There is no keeping natural teachers from sharing their skills.
Chet Susslin / The Citizen
Nancy Tisch sniffs a glass of Bet The Farm's Finger Lakes 2006 Pinot Gris.
Nancy Tisch sniffs a glass of Bet The Farm's Finger Lakes 2006 Pinot Gris.
Nancy Tisch, owner of Bet the Farm in Aurora, has an extensive background in ecology and biology, both in the lab and in the classroom.
While at first thought, winemaking and a laboratory might seem like they are worlds apart, but to Tisch, it isn't that big a leap.
“To me they are related in a way,” Tisch said. “You can't be a biologist without knowing a lot of chemistry. Wine making is a chemical process, just as much as it is about smell and taste.”
Beginning tonight, Tisch will be putting her passion for wines as well as her interest in sharing knowledge into practice when Bet The Farm begins hosting Juvenile Oenophile, a series of classes designed to help both those with an interest in wines and those that are novices in the wine world gain a better understanding of wine to help promote a greater appreciation of it.
Tisch knows that appreciation quite well.
“I've always liked wine,” Tisch said. “This is something I've enjoyed for many years and I saw this as an opportunity to share that with other people.”
Tisch said that as proprietor of Bet the Farm, she has come across people who were just beginning to take a real interest in wines, a realm that can seem a little intimidating and confusing at first glance.
“I think a lot of people get confused about wines,” Tisch said. “These classes are for everyone, but they are designed for younger people or people that are new to drinking wine and want to learn more.”
Tisch said that there are a lot of little common mistakes people make, things like referring to a dry wine as being sweet and vice versa.
“There is a lot of terminology,” Tisch said. “It isn't terribly difficult, but it is one of those things that once you go and do a few tastings and know what you are looking for and what all the terms refer to, you can get a better understanding of it all and a deeper appreciation for what it is you are tasting.”
The courses will run for five weeks, with classes once a week from 6 to 8 p.m. at Bet the Farm.
Each class will have its own major theme, including the history of wine making, the grapes, the chemistry, barrel aging and fermentation and terroir (climate and soil effects on wines).
These discussions will cover many of the basics necessary to get people comfortable with wine and allow them to know what they are looking for, from the different qualities and flavors associated with various grapes to how to taste wine and look for its color to the aroma and the way the wine hits the palette.
Tisch, along with potential guest speakers from some of the wineries around Cayuga Lake, will be presenting these topics along with tastings at the end of each discussion to underline the theme of the class. “It will be pretty broad and sweeping,” Tisch said. “We'll look at things like the history of wine making and why it is made with grapes and the fermentation process and why those acids keep it from spoiling. We'll look at the different kinds of grapes and at the end of each class we'll be tasting some of the different wines and look at the smell and the flavor and give people a better idea of what we are talking about.” At Bet the Farm, Tisch focuses on items from the Finger Lakes region. She calls Bet the Farm a boutique wine shop.
Tisch said that this area produces some very fine wines.
She said that this year's ports are wonderful and that this year's reds should also be of great quality.
And being in a region such as this with so many wineries and so many opportunities to taste them, Tisch believes that these classes are the perfect opportunity to create or expand on an already existing appreciation of wine.
“It is a good way to learn from the ground up,” Tisch said. “Each week we'll be building on what we talked about the week before. It is also a good opportunity to get a really good sense of the whole wine process and truly understand what it is you are smelling and tasting.”
If you go
What: Juvenile Oenophile
When: Classes begin at 6 tonight (attendees can also begin class next week)
Where: Bet the Farm, 381 Main St., Aurora
Cost: Registration is $50 per person; Wells students receive a 20 percent discount
For details: Call 294-5643 or visit www.betthefarmny.com
While at first thought, winemaking and a laboratory might seem like they are worlds apart, but to Tisch, it isn't that big a leap.
“To me they are related in a way,” Tisch said. “You can't be a biologist without knowing a lot of chemistry. Wine making is a chemical process, just as much as it is about smell and taste.”
Beginning tonight, Tisch will be putting her passion for wines as well as her interest in sharing knowledge into practice when Bet The Farm begins hosting Juvenile Oenophile, a series of classes designed to help both those with an interest in wines and those that are novices in the wine world gain a better understanding of wine to help promote a greater appreciation of it.
Tisch knows that appreciation quite well.
“I've always liked wine,” Tisch said. “This is something I've enjoyed for many years and I saw this as an opportunity to share that with other people.”
Tisch said that as proprietor of Bet the Farm, she has come across people who were just beginning to take a real interest in wines, a realm that can seem a little intimidating and confusing at first glance.
“I think a lot of people get confused about wines,” Tisch said. “These classes are for everyone, but they are designed for younger people or people that are new to drinking wine and want to learn more.”
Tisch said that there are a lot of little common mistakes people make, things like referring to a dry wine as being sweet and vice versa.
“There is a lot of terminology,” Tisch said. “It isn't terribly difficult, but it is one of those things that once you go and do a few tastings and know what you are looking for and what all the terms refer to, you can get a better understanding of it all and a deeper appreciation for what it is you are tasting.”
The courses will run for five weeks, with classes once a week from 6 to 8 p.m. at Bet the Farm.
Each class will have its own major theme, including the history of wine making, the grapes, the chemistry, barrel aging and fermentation and terroir (climate and soil effects on wines).
These discussions will cover many of the basics necessary to get people comfortable with wine and allow them to know what they are looking for, from the different qualities and flavors associated with various grapes to how to taste wine and look for its color to the aroma and the way the wine hits the palette.
Tisch, along with potential guest speakers from some of the wineries around Cayuga Lake, will be presenting these topics along with tastings at the end of each discussion to underline the theme of the class. “It will be pretty broad and sweeping,” Tisch said. “We'll look at things like the history of wine making and why it is made with grapes and the fermentation process and why those acids keep it from spoiling. We'll look at the different kinds of grapes and at the end of each class we'll be tasting some of the different wines and look at the smell and the flavor and give people a better idea of what we are talking about.” At Bet the Farm, Tisch focuses on items from the Finger Lakes region. She calls Bet the Farm a boutique wine shop.
Tisch said that this area produces some very fine wines.
She said that this year's ports are wonderful and that this year's reds should also be of great quality.
And being in a region such as this with so many wineries and so many opportunities to taste them, Tisch believes that these classes are the perfect opportunity to create or expand on an already existing appreciation of wine.
“It is a good way to learn from the ground up,” Tisch said. “Each week we'll be building on what we talked about the week before. It is also a good opportunity to get a really good sense of the whole wine process and truly understand what it is you are smelling and tasting.”
If you go
What: Juvenile Oenophile
When: Classes begin at 6 tonight (attendees can also begin class next week)
Where: Bet the Farm, 381 Main St., Aurora
Cost: Registration is $50 per person; Wells students receive a 20 percent discount
For details: Call 294-5643 or visit www.betthefarmny.com
Citizen
Hot Jobs
New! Off the Menu
The Citizens' Say
Post your comment - click hereThere are No comments posted.