My goodness – the six-day WSET Advanced classes really are intense – but not because it’s six days, but because I have to wake up at 7:30AM for two sets of three days in a row, when my current lazy summer schedule calls for me waking up past ten. I really don’t mind the long wine tasting sessions, except for the fact that the coffee buzz starts to wear off after lunch and all your energy goes into digesting, and you happen to find yourself at the literal almost-snore stage of drifting off during the time your wine instructor is in the middle of showing a video on German Riesling. To make matters worse, the lights are off during these videos, and then I realize it’s 12th grade history class all over again but with alcohol.

But otherwise it’s been cool. I just wish I could spend more time analyzing the wines we’re given – I spend at least 15 minutes getting to know a wine, and in class, we get enough time to efficiently get an attempt to objectively analyze the wines – which is, I guess, great, because I start to compare wines to fictional characters and music videos after a certain point.

I’m going to attempt to copy what I said about each wine tasted here, complete with ratings. I tried to scribble as much as I could down in class in the allotted time. Posts for these will be probably shorter, unfortunately. Also – sometimes we’re given hints about the wines which we’re given, so there’s some element of blindness, but it’s not entirely blind. Furthermore, the instructor, I assume, has some previous knowledge of these wines and their generally good quality – so ratings will probably be less based on quality, and more on complexity and QPR.

(And I know mentioning this is totally lame, but my table group is awesome – a couple of us are almost totally like-minded when it comes to wine, and some others totally fill in the blanks of things that I suck at detecting which is equally as awesome.)

Day 1 – Morning (Viticulture)
1999 Lanson Gold Label Champagne
NV Henkell Trocken
2006 Louis Jadot Chardonnay Meursault Genevrières
2010 Joseph Drouhin “Laforet” Chardonnay
2009 Schloss Lieser Riesling Kabinett
2008 Schloss Lieser Riesling Auslese Niederberg Helden
2010 Chateau Roc de Segur Bordeaux Supérieur
2008 Chateau Grand Mayne Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé

Day 1 – Afternoon (Winemaking)
2010 Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc
2008 Miner Chardonnay
2010 Beringer White Zinfandel
2008 Caymus Zinfandel
2010 Louis Jadot “Combe aux Jacques” Beaujolais-Villages
2006 Brovia Barolo Rocche
2006 Tommasi “Il Stetante” Amarone della Valpolicella
2000 Chateau Broustet Barsac Sauternes

Day 2 – Morning (France)
2002 Pierre Sparr Riesling Altenbourg
2010 Pfaffenheim Pinot Gris
2009 Zinck Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Eichberg
2009 Lucien Crochet Sancerre
2010 Cuvée du Haut-Censy Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine sur Lie
2009 Château de Montfort Vouvray Demi-Sec
2009 Bret Brothers Chardonnay Macon-Vinzelles
2010 Brocard Chardonnay 1er Cru Vaucopin
1998 Les Plantiers du Haut-Brion Pessac-Leognan

Day 2 – Afternoon (France)
2008 G. Descombes Morgon
2007 Faiveley “Paulée” Bourgogne
2006 Louis Jadot “Clos de Malte” Pinot Noir 1er Cru Santenay
2005 Cadet Piola Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé
2006 Château d’Armailhac Pauillac
2009 Domaine Vincent Paris “Granit 30” Cornas
2009 Chusclan “Les Costes” Côtes du Rhône
2007 Clos du Mont-Olivet Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Day 3 – Morning (Germany, South-Eastern Europe)
2011 Rudolf Muller Riesling
2009 Max Ferd Richter Riesling Spätlese Wehlener Sonnenuhr
2009 Schloss Johannisberg Riesling Spätlese
2009 Brundlmayer Grüner Veltliner Kamptaler Terrassen
2009 Chateau Megyer Furmint
2005 Claus Preisinger Pannobile Red
2003 Parparoussos Agiorgitiko Reserve
2001 Chateau Hetszolo Tokaji 6 Puttunyos

Day 3 – Afternoon (New Zealand, Australia, South Africa)
2011 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc
2007 Mount Horrocks Riesling Watervale
2004 Tyrrell’s Semillon Vat 1
2011 Yalumba “Y Series” Viognier
2007 Rippon Pinot Noir
2008 Grant Burge “Holy Trinity”
2007 Wolf Blass Cabernet Sauvignon Gold Label
2010 Ben Glaetzer “Amon-Ra” Shiraz
2007 Lammershoek Pinotage

Day 4 – Morning (Italy)
2010 Tolloy Pinot Grigio
2010 Vietti Roero Arneis
2009 Pieropan Soave Classico
2008 Ricasoli “Rocca Guicciarda” Chianti Classico Riserva
2004 Terralsole Brunello di Montalcino
2004 Tenuta del Portale “Le Vigne a Capano” Aglianico del Vulture
2009 Alessandria Barbera d’Alba
2006 Brovia “Villero” Barolo

Day 4 – Afternoon (North America, South America)
2011 Quintay “Clava” Sauvignon Blanc
2011 Susana Balbo “Crios” Torrontes
2007 Domaine Drouhin “Laurene” Pinot Noir
2006 Chateau St. Jean “Cinq Cepages” Cabernet Sauvignon
2007 Bergevin Lane “She-Devil” Syrah
2009 Koyle Carmenere Reserva
2009 Alpamanta Estate Malbec
2007 Lammershoek Pinotage

Day 5 – Morning (Spain, Portugal)
2010 Quinta de Lourosa Vinho Verde
2009 Terras Gauda “O Rosal” Albarino
2009 Pingus “PSI” Tempranillo
2007 Muga Tempranillo Reserva
2006 Pintia Tempranillo
2009 Alvari Palacios “Petalos” Mencia
2008 Torres “Salmos”
2008 Meandro do Vale Meao Touriga Nacional

Day 5 – Afternoon (Spirits, Liqueurs)
Courvoisier VSOP Cognac
St. Vivant VSOP Armagnac
Pere Magioire Calvados
Jameson’s Irish Whiskey
Bowmore 12 Year Single Malt Scotch
Basil Hayden 8 Year Bourbon
Appleton 12 Year Rum
Cazadores 12 Year Tequila

Day 6 – Morning (Fortified Wines)
Tio Pepe Puerto Fino Sherry
Alvear “Carlos V11” Amontillado
Hildago “Faraon” Oloroso Sherry
Quinta de Ventozelo 20 Year Old Tawny Port
2000 Quinta de la Rosa Vintage Port
2000 Smith Woodhouse Unfiltered LBV Port
Leacock’s 5 Year Malmsey Madeira
Duschke Muscat

Day 6 – Afternoon (Sparkling Wines)
NV Joan Raventos Rosell Cava
NV Yellowtail Bubbles
2004 Pierre Gimonnet Brut Reserve Blanc de Blancs
2008 Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs
NV Lugny Rosé Crémant de Bourgogne
NV Duval-Leroy Brut Rosé Champagne
NV Breton Vouvray “La Dilettante” Crémant de Loire
NV Mionetto Treviso Brut Prosecco