A Guide to Easter Food and Wine Pairings

On Easter weekend, many of us are well versed in what food to serve and when. From fish on Good Friday to roast lamb on Easter Sunday with an abundance of chocolate in between, simple traditions are followed every year.

When it comes to pairing these foods with wine, however, not everyone knows where to start. Don’t worry too much about pairing specific dishes to specific wines – our taste buds differ too widely from person to person to make the perfect match every time. Just keep it simple. No matter what your personal preferences are, it comes down to how the predominant tastes in your food (especially sweetness, acid, fat, and salt) change the taste of the wine. Read on.

Taste and Describe with Confidence

WSET Level 3 Award in Wines is an advanced-level course is for industry professionals as well as dedicated enthusiasts who want to develop a broader and deeper understanding of wine. You’ll have a thorough understanding of grape growing and wine making and the factors that account for the style, quality and price of the principal still, sparkling and fortified wines of the world. You’ll learn how to use your tasting notes to make objective conclusions on a wine’s style, quality and readiness for drinking.

WSET Level 3 Award in Wines
Date: Saturdays, April 13th – June 1st at 10:30am – 4pm
Register Now!

Aligoté: Playing with Panache

Everyone loves an underdog. And when the underdog emerges, bruised and battered but nonetheless victorious, these triumphs become powerfully motivational. Burgundy has an underdog: Aligoté. Read on.

Appreciate the Cultural Context of French Wine

The French Wine Scholar is an in-depth specialist certification focused on the diverse wines and wine regions of France. It is designed by the Wine Scholar Guild to provide current, accurate information on all of the wine regions of France and validate proficiency in the wines and wine regions of France.

This 20-hour course provides detailed coverage of French AOC wines, as well as an introduction to French history, geography, viticulture and winemaking.

The next French Wine Scholar will run Thursdays, March 28th – May 30th at 6pm – 8pm. Learn more.

Sake Encompasses Japanese Culture

Natsuki Kikuya has spent the past decade working tirelessly to educate the world about the diverse and elegant flavours of Japan’s national drink.

In 2014, she welcomed the very first cohort of sake students to the WSET’s flagship school in London. It was a proud moment for Natsuki, who had teamed up with Antony Moss MW to develop and launch the WSET Level 3 Award in Sake.

Eight years later, the WSET is now gearing up to launch a Level 2 Award in Sake, which bridges the gap between the existing two courses. “The Level 2 Award in Sake is ideal for both drinks trade professionals and enthusiasts who would like to gain an in-depth understanding of the production of sake and its different styles,” says Natsuki. Read on.

The new WSET Level 2 Award in Sake

This new intermediate-level course is for those entering a profession in the industry as well as for enthusiasts who wish to broaden their knowledge in a structured way. You will learn how to confidently describe, as accurately as possible, what the named products you have studied taste like. You will also become a competent and confident sake taster and start the journey of learning the links between aroma, taste and touch to the theory of production.

The course will be delivered by IWEG’s Certified WSET Sake Lead Educator and Sake Samurai, Michael Tremblay.

The in-class WSET Level 2 Award in Sake will take place Saturdays and Sundays, April 20th and April 21st at 9:30am – 4:30pm, and Sunday, April 27th at 9:30am – 12:30pm. Learn more.