WINE FUNDAMENTALS: A WINE TASTING EXPERIENCE

 
 

PROJECT BACKGROUND

As wine brand consultants, we felt it would benefit our clients if we became deeply knowledgeable about wine and winemaking. So we set out to obtain our WSET 2 certifications. As we studied wine on a deeper level, we became more enthralled with the very thing we thought we couldn't love more! Our creative nature hungered to package this knowledge up in an approachable manner that could be shared with the world.  


THE EXPERIENCE

Wine FUNdamentals: A Wine Tasting Experience was inspired by our belief that the more you know about wine, the more FUN you have drinking wine and the less intimidating it becomes. A little wine confidence can change one’s experience with and perception of wine and turn the most apprehensive of us into wine lovers for life! So we armed attendees with knowledge of:

  • The different parts of the grape and the roles they play in a wine’s characteristics.

  • The different winemaking processes for white, red and rosé wines.

  • Winemaking techniques that affect wine aroma, flavor and structure.

  • A method for smelling and tasting wine that will help them discern wine characteristics and communicate them to others.

We chose four wines to taste in the class — a red, white, rose, and sparkling. Each exemplified different winemaking techniques, such as malolactic conversion, autolysis, oak aging, etc., so that attendees could learn to identify specific characteristics and understand why they’re there. 

We also created A Land Beyond brand-centric learning aids to elevate the experience and make it more tangible for wine learners.


THE PRESENTATION

Visuals are integral to the learning process. They also help keep a room full of people on the same page! So we created a presentation that clearly communicated what we set out to share through artful depiction and thoughtful writing.

 
 

TASTING GUIDE, TASTING KEY AND TASTING JOURNAL

Part of our brand ethos is “world exploration through wine.” We applied that inspiration to the learning materials created for the experience. Our Tasting Guide is a roadmap through our tasting 5 SSSSStep wine tasting method. Much like using a map, our Tasting Key is designed to aid the user through our wine tasting method with a list of primary, secondary and tertiary wine characteristics they can reference to spark recognition. We created a Tasting Journal for attendees to document their wine tasting notes on.


RESULTS

Feedback has been outstanding (examples below). Attendees leave feeling more confident about describing what wine tastes like, clearer about why they like certain wines more than others and are better able to select a wine for themselves in a store or on a menu.

As for us, creating this experience launched a new business chapter for A Land Beyond that propelled us on an unexpected journey beyond branding into the world of wine education and experience creation! 

Samples of Attendee Feedback:

“So many of us wine drinkers are limited by our language around the subject. It's always a delicate balance between trying not to sound stupid and also trying not to sound pompous by using words you heard other wine drinkers use. This class is masterfully led and taught by the knowledgeable and charming Lilia who has a way of teaching you the hows and whys on YOUR level. My palate finally has the vocabulary it needs to describe what it enjoys. I plan on going to every class they offer.”

"This class was very informative and perfectly paced. Just the right amount of information to keep you engaged with the ability to ask any questions and have them answered by someone very knowledgeable was amazing. The class setting was perfect with the right amount of people to have an enjoyable learning experience and still feel comfortable enough to ask questions."

“I loved that it was a very intimate class. I’m glad I was able to share it with people that seemed eager to learn about wine. It made me see wine from a different perspective. Thank you!”

“Lilia was amazing! She is obviously very knowledgeable about wines, but she shares her knowledge in a friendly, easy-to-understand, non-wine-snobby way.”