Gewurztraminer is a well-known grape variety that has a high potential for aromatic intensity, diversities of style, different expressions of terroir and a good potential for aging.  Often described as being too powerful, too rich or too sweet, consumers and sommeliers need to challenge themselves, get out of their comfort zone and embrace the uniqueness of Gewurztraminer. Eric will take us on an exploration of this grape variety and where it is found around the world and also describe which types of foods best pair with this distinct varietal.   

Presenter: Eric Zwiebel, MS

Eric Zwiebel MS is Cellar Master at Summer Lodge Country House Hotel in Dorset. Born in Alsace, he began his wine career early on by helping his parents in their restaurant, before working as Sommelier in Paris for 5 Years 

Following his experience in Paris, he decided to move to London to broaden his knowledge of the many different wine regions and take courses offered by the Court of Master Sommeliers. Two years later, in 2001, Eric achieved his MS qualification.

In 2004, he was named Best Sommelier of the UK, which he followed up with 3rd place at the Best Sommelier of Europe competitions in 2006 and 2008. He reached the finals in the Best Sommelier of the World competition in 2007 and placed 4th at the 2013 competition in Tokyo.

Sake or Nihonshu is a Japanese traditional fermented alcoholic beverage made of Japonica rice, rice Koji and water. It is said Sake has more than 3000 years of history with a great depth of craftsmanship associated with microorganisms such as yeasts, lactic acid bacteria and Koji mold. In this webinar, we will discover the diversity of Flavours related with its production method, as well as fun food pairing tips!

09:00am ET, 1:00pm UK, 2:00pm France, 9:00pm HK, 10:00pm Japan 
Check the event time in your time zone.
This webinar will be recorded for later viewing

PRESENTER: SARASA SUZUKI

Co-founder and vice president of Sake Business Laboratory, Inc.

WSET®certified Level3 SAKE Educator / WSET®certified Level3 Wine and Spirits(English) /IWC Sake competition judge.  

Began her career working under a WSET Diploma-qualified CEO from London in the sales of wine from France, Spain and Australia, during which time she gleaned knowledge about the global wine trade and wine tasting from craftspeople, MWs and WSET Diploma holders.

She next joined established Cognac makers, Camus Wine & Spirits as sales & marketing manager for the Japan market which involved localizing foundational marketing strategies and tools created by the head office in France. It is during this time that she began her study about sake with a view to promoting its charms to the global wine market.

Since 2014 she interprets for a training program run by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’ which invites Sake Educators from around the world, and in 2017 became certified as a WSET Sake Educator herself.

She has also been a SAKE division judge at the IWC since 2017.

Recently, Barbara Philip MW hosted a virtual food and wine tour webinar for the Wine Scholar Guild. The cuisine of central Italy is as fascinating as it is delicious. This is where tomatoes and olive oil begin to replace the butter and cream of the north. Heavy, stuffed pastas give way to long pastas and are joined by more vegetables. The food of central Italy reflects the agricultural treasures provided by the warmer climate. Local grape varieties also enjoy their time in the sun, ripening to juicy perfection, creating wines that really reflect their surroundings.

Join Barbara Philip MW in another wine lover’s tour of Italian cuisine.  This time the virtual voyage will take us through Tuscany, Umbria, Lazio and Abruzzo as we discover the classic regional ingredients and dishes. We will also have a chance to look at the famous wines that go with the food and why.

Presenter: Barbara Philips MW

Learn more about Italian Wines:

• Italian Wine Scholar study and certification program
• Tuscany Wine Study Tours with Jane Hunt MW
• Piedmont Wine Study Tours with Kerin O'Keefe
• Italian Wine Blog Articles

Valencay, Epoisses, Camembert and Brie—it is no wonder that France holds the reputation as the king of cheeses! Join us as we offer homage to fromage, both the rustic and refined French cheesemaking tradition that has inspired artisan cheese across the globe.

From the citric tang of Loire Valley goat cheeses to buttery, silken bloomy rinds to piquant, decadent sheep milk blues, you’ll see exactly why we fall for France.

Presenter: Dan Belmont

Dan Belmont has always been hungry! He has joyously ordered off the adult menu since he was six. Fast forward to college in North Carolina – four years of glorious grits, beautiful biscuits, bad-ass B-B-Q and southern hospitality.

After college, he returned to his home state to pursue a theatre career in the big apple – and it’s here Dan found himself in a true food mecca. With several regional and off-off-off-off-OFF-broadway credits under his belt, he decided to make a modest attempt at paying off his student loans by joining the team at B.R. Guest Hospitality as a Maitre’d and Event Sales Manager. There he refined his passion for food and wine; and, when it was time to move on, he knew the next step was to dedicate his skill set to local producers of the artisan food products that fascinated him. Dan fell in love with New York's Finger Lakes wine region and worked as a brand ambassador at tastings and events in NYC and as a hospitality consultant for several winery tasting rooms.

