• Introducing Ms. Burgess
• Under the Glass, a blog
• The Foundation Program: Fall 2006
• The Diploma Oenotropae
• The University Classroom
• The Wine Picks
• Upcoming Classes
• The Big Fall RUSH Sale: 33% Off … or a $333 Gift Certificate

Here is…

• Under the Glass, a blog

We have a blog: Under the Glass. The blog will feature myself and all the instructors at the school. The articles will include up-to-the-minute wine buys, behind the scene anecdotes of running the school, BYOB & restaurant reviews, and the wine lists for all our classes & events. Its just getting started, but we already have some great content up for you.

• The New Foundation Program

Oh baby, it is here. The big new program for wine enthusiasts, pros, and even your mom: www.vinology.com/winefoundation this semester we have longer classes, exclusive online content, and a new classroom (see below)!

• The Wine Picks

Now that I am writing for Style and Wine & Spirits Quarterly, along along with a few other publications, I am churning out an average of 10 wine reviews a week. However, I still love you best, so I am going to send you the cream of the crop before I submit them to my editors. As you probably know, these “top picks” usually sell out quickly, and now that we have another 10-15K people reading about them, that will mean these wines will be gone far too fast.

I will also write about these wines in our blog at www.wineclass.net so you can get them even faster.

These wines are priced lower in Pennsylvania than in New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, or New York. Find the wine at a Wine & Spirits Shop near you: http://www.vinology.com/wine_finder

Chateau Ste Michelle 2003 Horse Heaven Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Columbia Valley (WA)

A sauvignon blanc for folks who don’t drink sauvignon blanc. With a nose of buttered toast, this wine wavers very close to being a caricature of a chardonnay. However, notes of grassy melon come forward after awhile, and the creamy texture of the wine is moderated by a splash of bright lemon zest. A good choice for autumn sipping.

Price: $10.99

PA Code: 17472

Barnard Griffin 2004 Merlot, Columbia Valley (WA)

Columbia Valley Merlot often have more in common with their French brethren grown in Lalande-de-Pommerol than their neighbors in California. �This Griffin is no different. This is not a voluptuous berry-plum-chocolate kind of Merlot. Rather, a mineral-laced dark berry style with a nose of herb-and-flowers. Medium bodied with a solid edge of angular tannins.

Price: $12.99

PA Code: 12883

Le Querce �2003 “Il Viola” Aglianico del Vulture (IT)

When the bottle isn’t suffering from brettanomyces (transla
tion: serious nasty funk) this is a seriously great wine for the price. I mention this because this winery had serious issues with errant yeasts last season, but it appears to have dealt with the issue. However, if your wine smells like a wet saddle on a dead horse, then don’t drink it (take it back for a refund), and tell the cashier that he wine is suffering from a “Brett infection”. Not that the good folks manning the cash register will know what you are talking about…

Okay, on with the review: Aglianico is relatively unknown but highly sought-after by the cognoscenti. Imagine the lovechild of Burgundy and Barolo, and you have a sense of what Aglianico should be.� This bottle is a particularly good introduction to this majestic varietal. Dried flowers and tar on the nose, with a pinot-like delicate strawberry-and-stone palate. �Simple but lovely.

Price: �$13.99

PA Code: 23971

Tenuta San Leonardo 2001 “Guerrieri Gonzaga” Merlot, Trentino Italy

Here’s a Merlot for all those folks who stopped drinking Merlot. Leather & earth are abundant on the nose of this northern Italian wine. On the palate, copious flavors of cola, espresso and cinnamon mingle with velvety black fruit. An incredible value and a great wine, but I strongly recommend buying only if you like your wines really, really stinky

Price: �$13.99

PA Code: �23978

d’Arenberg 2004 “The Laughing Magpie” Shiraz/Viognier, McLaren Vale (AU)

Why does d’Arenberg sell this wine for so little in our humble state of Pennslytucky? Why sell a wine for under $20 when so many people are happy to spend over $30? Even the critics all love it. Seems very silly to me. No matter the reason, we have yet another vintage of this killer Shiraz. FYI: the addition of Viognier (a white wine) is a common practice in the Northern Rhone region of france. It offers the enormously tannic and rich syrah a delicate counterpoint.

Whoops, better get the review written: big rich inky lush jam oily flowers beef jerky.

Price: $17.99

PA Code: 27447

These wines are priced lower in Pennsylvania than in New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, or New York. Find the wine at a Wine & Spirits Shop near you: http://www.vinology.com/wine_finder

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• Upcoming Classes

Okay, a few stellar classes are up for grabs. The first one, hands down, is the France class. I have been buying quite a bit of Bordeaux lately, so we will feature some great buys for the 2003 vintage (yes, most of this vintage is ridiculously expensive, but I have found a number of incredible left-bank bordeaux in the $20-$30 price point.) http://vinology.com

Oh, and we have reworked the Intro class, if you are a beginner, this is where I would point you to… http://vinology.com/101/

• The Big Fall RUSH Sale: 33% off… or a $333 Gift Certificate

The Fall is one of our busiest times of the year, and I don’t usually offer sales at this time. However, you folks our our best students (surprising, not just my mother reads these missives) . So, the first 32 people to register for single-session classes in September will get 33% off… but wait there’s more (insert evil laugh here). Th
e 33rd person to register will get a 33� discount (wow!).. and a gift certificate valid for $333 dollars. Woo! The trouble is you won’t know until I call you if you win (everyone will get that 33� discount after the first 32 . Just consider me a slightly skinnier Ed McMahon. Yes, evil, evil, evil.

Why is everything in threes? There probably should be a good reason, but I just thought it would be fun. Better get going…. www.vinology.com Oh… make sure to use the coupon code 333MIDNIGHT

• The Harsh Gods of Email

I think I better start making bigger offerings to STMP and EXIM, otherwise known as the linux lords of email. My email went kaput last week, so if you sent me an email between Wednesday and noon on Friday, I didn’t get it. Apparently I got over 10MB of mail within two weeks and that sorta overwhelmed our new email system.

While I am on the subject of email, if you want to shoot me an email, don’t hit “reply” to this newsletter and expect that I will get it. I won’t. The school uses a special email account & software to send out the newsletter, and all email gets swallowed up. Its necessary since over 6K people get this email…. not to single anyone out but… you got that MK? Brenda? If you want to shoot me a personal note, you can do that at keith@vinology.com. If you have a general request or question, please email us at info@vinology.com.

Right now, that email backlog is somewhere around 90+ emails. I do eventually answer all my emails… hopefully by christmas;)

Have a great day,

Keith

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