Friday Night Wine School - The Chemistry of Wine Series, Why Wine Feels The Way it Does

Wine School: Drink Better, Know More - We connect the dots between grape, place, and process in a way that’s clear and useful so you can trust your palate, choose with confidence, and get more out of every bottle. 

Wine gets described with all kinds of words — floral, spicy, minerally, round, linear — but have you ever wondered what actually creates those descriptors in the glass? The Chemistry of Wine is a new Wine School series that takes a deeper look at the science behind wine’s flavors, textures, and aromas without turning the night into a high school chemistry class. These sessions are designed to connect the “why” behind wine to the actual experience of tasting it, helping you better understand what’s happening in the glass and why different wines feel so distinct.

In our first Chemistry of Wine class, we talked about how wine aromas are created.  But some of the biggest differences between wines have nothing to do with what we smell and everything to do with what we feel. Why does one wine seem crisp and refreshing while another feels creamy, silky, or grippy? What makes a wine feel light and energetic versus rich and weighty?

In this edition of Wine School, we'll explore the building blocks of texture in wine. Through five carefully selected wines, we'll examine how tannins create grip, acidity provides structure and freshness, alcohol and residual sugar add weight and roundness, lees aging contributes creaminess, and oak influences texture and structure. Along the way, you'll learn how winemaking choices shape what happens on your palate and develop a new vocabulary for describing wine beyond fruit flavors and aromas.

As always, no prior wine knowledge is required—just curiosity and a willingness to pay attention to what your palate is telling you. Because the more you understand what you're feeling in the glass, the easier it becomes to trust your own taste.

Know More. Drink Better. 🍷

-All ticket sales are final.
-We will hold our tastings outside on the patio from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM on Fridays weather permitting, if it rains we move inside to the back of the shop.
-Your $5 tasting fee is refunded when you purchase a bottle of wine from the tasting. Limit 1 refund per bottle per customer.
-Please arrive 5 minutes early for your time slot, as we may not be able to move you to another spot.
-No waiting in line for your taste of wine in a plastic cup and snippet of info. During your time slot, you will have the presenter's undivided attention as you learn about and taste the wines from Riedel glassware.
-When your tasting is over, you can browse and shop or enjoy a glass or bottle at our indoor and outdoor tables.