Dan joined Murray’s as a Cheese Cave Apprentice and then Cavemaster’s Assistant, followed by a year as a Cheesemonger at the Greenwich Village flagship store, and now leads the education team in the Murray’s Classroom. Dan and his love of food and wine has been featured in the New York Times, Playboy.com, Gotham Magazine, HuffPost Taste, Culture Magazine and Real Simple Lifestylers.

Learn more about wines with the Wine Scholar Guild's study & certification program and sign up for our Wine Study Trips.

Traditional food and wine pairing recommendations focus on basic wine dimensions such as aromas, acidity, tannins or sweetness. 

This is sufficient to create a list of standard grape variety wines to match all kind of dishes, including pasta and pizza. Yet, heavenly food and wine pairing  -- the one plus one = three -- goes well beyond this simple approach.

To achieve the perfect match and create memorable associations also requires the consideration of a wine's power; complexity of its aromas and taste; saltiness; and its overall structure. Moreover, the food needs to be decomposed into its main ingredients and cooking method, as well as accompanying side dishes or sauces. 

In this webinar, you will discover a method to select the perfect wine, or adjust your dish ingredients to be a perfect companion to your selected wine. Thierry will illustrate his approach with the selection of a wine to pair with a shrimp, avocado and pink grapefruit salad. After this webinar, the art and science of food and wine pairing will become an intellectual challenge that you will be ready to meet.

Presenter: Thierry Meyer, Lead Instructor for the FWS Alsace Master-level Program

Thierry Meyer was born and raised in Alsace. He began writing about wine in 1999 when he started using the newly emerging wine forums to share tasting notes and insights on the 1000 Alsace+ wines he tastes each year.

In 2001, Thierry started his signature dinner series dedicated to Alsace wines. These have quickly become an important occasion for wine lovers from all over the world to experience fine Alsace food paired with some of the finest wines in the world.

In 2006, Thierry founded L’Oenothèque Alsace (www.oenoalsace.com), one of the most comprehensive modern resources dedicated to Alsace wines. At the same time, he started to promote a program of structured Alsace wine master classes and dinners, each dedicated to a specific theme and each aimed at discovering the richness and variety of Alsace wines in all categories. These sessions are open to all wine lovers, from absolute beginners to professionals, and aim to help them discover the wines of Alsace or further develop their knowledge and preferences. L’Oenothèque Alsace also organizes visits to local vineyards in order to discover the unique geological complexity of Alsace. L’Oenothèque Alsace does not sell wine, and is not connected to any wine producer or association and therefore offers completely impartial advice, allowing wine lovers to discover the quality and diversity of Alsace wines.

From 2007 to 2011, Thierry was contributing editor for Bettane & Desseauve, the influential French wine guide. In this, he covered the Alsace region, as well as the Jura, Savoie and Bugey regions. Thierry is a member of the Confrérie Saint Etienne d’Alsace, which gives him numerous occasions to taste Alsace wines which are up to 80 years old.

In 2012, Thierry joined the Decanter World Wine Awards jury as Regional Chair for Alsace. 

Study under Alsace expert Thierry Meyer on our Alsace Master-Level Program and Alsace Study Trips.

In this new series, we will approach wine & food pairing from another angle to give you even more delicious ideas. Let us take you for a gastronomical trip thru the seasons and around France from the comfort of your home.

You will get to know French gastronomy with "virtual hands on" cooking lessons and recipes to try at home and of course a Tour de France of wines that will be traditional, perfect or even surprising matches.

Webinar 3: Autumn - Cosy, Gamey & Foresty

Remember the warm cosy feeling of a cup of cocoa by the fireplace or the scents of that walk you took into the woods? Well this webinar will take you through all of these Autumn sensorial memories. Truffle, game, mushrooms, nuts and berries we hope you will enjoy the dishes and wine selection for this cosy, gamey and foresty moment.

Presenter: Arnaud Valour, Gourmet Gourmand or Gourmand Gourmet

Arnaud Valour describes himself as a gourmet gourmand or a gourmand gourmet. He is a lover of food, wine and travel.

He has studied marketing and communications in both France and the U.K. and  worked for several years promoting small and medium sized enterprises in the Rhone-Alps region. Most recently, Arnaud was in charge of the Chablis and Grand Auxerrois Bureau of the Burgundy Wine Board (BIVB) managing the Maison des Vins de Chablis et du Grand Auxerrois.

A Burgundian resident, he is currently a consultant in the fields of food, wine, and Burgundy wine travel.