International Sommelier Guild's Levels One and Two- Dallas Enrollment Begins Edited by Darryl Beeson International Sommelier Guild's Levels One and Two- Dallas Enrollment Begins Enrollment is underway for the premier academic wine certification, The International Sommelier Guild's Level One and Level Two. This is a twelve week course, classes on Sundays from noon until 7 pm, on the campus of El Centro College located in downtown Dallas. There is plenty of free parking and Dart Rail is two blocks away. Though designed for wine industry professionals, most students tend to be savy and serious wine consumers. Level One (four weeks) is an introductory course designed for the novice wine enthusiast. Whether building on an existing career in hospitality or enhancing enjoyment of wines; the ISG Wine Fundamentals Certificate Level One curriculum provides an introduction to the basic aspects of sensory evaluation that are frequently overlooked when drinking wine. You will study the different components of wine appearance, aroma, and flavor. This course offers a basic understanding of the major grapes used for making wine and their discerning characteristics as well as an introduction to fortified and sparkling wines. You will taste wines from around the world, but above all else have fun! Level Two (eight weeks) is a course designed to build on the learning from the ISG Wine Fundamentals Certificate Level One. All elements involved in the wine business including viticulture, vinification, and regional appellation laws, blind tasting skills, studying old and new world wine regions as well as sparkling, fortified wines and ales. Build service skills, food and wine pairing techniques, and proper storage practices. The goal of this course is to advance understanding of wine and wine making in order to prepare the student for possible future enrollment in the Sommelier Diploma Program. The Dallas class is taught on the campus of El Centro College, 801 Main St. Dallas, Texas, 75202, beginning Sunday, June 5th, 2006, from noon until 7 pm. Enrollment deadline is April 30th, 2006. Go to www.internationalsommelier.com to enroll. Go to www.ecc.dcccd.edu for details about El Centro College. Call ISG instructor Darryl Beeson for any questions at 214-946-9463. Entire tuition for both levels is $1500 (textbooks are included in this fee). Wine of the Week Solo Rosa Rosé, California 2005 Price $16 Rating 93 SoloRosa rosé is bone dry, with ripe cherry and raspberry flavors, tempered by crisp acidity, a flinty mineral base, and a hint of toastiness. The wine is aged for five months SoloRosa 2005 is made from the same two vineyards and varietals that they have been fortunate to work with since their first commercial release. Fifty percent of the blend is Sangiovese from the Atlas Peak Vineyard in Napa Valley. The other fifty percent is Merlot from the Levantini Vineyard in Lodi. "Additionally, last year we purchased a small amount of Syrah from a single vineyard in the Russian River Valley in the hope of making a reserve rosé," says co-founder Jeff Morgan."Our hopes were realized as we watched the dark pink juice ferment and develop into a wonderfully complex wine that we think merits serious attention. We also identified ten unusually distinctive barrels of Sangiovese from the Atlas Peak Vineyard in Napa Valley. We couldn't bring ourselves to blend it away. So we bottled this tiny batch of wine as yet another reserve rosé with a distinctive blue label. SoloRosa Blue Label is our answer to Domaines Ott and Tempier. We love Old World wines, but why should the French retain hegemony over top quality pink?" Find out more at www.solorosawines.com. For more great wine suggestions, click here Do you have any questions, comments or suggestions? Email: jwdineline@aol.com Copyright © 1998 Inter Active Media Solutions. All Rights Reserved. The interactive components of this site require that you use a current browser version of Explorer; be sure to maximize your window out so you can see the entire page. This page was created by Inter Active Media Solutions.