The “Wine Lust” Class

What grapes turn you on? Come on by and discover your inner vino mojo. Friday, November 7th

The Thanksgiving Wine Guide

Tired of the same old Beaujolais Nouveau with your Thanksgiving feast? So is everyone! Friday, November 14th

The Sommelier Smackdown with Thom Cardwell

The city’s gay community is offering up its most well known restaurant critic to do battle with our fearless leader! Its Thom vs Keith! Friday, November 14th

Wine and Cheese Pairing Class

Because there’s nothing better than wine and cheese. Tuesday, November 25th

Shiraz-a-Thon!

Learn about and taste the many styles of Shiraz across Australia. Date: Thursday, December 11th

This is just a selection of wine classes. The entire list is available at www.vinology.com

Our Intermediate Wine Program has been injected with some super-secret serum and turned into The Certificate of Global Wine Studies. The transformation is rather amazing, especially for the students looking to expand their wine knowledge into the stratosphere.

More advanced students can even jump right into the Global without attending the Foundation Program. Classes begin November 11th.

25% off Everything

For our loyal readers, here’s the best discount you will ever get on our classes, programs, wine glasses, and gift certificates. You have until Friday the 17th, and then its all over.

Use this coupon code: 5DAYOCTOBER and go crazy!

Okay, so we all know that state stores occasionally takes some heat for being difficult to navigate and inconsistent in their selection. We accept that, and we’ve learned to embrace it.

But sometimes, there are great deals to be found. And these days, it seems, wandering into the right state store can result in some truly astounding purchases. Forthwith, some recent highlights.

Find these wines near you: www.vinology.com/winefinder

Chateau Clerc Milon 2005, Pauillac – With all the hoopla (or hooplah, if you’re feeling saucy) over the 2005 Bordeaux, prices haven’t been anywhere near the firmament since the big boys started publishing their barrel-sample notes. But this gem is still only $64.49 in the state, which is a helluva deal for a Spectator 95-pointer. Just make sure you’re patient: This one’ll just keep on getting better. Code: 19969

Chateau Leoville-Barton 2004, St,-Julien – 2004 had the great misfortune of being sandwiched between the exotically ripe 2003 and the already-legendary 2005. But for serious terroir-lovers, for those who want to taste exactly where a wine is from, 2004 should not be overlooked. The Leoville-Barton, always one of the great values in Bordeaux, tastes like the best cigar you’ve ever drunk. It’s young, but has tons in reserve. $61.49. Code: 20283.

Find these wines near you: www.vinology.com/winefinder

Chateau Tour de Guiet 2003, Cotes de Bourg – For those who want some classically bottle-aged Bordeaux without the wait, this downright cheap red ($13.99!) is ready to go right now. It’s all cinnamon, dried fruit and flowers, and sweet cigar tobacco dipped into ground coffee beans. But, of course, in a good way. Code: 18808

Luce Luce Luce! Yes, they’re back, just in time for the holiday season. (Or at least just in time for the lusciouser red-drinking season.) 2001, 2003, and 2004 are all bouncing around the system, and you’d have a hard time going wrong with any of them. They are, as always, well-made, eminently drinkable, and a heck of a lot of fun to follow as they evolve in the glass. Codes (in chronological order): 23604, 24713, 71777.

Now, with the weather finally crisping up like a slice of white bread in the toaster, the time has come to start cracking open those bottles of German riesling you’ve been waiting for. Or maybe you haven’t: There are precious few wines that span the seasons as well as these vibrant beauties. But personally, I love them most in the fall: Something about that singing minerality reminds me of the grape equivalent of the autumn-time smell in the air. Or, you know, something like that.

Anyway, the 2005’s and 2006’s in the state right now offer some surprisingly great bargains–as long as you know what to look for. Personally, I’ve found the 06 Mosel Spätleses to be a generally bright lot, with some serious acidity holding all their lush fruit together. And it’s not just the most famous producers, either: Even lesser known ones have come out with friendly, easy-to-love bottlings yet again. Here are some of the highlights in PA.

Find these wines near you: www.vinology.com/winefinder

Jakoby-Mathy 2006 Kinheimer Rosenberg Riesling Auslese “Eulenlay,” Mosel-Saar-Ruwer – Quite a mouth-full both in name and in flavor. This is a super-friendly, surprisingly light-on-its-feet Auslese with pronounced notes of lychee and an almost citric zing to it. Jakoby-Mathy may not be a household riesling name quite yet, but the winemaker, Erich Jakoby, was cellar-master at Selbach-Oster, which is a household name. Pedigree, as they say, is everything. $22.49 at the Columbus Blvd. store. Code: 26577

Gunderloch Nackenheim Rothenberg Riesling Spatlese 2006, Rheinhessen – Like so many of the 06 Spätleses, this one is great right now–think tropical fruit bashed open with a big gray stone–and has all the stuffing it needs for a long-haul journey in the back of the cellar. Great producer, great wine, great price. $30.99, and well worth the schlep to the Doylestown or Newtown store for a bottle or three. Code: 25688

J.J. Christoffel Erben Erdener Trepchen Riesling Spatlese 2006, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer – From the other J.J. in the Mosel (Prum may have more caché, but this one’s prices are better!), this screw-topped stunner has all the guts to go another couple of decades. Or, if you can’t wait quite that long, and you’re willing to accept that it’s holding back a bit at this stage, crack open a bottle and go right at it: It’s like liquid stones and springtime flowers. Lovely, and even better after a few days in the fridge. $24.49, at which price you can buy half a case and follow its evolution over the years. Available online and at the State College store, which means that the Nittany Lions aren’t the only reason to head West this fall. Code: 26118

Find these wines near you: www.vinology.com/winefinder

St-Urbans-Hof Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Spatlese 2006, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer – Follow these steps: 1. Grab a seat on the couch. 2. Open this bottle bottle. 3. Just try not to glug it all down in one sitting. 4. Accept that #3 is darn near impossible. This uber-friendly gem is not only drinking great right now, but, like so many of these 06’s, has a long, long life ahead of it. And for $25.49 at a number of the suburban stores, this is one seriously affordable bottle of juice. Code: 25976

Studert-Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett 2005, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer – Anyone who’s been to a Wine School class knows that we’re big on that whole petrol-y thing that good riesling has. And this bottle possesses it in spades, and then some: Maybe even clubs and hearts and diamonds, too. Seriously tasty, vaguely spicy stuff, like sticking your head in a bagful of orange blossoms while idling at the local Sunoco station. $18.99 (!) both online and in the ‘burbs. Code: 25736

Find these wines near you: www.vinology.com/winefinder