California wine country, with its thousands of acres of top vineyards and world-renowned reputation for culinary excellence, provides the perfect environment for your study of the dynamic interaction between wine and food. In this advanced course, you’ll be at the forefront of new thinking in the pursuit of great matches of wines with contemporary dishes. It is strongly advised that students already have experience with the fundamental principles of food and wine pairing.

In this exciting class, you will:

• Explore the dynamics behind successful pairings of wine and food and the factors that lead to those successes.


• Examine how the effectiveness of wine and food pairings is altered by changes in food preparation, cooking technique, wine variety and style, vintage, and even glassware selection.


• Practice the pairing of wines from around the globe with menus influenced by world cuisines and flavors.


• Formulate strategies for successful pairings when chiles, spices, herbs, and aromatics are used.

Please note that this course is conducted in the classroom. No cooking is involved (no chef’s uniform/knives necessary).