Barnes & Noble University
Introduction to Wine
This page is the home page
for this course, and from here you can read announcements
from the instructor, navigate the course syllabus, and reach the community areas
of the course, such as the Message
Board.
The Classroom
The center of your
experience in each course is the Classroom. In the Classroom you can read
instructor announcements, work on the course, meet your classmates, and keep up
with assignments and class discussions.
Messages
The message center is a
small window that allows you to exchange instant messages with other online
users. Contact other users to discuss course material or ask for help on an
assignment - or just to keep in touch. You can start sending and receiving
messages as soon as you've joined Barnes & Noble University; there's nothing
else to set up or install. Keep track of your friends in your Address Book
(their messaging addresses are the same as their nicknames).
Notes passed in a recent B&N University class
From: dogbiscuit To: friskySubject: wines Date: Nov 02, 2000
I sure hope they include a discussion on the best box-wines. :-)
From: frisky
To: dogbiscuit
Subject: re: wines Date: Nov
06, 2000
Have you ever noticed that
the box for Chardonnay is the same width as the box for Cabernet Sauvignon?
What's with that ?
From: dogbiscuit To: frisky
Subject: re:
wines Date: Nov 06,
2000
I think it should be wider because it's so much more
expensive! And why don't they box Shiraz/Syrah?
From: frisky
To: dogbiscuit
Subject: re: wines Date:
Nov
06, 2000
Probably for the same
reason that they don't box cognac, it eats through the plastic liner. But I
expect to see boxed champagne by Christmas. BTW, is it true that wine
connoisseurs use dogbiscuits to cleanse their pallet between each different
wine?
From: dogbiscuit To: frisky
Subject: re:
dogbiscuit Date: Nov 07,
2000
Yeah, I tried
about 14 different nick names before I finally found one that wasn't already
taken. Some dog already took "frisky" - then I remembered in school
they used to call me "frisky dogbiscuit" Did they ever call you that?
I remember you got so mad when you were called Larry Can't Fix! :-)
BTW, have
you checked out the Gardiner_Genealogy page on philfrisk.com?
From: frisky
To: dogbiscuit
Subject: re: dogbiscuit Date: Nov
07, 2000
Ya I remember Larry Can't
Fix! It makes me smile now but it sure used to get me worked up didn't it?
Actually I have not checked out your Gardiner page. I promise that I will do
that tonight. Lynne did a superb job with her book though. I learned a lot about
the family that I didn't know. I just ordered a 10" mirror blank for a new
telescope. That should keep be busy for a while. I will grind it by hand, figure
it with a parabolic curve and have it silvered and then build a tube assembly
and mount. As for frisky dogbiscuit, that never stuck with me. However I have
been called frisky dog.
From: dogbiscuit To: frisky
Subject: re:
dogbiscuit Date: Nov 20, 2000
I'm really
enjoying the Introduction to Wine course - But, I'll tell ya, the cost of the
books and aroma wheel is nothing compared to the cost of doing the assignments!
...So here I am, making notes on a bottle I just opened: (I think I'm gettin'
the hang of it) "Has a small nose, Flinty - or maybe more like - Metalic;
Redolent of mown grass - or perhaps rodent-in-composted-grass; Aggressive nobel
rot; Duplex with flat crispness; Hint of ageing in pine barrels; Short, chalky
finish" ...well, so much for the Ripple, now on to the Thunderbird... I'm
waiting for the lesson on pairing the wine with food. I'm thinking these may
work with PB&J on Rye. ;-)
From: frisky
To: dogbiscuit
Subject: re: Assignments Nov 21, 2000
Right on big brother! I
liked the last comment of assignment 1 of lesson 3: "If you like it, it's a
good wine" That reminds me of a comment that Count Basie made when he was
asked to evaluate someone's music. He said, "if it sounds good, it is
good". The thing that I'm having a problem with is the new style bottles
with the big lip at the cork end. It's hard to get my lips around them. However
there is less of a chance that the bottle will slip from your hand as you are
passing it from buddy to buddy.
From: frisky
To: dogbiscuit
Subject: clever comments Date: Nov 21, 2000
dogbiscuit, I really think
that you should post some of your clever messages on the message board. I'm
quite sure that the other students would enjoy a good grin. I was going to
suggest to the class that when you buy a bottle of wine that you don't like that
you simply add half an ounce of brandy (distilled wine) to each glass. After the
second glass the wine tastes great! I have a few bottles of wine that I made in
the 1978/1981aera. One of them was citrus wine and it has not improved much with
age so I added some brandy and it was just fine.
From: dogbiscuit To: frisky
Subject: re:
clever comments Date: Nov 22,
2000
Oh yeah, in
college I got kicked out of class for being a trouble maker. From the comments
I've read on the message board, I think half of these folks are too damn
serious. But, maybe we should - just to lighten 'em up. You go first. Your humor
is funnier than mine! BTW, I did respond to one guy's dumb question.
