Gifted Bliss: A letter from an enthusiast that received PreSomm as a birthday present!

I was given the PreSomm course as a gift. I am a retired software developer who is a DIY foodie. That is, my wife and I love to cook; inviting friends for dinner is our favorite form of entertainment. And that means wine. We've lived in a several wine regions and traveled to more, but really didn't feel that our knowledge was either particularly broad or deep.

So for me, PreSomm was an opportunity to learn about (and taste!) wines from around the world. To acquire enough knowledge to be able to make an informed purchase at a wine store or restaurant. While I understand that I've only scratched the surface, I feel much more knowledgable and in control. It's a great feeling.

Denise brings energy and enthusiasm to the classes, which are densely-packed with information and could be overwhelming without the verve she brings to each evening's session.

I am delighted to have taken the PreSomm course and thoroughly recommend it to others. While the majority of your classmates will be in the hospitality industry, there is plenty here for a wine enthusiast (like me) as well.

Rick Aurbach

University City, MO

From a wine enthusiast...

I am not in the industry but love wine and felt I had a good grasp of basic varieties (versus varietals), which are concepts and words described in PreSomm class.  I wanted to learn about French wine and in this class we did, as well as Italian, Australian, German, South African and more. The details of the geography and the soil which shape the grapes and the wine are fascinating and gave me a new appreciation for wines I otherwise would not have explored.

Knowledge of my favorite wines, California reds, was expanded with in-depth study of regions, their grapes and why those grapes flourish where they do. I am no longer mystified at how a sommelier can smell and blind taste wine and determine where it is from. Denise is a serious but fun instructor who has energized me to continue my study of wine for collecting, for sharing, for pursuing my Master Somm and for my retirement plan of opening a wine store. 

There is a focus on providing restaurant wine service which took me back 30 years to when I was a waiter. What I liked about this part is the attention to detail as you would anticipate in fine dining. Servers will learn upsell techniques as well as skills to make the wine experience more enjoyable via pairing. Denise Mueller and her staff cover all the details!

Russ Thompson

Florissant, Mo.