AWESOME DEAL: Wine and Mixology Classes at Back Label Wine Merchants

Summer is just about here and that means it's time to stop drinking alone in the doldrums of your apartment. Back Label Wine Merchants recently posted part 1 of their summer wine and mixology class schedule and at $40 a pop (you get a $20 voucher to buy anything in the store after), each one is a steal!

Here are the deets:

• Wine 101- Nature vs. Nurture - Thursday 6/5, 7pm - 8pm

Join us for an introduction to how wine is made and why it’s so darned enjoyable. This class will cover the basics of viticulture and show how farming plays a huge role in shaping what you experience in the glass.

• Austria 101! - Saturday 6/7, 4pm - 5pm

In a world where minerality is provocative and Rieslings are as dry as they get, join us for a tour through the great Austrian countryside and their commitment to exceptional farming and viticulture. Austrian wine specialist, Jodi Stern, will lead us on our journey and some of the greats Austria has to offer!

• Champagne 101 in 3 Parts – Part 2 “Champagne & Cheese″ - Thursday 6/12, 7pm - 8pm

There’s nothing like bubbles and cheese especially those from Champagne and our friends at Spoonwood Cabin Farm (Jacksonville, Vermont). The great cheeses of Spoonwood Cabin Farm are tiny-production, artisanal French-style, semi-soft cheeses that aren’t readily available in this country. This class is not to be missed! Call today to sign up and reserve your seat!

• 8 Kickass Grapes you’ve Never Heard of and Why They Matter - Saturday 6/14, 4pm - 5pm

There are so many grapes out there and so little time it feels like, at least to us.  The odds are you have actually tried some of these and wines and don’t even know it! If in fact that is not true, this is the perfect moment to come on in and start a new wine adventure. Guest Speaker – Evan Spingarn

• True Wine Connoisseurs: Where Wine and Music Meet - Thursday 6/19, 5pm - 8pm

5 years ago Will Tell played a joke on his friend Sadat X by placing in his hands a bottle of wine instead of cognac while in the studio.  From that moment there was no turning back, the result was nearly 70 videos, a great love of wine and a lot of laughs.  Together they’ll put on a class that will not quickly be forgotten.

• Mixology 101 - Saturday 6/21, 4pm - 5pm

Rock star bartender Robby Haynes, owner of the new and popular Chicago bar Analogue, will be here while in NYC to lead this badass class involving the dos and don’ts of mixology and what inspirations lead to world class cocktails! Robby is best known by Chicagoans as the star bartender of Wicker Park’s Violet Hour.

• Champagne 101 in 3 Parts- Part 3 “Cote des Blancs″ - Thursday 6/26, 7pm - 8pm

The Cote des Blancs is a unique and very special place within the renowned region of Champagne. This class will cover just how special it is showcasing its soil types, climate and decadent expressions. Want to really learn about Champagne? We triple dog dare ya! Ouch.

• Summer Single Malts - Saturday 6/28, 4pm - 5pm

Single Malt Scotch is not just for the colder months. Join us as we explore the finer and lighter side of this classic Scotch whisky!

To book a class, call (212) 229-WINE or order online at backlabelwine.com.

Wine Dreams

I was waiting to post about New York Vintners until I attended another class and then I could go through the whole kit and caboodle of how wonderful the experience was, the wines we tasted and the foods we ate. But no, you need to act now and fast.

One of my all-time favorite ways to spend a weekend afternoon in this city so far is taking a 2-hour wine class at the wine store turned event space with a full kitchen, New York Vintners. Today Groupon is offering a choice of one class for only $25, that's half off!!

You won't be sorry after taking this class. In fact you will be smarter, more apt to figure out a complex restaurant wine list, and, if you're lucky, perhaps slightly more inebriated than when you woke up that morning. It's all for the better, I promise you.

Classes I highly recommend are Wines 101, Sake and Mediterranean Flavors, and Biodynamic and Organic Wines. Check it out now and buy one or two (or three!) before it's too late and you're kicking yourself.