From: frisky
To: dogbiscuit
Subject: re: Assignments Date: Nov
22, 2000
The aroma wheel seems to be
a favorite topic among the students. But don't hold back. We all need the comedy
break. The message boards from some of the other classes had gotten pretty
naughty and nothing was ever said to indicate that the messages were out of
line. There have some good put downs, and students that really slammed the
course material and each other. Barns & Noble e-mailed me to ask for
permission to use one of my entries from the intro to astronomy class. So let it
rip. (just don't tell them that you are my brother) :-)
From: dogbiscuit To: frisky
Subject: re:
Assignments Date: Nov 22,
2000
And what's
with these corks. Is this some sort of child-proof
packaging? The screw tops are much easier to get open!
From: frisky
To: dogbiscuit
Subject: Aroma Wheel Date: Nov
22, 2000
One more message concerning
the aroma wheel: I am designing my own aroma wheel to go with one of my favorite
games. The game is that I walk into someone's cubical, flatulate, smile and ask
if they can guess what I had for lunch based on the aroma. It will be very
helpful when I can hand them an aroma wheel to help identify the character and
bouquet. oops, VPSOE
From: dogbiscuit To: frisky
Subject: Final
assignment Date: Nov 29,
2000
Pairing wine with food assignment
My Menu: “The ultimate peepy and dobbie dinner.”
Appetizer: Sautéed Spotted-Owl Adenoids with Prairie Dog
Blush
from Carlson Vineyards, Palisade, CO http://www.carlsonvineyards.com/
Salad: Nightshade greens and Friskie Dogbiscuits with
Tyrannosaurus Red
from Carlson Vineyards, Palisade, CO http://www.carlsonvineyards.com/wines.html
Entrée: Baked Dogbarf with Road Kill Red
from Colorado
Cellars, Palisade, CO http://www.coloradocellars.com/
Desert: Polished Roadapples with Crabapple Mead
from The
Meadery, Palisade, CO http://www.rockymountainmeadery.com/
After dinner drink: Hemlock in brandy snifter.
From: frisky
To: dogbiscuit
Subject: re: Final assignment Date: Nov 29, 2000
Sounds like the last supper...
From: dogbiscuit To: frisky
Subject: Wine class Date: Nov 29,
2000
Well, frisky, I enjoyed taking the Introduction to Wine
class with you. It was fun passing
notes in class. If only the
instructor knew … Do you suppose they read these “private” messages too?
See ya around campus, BMOC!
From: frisky
To: dogbiscuit
Subject: re: Wine class Date: Nov 29, 2000
I certainly hope so Ollie.
Barnes & Noble University
Lessons - Start Here
Lesson 1: From Wine to Glass, An Introduction
Lesson 2: Appreciating Still White Wines
Lesson 3: Appreciating Still Red Wines
Lesson 4: Appreciating Sparkling Wines
Lesson 5: Appreciating Fine Sweet Wines
Lesson 6: Pairing Wines: Opposites Attract, but So Do Likes
| Course Materials That You Will Need: | |||
| Your instructor has chosen the following course materials and will most likely refer to them in lessons and/or homework assignments. | |||
 |
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Universally praised by wine experts and beginners alike, this extraordinary, easy-to-use, simple "course" will answer all your important questions about wine and start you on the road to becoming a seasoned connoisseur. |
Some interesting Message Board comments
Message Board: Introduction to Wine
Subject: Virtual Wine
Tours/Online Information
Author: CCSeefer
Posted On: Nov 6, 2000
I am very fortunate to live less than 30 minutes from the Napa and Sonoma
Valleys in Northern California. Because of this, I have toured numerous wineries
in these regions, and I have also toured wineries throughout California,
including wineries in Mendocino, Monterey, and Livermore.
For those of you who don't have this luxury, you can find some virtual wine
tours at the following:
Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery, Sonoma County: http://www.winetoday.com/ipix/ferrari/setup.html
Chateau Chantal, Michigan: http://www.chateauchantal.com/vrsamples/
VineSwinger.com: http://www.vineswinger.com/ (offers virtual tours that change
regularly)
In addition, you can find general information about these regions and about wine
in general at the following:
WineCountry.com: http://www.winecountry.com/
Napa Valley Home Page: http://www.napavalley.com/
Sonoma County Home Page: http://www.sonoma.com/
The Wine Page: http://www.speakeasy.org/~winepage/wine.html
Wines.com: http://www.wines.com/ (this site even has a virtual tasting room!)
The Wine Spot: http://www.thewinespot.com/home.html (register for free as a
consumer to access some great information)
Have fun!
Carolyn
Reply to this message
Author: frisky
Posted On: Nov 6, 2000
Thanks for the web sites. I found them to be interesting and informative.
The Chateau Chantal site included a pronunciation guide for their wines. I liked
that!
I embarrassed myself ordering a glass of Pinot Noir one time and the waitress,
who was a real snob, (and who received a minimum tip) took great pleasure in
letting me know that I had not pronounced it correctly.
Are there pronunciation guides on the web that include a list of all wines?
I have not received my textbooks for the course yet and hopefully there will be
something in them but if anybody knows of a good web site please let me know.
Thanks and cheers to all :-)
Subject: Re: Re:
pronunciation guide
Author: harald12
Posted On: Nov 8, 2000
Try Strat's place (http://www.stratsplace.com)
Cheers
Subject: Re: Re: Re:
pronunciation guide
Author: frisky Posted On: Nov 9, 2000
Thanks,that
is a great site.
