Crash Course Seminars

Knowledge will be dropped during free Crash Courses Seminars. Courses occur throughout the Riot sessions, dishing in-depth explanations of specific grapes, regions, and growing trends. Rioters can stop in for complimentary guided tastings and head back to the main floor equipped with stellar tips and know-how to help them face any wine list, party or store.

VIP CRASH COURSES will be offered by...

Melvyn Master  - Tortoise Creek Wines

Writer, winemaker, restaurateur and all around pro wino Mel Master has been involved in the wine industry for virtually his entire life. He currently makes wine in both France and California with the label Tortoise Creek.

France vs California Throw Down
French fries versus freedom fries. Green beans versus haricots verts. Michelle Obama versus Carla Bruni. These two countries may have a healthy rivalry, but they are cousins when it comes to wine. This course breaks down the regional differences and remarkable similarities between the two.

Joseph Carr – Joseph Carr Winery

After working as a sommelier for a numerous major hotel chains, Joseph Carr decided to switch sides and become a winemaker. Now he bottles his own wines under the label Joseph Carr Napa Valley.

Livin' the dream in Napa
It stands to reason that an award-winning sommelier, wine writer and wine judge would know what tastes good—so it's no surprise that some of the country's top wine lists feature Carr's wine. Come pop a bottle and learn what goes into the making of both a good wine and a great family vineyard.

Alex de Winter- Grill 23

Alex de Winter is the overlord of Grill 23's ginormous (850-bottle) wine list, but he'll never forget what it's like to buy wine on a student budget. This top sommelier is always on the hunt for a big red at a reasonable price.

Find Romance and Awesome Reds in Vallipocella
Fair Verona is the setting for Romeo and Juliet and the home of Valpolicella, a small region of Italy that produces stellar wines. From simple yet delicious tables wines to «otherworldly» vinos worth getting into a gang war over, you'll taste a range in this crash course.

Saturday's Crash Courses are sponsored by...

downTown wine & spirits

Davis Square's source for hooch carries over 1,300 beers, 1,000 wines, a deep cellar of high-end favorites and almost 200 whiskies, among other libations. Wine buyer Jeff Golden will be dropping knowledge and downing—er, sharing samples all day long.

Bordeaux is Far from Boring
It's not all bitches and bling in the wine world's Beverly Hills. For hundreds of years this region has set the world's standard for fine wine. The home of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot has a long history and a very interesting future.

Chianti: Brush the Dust Off Your Shoulder
Vintage cloths are «in» so why not old school wines? From a land of tradition and old wineries comes one of the world's most ubiquitous yet least-understood wines. Get the low-down on a cat that's been cool for centuries.

Stop and Smell the German Wines
Wines from Germany rarely get the attention they deserve. Yes, the labels and lingo are a bit complicated, but that only means you get high quality, delicious wines for less cash. Learn the key to unlocking some of Europe's best white wines.

Wine importer and writer David Milligan has been bringing stellar wines into the U.S. since 1996. He started with French wines, then became an expert on up-and-coming regions like South Africa and Chile, with an eye for wines with great taste and terroir.

Real Deals from the Southern Rhone

French wines don't have to be overly fussy or super-expensive. David Milligan takes you on a virtual tour of the Southern Rhone River Valley, reviewing labels and vintages that give you the best value for your money.

Yellow + Blue

In 20 years, many of the winemakers of the world will (we hope) look a lot like Yellow + Blue. With their organically-grown grapes and eco-friendly packaging (yellow and blue combine to make green, get it?), this California outfit is blazing a trail for other vintners to follow.

Eco-minded Wines of the Future

If you think farmers are sexier than bankers and bicycles are better than cars, you'll want to sit in on this crash course, where you'll learn as much about the way wine is produced as you will about the way it tastes. Yellow + Blue CEO Matt Cain, who's earned accolades from trendwatchers like Forbes, Fast Company and TastingTable for his innovative techniques, will divulge the all the juicy details on starting his company, from sourcing organic grapes in South America to getting customers to drink wines from a Tetra-pack container.

Farnum Hill Ciders

This New Hampshire producer makes crisp, traditional ciders from vintage apple varieties, helping to preserve the country's biodiversity and bringing you some deliciously alcoholic brews that are perfect for fall sipping and food pairing.

It's Like Wine, But from Apples

Johnny Appleseed didn't truck his seeds across the frontier so the pioneers could make pie. Early settlers depended on his trees to make apple-based booze. Farnum Hill has continued this proud tradition with their cidermaking outfit. In this crash course, we’ll taste a variety of cider apples, sip finished ciders, and debunk the Johnny Appleseed myth along the way.

Bin Ends

Bin Ends offers tremendous deals on close-outs with a Filene's Basement style pricing system—which means owner and wine buyer John Hafferty knows a good deal when he sees it.

Bubbilicious: Sparkling Wine from Around the World
Cristal is for hip hop videos and rapper wannabes. There's a world of bubbly outside of Champagne. This class will introduce you to some of the best sparkling wines coming out of Austria, Spain, Italy, and even the US of A.

Chocolate Thunder: Pairing Wine and Chocolate
In the world of wine pairing, cheese and fruits are the typical fare, but chocolate? Get it right and it's pure delight, but get it wrong, and it's it's "in your face disgrace." (Free chocolate bar to the first person to correctly identify the origin of this phrase.)

A Wine Whose Name Cannot Be Spoken

Hungary has been making tasty dessert wines and redcurrant-inflected reds since the days of the Roman Empire. With names like Kiralyleanyka and Harslevelu, Hungarian wines can be hard to pronounce—but rest assured, they go down easy.

Check out April 2009's Crash Courses here!