Words that best describe this Wine Appreciation 101 series are: Informative, Fun, and Interactive.

My husband and I enjoy drinking wine and especially pairing wines with our meals. Being foodies for years, it has always been our desire to gain more out of our wine and food pairings. However, as so many others who enjoy food and wine we wanted to have a greater knowledge of how it all comes together.

I often find myself asking, why do my husband and I often differ on what wines we like? Why do I like some wines and not others? What is it that I am actually smelling, tasting, and looking for in wine? Is a $30.00 bottle of wine three times better than a $10.00 bottle? The questions abound.

Well, I saw a brochure that caught my eye, “The Wine School aboard the Delta King” taught by noted Wine Educator G.M. “Pooch” Pucilowski. I knew Pooch’s name from the California State Fair Wine Competition so that peeked my attention further. The information on the brochure proclaimed all of the afore mentioned words and that intrigued me. I spoke with my husband and we decided that this was the perfect opportunity to increase our knowledge and a great way to spend a date night. Wow! - A Date Night with Wine, Food, Fun. How about That! My husband said, “I just cleared the bases by hitting this one out of the park. “

The setting on the Delta King is relaxing, casual, and fun! We entered the room where the class was to be held, it was filled with so many other wine lovers who gathered for the same reasons as us. Attendees in our classes came from a diverse background, making the experience enjoyable.

One of the first things that I learned is that we are our own judge when it comes to wine. Everyone has their own palate for taste and smell. The first class was a little long because we had a lot of material to cover in this two hour class. Session 1 – The Basics, we learned to, “Taste Wine like a Professional”. How to look at wine, what we are looking at? Answer: The appearance, color, clarity, and density. Next, the nose – smelling wine what do you detect? We learned how to smell. Followed by how a wine judge tastes wines and what is necessary to score well.

We would make our own notes in each class as we followed an outline that is provided. Pooch would answer as many questions as asked. There are no wrong answers when it comes to smells and taste. We would make our notes and Pooch would tell us what a judge would look for when scoring a wine in competition. (Characteristics that are active in a varietal) We all wanted to know how this is done. We tasted and took notes eagerly on red wines, white wines, sweet and dry wines, and even sparkling wines.

In the third class we enjoyed an Aroma class which focused on recognizing various aromas. This was fun and exciting for everyone to see just how good of a sniffer they had and what each of us recognized.

We learned new words to describe what we smelled and tasted. My husband and I felt that we had a much greater understanding of wine after just the first class.

Price point is important but you don't have to spend an exorbitant amount to enjoy a good wine. In addition it doesn’t matter, what someone else’s opinion of the wine is. The most important message is that it DOES MATTER WHAT IT TASTES LIKE TO YOU. You are empowered to make the choice you like. However, it does help when you know what to look for in a fine wine. You can be the best judge if you understand clearly what you appreciate in a particular wine. For me I learned that I really like malolactic fermentation. When you discover a wine term like malolactic fermentation embrace it and discover what effect it has on red and white wines. You may become the hit of the next party with this informational gem. This is just one of many great informational tidbits that can change your wine appreciation.

You can mix the classes up and take them as your schedule permits. The series runs year round and Pooch is very accommodating with his academic outlines so that you do not miss a thing. To end the series Pooch arranges a winemaker’s dinner ($99) that is a MUST. This is optional but you would be amiss to not experience the culmination of wine meets food. In my opinion it would be like missing the prom or graduation. The food is phenomenal and the wines are spectacular as they are paired with each course. You begin the dinner on the steps of the Delta King with “Pooch” using a saber to remove the top of a champagne bottle. Then upstairs to the dining room where the fun and learning continue. We sampled seasonings and food items to understand how Sweet, Sour, Salty, Bitter, and Umami affect the wine. All of these tastes will influence how you enjoy a wine.

Question: How sweet is sweet? Example: A handful of sugar in a glass or a handful of sugar in an Olympic size pool? Humans generally begin to perceive sweetness (threshold) between .5% and 1.2 % sugar in solution. Coca Cola has about 55 % sugar. So, sugar is a matter of preference and how your taste receptors react to the sugar. In closing, should you want to take your wine experience to the next level, this is the course for you. Don’t miss it! You will be amazed at what you didn’t know.

The experience and setting were so enjoyable that I was saddened when it was over, I can’t wait for the next series to do it all again.

For more information on the Wine School contact the Delta King, 1001 Front St; Old Sacramento. For reservations call 916-961-6080 or visit the web-site at www.DeltaKing.com. Individual wine classes are $50.00 or $99.00 for the three class series.