Master Class James Suckling

WINE TALK
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Anyone read up on it? Done the Class? I am just looking to do some fun education on wine and thought that this might be worth a shot. Any thoughts?

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See topic

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[thankyou.gif]

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It’s very easy:

  1. Develop a line of glassware.
  2. Move to Tuscany
  3. Develop a sweet tooth for new oak
  4. Rate your wine on a scale of 80-100, then add 6 points. If you have rated the wine highly before or recognize it’s name, add another 4 points.
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If you have rated the wine highly before or recognize it’s name, add another 4 points.

Which then equals a steady stream of free wine samples for a lifetime!

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FIFY

And in the spirit of adding more points:

  1. Take on an affected accent

  2. Wrap one’s self in silk, preferably Hermes, scarves

  3. Host pay-to-play wine functions

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  1. Buy a Porsche
  2. (For effect) Begin a tasting visit to a famous Chateau by emerging from the depths of a morning fog…I wish I could remember which visit that was, epic!
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Now we need an epic “10.” to close things out roundly, and fashionably.

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I’m going to go with a NO on taking the class. Lol

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No, you should take the class, and then post back for more fun fodder! :wink:

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Suckling is a bit of a joke but don’t forget, he’s tasted thousands of wines in his life, and some of the world’s best. I have no plans to watch his class but when you talk to him, he actually has preferences. However, he recognizes that his audience is not people with a bit of knowledge, it’s people who are looking for guidance and he speaks to them, much as Parker used to. So he tends to gush over wines he finds drinkable, and it’s pretty hard to determine what kind of style he likes as pretty much anything liquid scores highly. And as a result, he’s one of the few full time critics who’s doing well financially directly as a result of his wine activities.

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In reality, I’m probably a bit of a ‘joke’ as I am so new in to the wine world but what intrigued me was the italian wine connection as that is my favorite region so far. I may or may not purchase it but if I didn’t do you have any recommendations for fun online classes or youtube channels to subscribe to? [thankyou.gif]

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My favorite James Suckling video. Say what you will about Suckling, he does seem to have a sense of humor

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James I hope you know we are all playing around here! I think it’s great you are developing this interest. We all start at or near ground zero! We had no internet when I started, wish we had this great website resource back then. I would encourage you to read, experiment, join or start a tasting group, get to know a local retailer that has tastings and pours with regularity, etc. As far as youtube and online classes, I do not know where to point you.

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champagne.gif

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Oh I know you guys are. I actually enjoy it but I have no pretense in my wine abilities at this point.

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I have an all-access pass and decided to check this one out… I’m three lessons in so far. I would say that if you’re just starting out with wine, it is likely to be worth your time.

Lesson #1: An intro to the course. He clearly states that you’re not going to come away with a Master Sommelier or Master of Wine level qualification, just that it is for those who love wine. I think that is a fair premise.
Lesson #2: Goes over terroir but not to a deep level. If you have seen Roy Piper’s videos, these are a far deeper and richer dive into wine growing and making. http://roypiperwines.tumblr.com
Lesson #3: A blind tasting session. He does not go into “how” to do a tasting. Hopefully that will be covered later. Instead, it is an example of how he does a tasting. He also gives his scoring philosophy, which is interesting and definitely explains his generally higher scores. A component of his scores includes “emotion”, for example. And a wine he gives 87 rather comes across as ‘meh’.

Given that he is using Italian wines for the class, it should definitely increase your interest if that is a region you enjoy, since you may be able to relate to it better.

My take so far is that it’s worth the price of admission if you are starting out and want to learn more in general. If you see other MasterClass tracks that are compelling, though, that may justify it even more.