Wine Trail Knowledge and Wine 101

Wine 101

Red and White Wine - Verde Valley Wine TrailWelcome to the Verde Valley Wine Trail! We’re going to give you a base Wine 101 education to help you enjoy your tour of our trail even more!

Wine can be intimidating, knowing a few basics can be a confidence boost to any wine beginner! How do you tell what a good red wine looks like? What flavors am I supposed to taste?  What kind of wine goes best with lamb?  All of these questions will be answered in this section as we take you through the basics of winefood and wine pairings, and a glossary of wine terms.

Wine and wine tasting has gone from being a hobby to a culture of its own.  And although there are rules of thumb to follow it should first and foremost be fun!  So grab a friend and a bottle of wine and start learning!

Get an Education in Wine Before Hitting the Wine Trail!

Yavapai College in the Verde Valley offers a Viticulture and Enology program. The program started the 2009 Fall Semester. Yavapai College’s Verde Valley Vineyards project hopes to not only educate students but hopes that this program will create jobs and benefit the region’s wine and grape industry.

What is planned for the future of this program?

  • Science Lab & Greenhouse
  • Creation of a Reclaimed Water Line Extension
  • Solar Power – generating power for existing campus and new vineyard
  • Installation of 16 acres of new vineyards using college’s undeveloped land

Yavapai College Sedona Center offers Wine Appreciation!
April 5 through May 3 Evenings 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Put your nose to the glass and taste something new! Learn to navigate the world of wine with the knowledge of wine producing regions and winemaking styles. Learn about food and wine pairings, explore wine lists, and learn to serve wine. Must be 21 years or older to enroll. $90. Register for Wine Appreciate (VCE 008) at www.yc.edu, click on the link for Community Education classes.

Currently Yavapai College has three classes with a plan to have more:

Introduction to Viticulture

An introduction to viticulture. Emphasis on the varieties of grapes, grapevine biology and physiology, vineyard management, and harvest and post-harvest operations.

Wines of the United States

A historical view of wine producing regions and states Emphasis on the types and varieties of wines and pairing of local foods with local wines.

Wines of the World

History of the vine, the growth of grapes, and the production of wine throughout the world. Emphasis on classification and critique of Old and New World wines.

Be sure to check out our blog on a regular basis and learn all there is to know about the Verde Valley Wine Trail!

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