Subject: Re: Re:
pronunciation guide
Author: Hannibal
Posted On: Nov 11, 2000
A great little book that can be carried with you 3 1/2"x6 3/4" is
Frank Johnson's The Professional Wine Reference, Harper&Row, NY,NY, which is
packed with concise information and, a relatively good pronunciation guide.
Subject: Aroma Wheel -
Available Online
Author: CCSeefer Posted On: Nov 6, 2000
You can get a
black-and-white version of the Aroma Wheel in PDF format at http://wineserver.ucdavis.edu/oldsite/VEN7.html
In addition, you can find
out how to use the Aroma Wheel at http://wineserver.ucdavis.edu/oldsite/ACNoble/waw.html
Just cut and paste these
URLs in to your browser. Hope this helps!
Carolyn
Subject: Re: Aroma Wheel
- Available Online
Author: solomita Posted On: Nov 6, 2000
If you purchase
"Sharing the Vineyard Table" does that include the Aroma Wheel and
wine/food pairing tool or is the book just a suggestion in addition to the Aroma
Wheel?
Subject: The Aroma Wheel
Author: solomita Posted On: Nov 6, 2000
I was a bit confused by the
last section of the lesson. If you purchase "Sharing the Vineyard
Table" does that include the Aroma Wheel and wine/food pairing tool or is
the book just a suggestion in addition to the Aroma Wheel?
Subject: Does the aroma
wheel come with the book?
Author: solomita Posted On: Nov 7, 2000
I was a bit confused by the
last section of the lesson. If you purchase the book "Sharing the Vineyard
Table" does that include the Aroma Wheel and wine/food pairing tool or is
the book just a suggestion in addition to the Aroma Wheel?
Subject: Re: Does the
aroma wheel come with the book?
Author: deannav Posted On: Nov 8, 2000
I looked at the book
yesterday, and there is a page that contains a black and white reproducton of
the aroma wheel. I was also confused. I ordered the book anyway!
Subject: Re: Re: Does
the aroma wheel come with the book?
Author: solomita Posted On: Nov 8, 2000
Thanks for the help! I
think I'm going to get the book as well!
Subject: aroma wheel
Author: toff4 Posted On: Nov 20, 2000
in lesson 1 you say i
should aquire the aroma wheel. where is this available?
Subject: Re: aroma wheel
Author: dogbiscuit Posted On: Nov 20, 2000
Try http://wineserver.ucdavis.edu/oldsite/VEN7.html
So, where have YOU been, Dumb-ass? Didn’t you read all the previous messages
about the aroma wheel?
Subject: books
Author: Cmlong Posted On: Oct 27, 2000
I only can buy one of the
two recommended books. In that case, which one should I buy - which will be used
more?
Subject: text books
Author: 2much Posted On: Nov 10, 2000
i was wondering... i dont
have my books yet. can i get them at the bookstore or do i have to order them
online?
as my job right now, i am a "wine specialist" at a large market and
that is why i'm taking this course. i have worked in the food industry for a
long time and picked up a few tips and recomendations and at my current job i
have a chance to be around a lot of wine.
my manager usualy gives me two to three bottles of wine a week to try (mostly
cheap stuff. 10.99 and under) does anyone have any favorites that i should try?
i like big reds and oaky whites, but ineed to branch out a little.
Subject: Re: text books
Author: HelpDesk Posted On: Nov 10, 2000
Barnes & Noble
University offers convenient online shopping for the benefit of our students,
but the course materials can also be purchased through retail Barnes & Noble
booksellers. The course materials can also be purchased through other vendors,
but please bear in mind that by supporting Barnes & Noble, you're helping to
support Barnes & Noble University and its free classes.
Subject: Re: Re: text
books
Author: larush
Posted On: Nov 13, 2000
I went to a retail B&N
in my home town, and found that the books are approximately $5.00 more each than
what's online. So, I left the store, and ordered them online -- from Amazon.
I ended up saving $10, even after shipping.
If you're going to buy the
books -- definitely do so online.
From Amazon!!! What a Jerk!!
Subject: Hi. I am a new
student.
Author: mabear210 Posted On: Nov 12, 2000
Just happened to be surfing
the net, and noted this free wine course. I joined a wine tasting club a few
months. I have been learning as I go. This course really got my attention, but I
have some catching up to do since I started late.
Subject: Re: Hi. I am a
new student.
Author: Tina1104 Posted On: Nov 12, 2000
Nice to meet you...yeah I
signed up late Sat. night and have some catching up to do myself...I'm in
Roanoke, VA..
Subject: Re: Re: Hi. I
am a new student.
Author: 2much Posted On: Nov 14, 2000
hello... i didn't start
late, but i've been sick and on antibiotics. so i haven't been able to try any
of the wines that i have. BUT i will... oh yes, i will
Subject: How long will
these lessons stay on line
Author: who007 Posted On: Nov 18, 2000
?? I will only have access
to a printer in about 3 weeks time.. will the lessons be left online for a while?