Wine Education

Is a Sensory Masterclass Worth It?

Each year, around my birthday, I like to gift myself something that will help me develop on my wine journey. Something I wouldn’t normally splurge on throughout the year. And for the third year in a row, that gift-to-self has been a wine course.

The first year, in 2019, I did the WSET Level 1 Award in Wines course through Fine Vintage Ltd here in Edmonton. That’s what got me hooked.

The next year, in 2020, I signed up to completed WSET Level 2. Unfortunately, due to pandemic restrictions, it got postponed, and I actually didn’t complete it until this year, 2021.

I had actually forgotten about planning to gift myself another wine course for this year because my head was still stuck in last year. Then on the first day of Level 2, another student mentioned she was going to be attending Fine Vintage’s Sensory Masterclass on the weekend in between our 3 sessions.

My eyes lit up. I forgot how much I had been DYING to take that class! I have been trying to train my terrible sense of smell for a few years now, but it still has a long way to go.

But I hesitated at the same time – I had just started a new position at work, I had a lot of personal stuff on my plate at home, and I hadn’t had a relaxing weekend in ages. Part of me, honestly, just wanted to stay home and do nothing. Or at least just study for the course I was currently on…

Should I sign up?

I checked online and did some mental math on planning my wine education. They only run the Sensory Masterclass once a year. Next year, I hopefully would like to complete my WSET Level 3. But that course has a tasting component. I knew I wanted to take the Sensory Masterclass before that, for sure. They were running at the same time of year, though, so it wouldn’t leave much practice time in between.

Well, that sealed the deal. If I wanted to take Sensory Masterclass AND have plenty of time to train my nose before taking Level 3, then it had to be this year.

I did it. I signed up. And I’m so glad I did.

I’ve raved about her in previous articles, but I’m going to do it again. Samantha Wall has been my instructor for all of my Fine Vintage Ltd. classes and I LOVE the way she teaches. She’s so energetic, and her love of wine really shines through in everything she says and does. She brought this course to life for me.

What you’ll learn

Here’s the blurb for the course, direct from their website, so you know what to expect:

Learn to identify aromas and flavors

If you are looking to improve your ability to identify aromas and flavours in wine with real precision, and improve your tasting ability, then this course is for you.

This 2-day course covers 14 classic grape varietals and the flavour profiles associated with them. For each grape variety you will be provided with a selection of 3 to 5 perfume strips dipped in pure aromatic essences commonly associated with that grape. You will then taste 24 classic wines showcasing those aromas and flavors.

There are no pre-requisites to take this course. The course is beneficial for all levels of wine knowledge whether this is your first wine class or you are preparing for a tasting examination.

If that description appeals to you at all, then you’ve gotta sign up to take this course. It really delivers.

Identifying Aromas

We would be given 3 to 5 test strips, one at a time. For each one we had to sniff and try to identify what they were. I won’t give away all their tips and and tricks, but they definitely teach you to smell in a totally different way. If you don’t recognize it right away, that’s okay. There is a whole list of questions to ask yourself to get your brain involved in trying to detect what it might be. And even if you’re sure you know the answer, it’s good to work through the questions as well. You never know, you might be dead wrong!

It was also surprisingly funny. I can’t tell you how many times I was shocked to find out what I was actually smelling. My favourite “wrong answer”, was that I thought I was smelling some kind of combination between lemon and pine………..

…………………. it was pepper.

One of the truly great things you learn, however, it that there really isn’t such a thing as a “wrong answer”. Sure, you can try to memorize hundreds (or thousands!) of smells if you have the time and mental energy. But it’s much easier to just acknowledge that what you smell is what you smell. Know what those aromas mean to you.

Identifying Wines and Regions

Once we had covered off a handful of key aromas, we had to guess which wines we were learning about. Fortunately, being in the middle of the Level 2 course, I was feeling pretty confident. This course definitely complements any type of theoretical learning because it really puts it into something tangible.

From there, we learned about how the aromas in the wines vary depending on the climate and terroir. I’ve always been jealous of people who can taste differences in region, but this class made that seem almost easy!

We were given a couple of different samples of the same wines and asked to write tasting notes on each. Based on what we knew about the locations where those grapes are grown, we had to figure out which one was which. It was a fascinating exercise!

The Takeaway

Overall, it was an excellent course and I walked away somehow both more confident, and more determined to improve. That’s the mark of a great class – one that challenges you in an inspiring way. That’s something that Fine Vintage Ltd really has nailed down.

I would absolutely recommend this class to anyone, from a fresh new “wine baby” to a practiced professional. You’re guaranteed to learn something new and a much greater appreciation for the power of the nose.

And you get to keep the aroma strips if you don’t have an aroma kit at home! Bonus!

How’s your nose? Share your best sniffing tips with us in the comments!