Beyond Pinot: Cool-Climate Reds

Pinot Noir gets all the attention. But the cool-climate red wine world is full of grapes that are just as elegant, just as terroir-driven, and frankly a lot more interesting at the dinner table — and most wine drinkers have never tried a single one. This course is a guided introduction to the lighter side of red wine. We’ll taste six cool-climate reds from regions where warmth is scarce and acidity is everything: Beaujolais, the Jura, Alsace, northern Italy, and the Pacific Northwest. Each wine is chosen to reveal something specific — carbonic maceration and what it does to a grape, the difference between Gamay in Beaujolais and Gamay in the Loire, why Trousseau from the Jura tastes like nothing else on earth. You’ll leave knowing what to order when Pinot feels predictable, which grapes love a slight chill, and why the lightest red on the table is often the best pairing with food. Our wine educator leads every session in a format that’s part structured tasting, part open conversation — no prior knowledge required, and no wrong answers.