This weekend has arrived and brought positive results all around. Yesterday was the big day. We launched our first class with 14 students and, despite the artic weather (it was cold for June), I think it went well. We presented our From Vine to Wine class, which covers the full gamut from grape growing to wine making and then provides a guided tasting of five wines. The group seemed to have a good time and the course evaluations were predominently positive. There was one guy who yawned throughout, but perhaps he partied too much the night before?

It was a great first experience and bodes well for the rest of the summer. We did have to cancel today’s class (Sunday) due to a lack of sign-ups, but we’ll be experimenting with different time slots in July. Our guess is that people don’t want to commit to a morning activity on Sundays.

Later on in the day, we were delighted to learn that the private class we donated to a silent auction to benefit a son’s school brought in the most money of the evening. We are looking forward to presenting the class to the lucky group later this year.

We also had the pleasant opportunity to share dinner with Harvey Passes and his wife Marji, enjoying several wonderful bottles of wine, along with great food and great company.

Our next class will be June 17 at Castello di Borghese, Long Island’s first vineyard — it is an exciting opportunity to teach at such an historic property.  If June is too busy for you, stay tuned for our July schedule — to be posted very soon.