparting his knowledge and love of wines to others.
History of wines is studied in the class.
Setley said the classes are both fun and educational.
“We want to make it educational, but totally sensory. The students are engaging their mind, eyes, palate and nose while learning about wine,” he said. “It is a very interactive course. The students share their experiences with us.”
Students will receive what Setley described as a “condensed version” of what he experienced when getting his certification as a sommelier.
He added, “The classes will take students around the world in an immersive journey, learning about wine in a very enjoyable format.”
A student savors the aroma of some white wine.
