Do you know your Merlot from your Chianti or your Chardonnay from your Pinot? Wine aficionados and amateurs in the north-east are in for a treat as a new wine school will launch in Aberdeen.
Anna Ferrier from Ellon will bring Aberdeen Local Wine School to the city this autumn with a series of events already lined-up for wine fanatics to book.
From exclusive tastings to events designed to introduce individuals to different styles of wine, not to mention lunches and cheese and wine tasting nights, there’s something to suit all tastes and levels of wine drinker.
Aberdeen Local Wine School
Launching her first event in September, Anna, who formerly worked as the store manager at Majestic Wines in Aberdeen, has teamed up with a few local venues to bring the school to the area.
Paying an initial investment to Local Wine School, a network of more than 27 wine school franchisees in the UK, Anna has bought into the brand to bring it to the north-east.
The 31-year-old wine enthusiast who moved from Germany to Scotland in 2010 for her university studies fell in love with wine when visiting wineries on a family holiday to South Africa.
She has since achieved a verity of wine-related qualifications including being a Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) certified educator and holding a Level 4 Diploma in wines.
As well as in-person events she’ll also run courses for those who are eager to learn more about wine, the process of making it and the grapes used.
Prices for the events range from £30 to £110 per person and there are limited spaces for each, too.
Aberdeenshire on the horizon
While the events will all take place in the city centre initially, Anna hopes to extend them to other Aberdeenshire towns like Ellon and Inverurie in the coming months.
She said: “I look forward to bringing fun and informal wine tasting events to the city of Aberdeen, welcoming people from all backgrounds whatever their knowledge of wine may be.
“As a WSET Certified Educator I am also keen to offer WSET qualifications to eager enthusiasts as well as professionals who would like to further their careers within the industry.”
Anna loves richer styles of Champagne like Bollinger and oaked Chardonnays, while her top wine choice is Orin Swift Abstract – a big, luscious, and powerful red wine with lots of personality.
The first event, an Introduction to wine tasting, will take place on Thursday 8 September 8 at Bio Café in Aberdeen.
Guests will taste six different wines and learn about the main grape varieties, wine producing countries and basic tasting techniques.
Anna’s top 7 tips when buying wine
- Don’t judge a bottle by its label
- Don’t be intimidated by wine jargon or complicated labels
- Price doesn’t always indicate quality
- Ask for advice
- Shop independent where you can
- Don’t be afraid to try new things
- Don’t always go with the obvious choice – look out for better value alternatives
Conversation