Ahh, the sweet scent of pine needles in the air, the choking smog on 44th Street from the idling SUVs, the sounds of children laughing from Santa-impersonators and wine clerks crying from large product shipments—it’s the holidays at France 44! And, although this blog has been chock-full of amazing alcoholic beverages you can purchase for your holiday gifts, did you know that France 44 offers a whole range of non-bottle-shaped gifts for 2020? New classes have just been posted on Dojour, and there’s never been a better time to buy your friend, family, or fiancée an entertaining evening of education in our wine classroom.
Extended Enological Education!
Do you have a friend who raved about their experience in our “Wine 101” class? Send them to “Wine 102” with our 3-part “World of Wine” series, featuring an in-depth look at the wines of Spain, Italy, and France—the powerhouses of old-world wine production. Led by wine staff members Josh, Karina, and Sam, this is a great way to take the leap into the nitty-gritty of wine: grapes, growers, and geography, oh my!! With one class each month, January through March, it’s a great start to the year.
Somm-Studded Study!
If you keep up with the wild world that is the Twin Cities restaurant scene, then (hopefully) you’ve kept up with our “Somm Series” classes, featuring the bright minds behind the outstanding wine programs at some of the best restaurants in Minnesota. The winter will feature classes with Amy Waller, sommelier for the Bachelor Famer, and Scarlett Carrasco-Polanco of Grand Café. They’ll wax poetic on their love of Austrian wines and Cabernet Franc, respectively.
Meaty Material!
Give the carnivores in your life an opportunity to put their knife skills to the test with our Pig Butchering 101 class. One of the most popular classes we’ve offered at France 44, this experience gets you up-close-and-personal with a whole hog in our downstairs kitchen. Our butcher, Scott, guides participants through the basics of butchering and sends each student home with over $100 worth of pork and sausages! Follow this class up with a ticket to our “Grilling and Wine” class later in April, where you can learn from our wine specialist, Adam, which wines will pair best with those sausages!
History, Hurdles, and Hedonism
In 2020, we’re excited to start offering a range of classes that take our wine education program in brand-new directions. Kicking off a non-traditional year will be “Forbidden Fruit(s): A Prohibition Extravaganza,” which will take participants on a rollicking ride through one of America’s worst ideas. The theatergoer or history buff in your life will love this evening blending wine, theatre, bathtub gin, and anachronistic jokes into a wildly entertaining event.
Running with the artistic bent, we’ll be teaming up with Art Girl Minneapolis for a wine and art pairing class in “Around the World with Wine, Art, and Cheese,” featuring the work of Venezuelan-born artist Richard Merchan. Finally, celebrate Women’s History Month with a groundbreaking roundtable with four influential women in the Twin Cities wine scene in, “Winey Women: A Celebration of Women in Wine.” Hear about the journey these women have been on, join in the dialogue of what women bring to wine today, and sip on some inspiring wines chosen by our panelists while we dream big for the future.
