What are the best schools, both online and classroom, to learn more about wine tasting and pairing?
Answer From Expert Roger Bohmrich MW
I am guessing you are probably interested in an introductory course based on how you have worded your question. For a broad overview, I suggest you look into the Society of Wine Educators(societyofwineeducators.org) and Wine & Spirit Education Trust (wsetglobal.com). Both offer a multi-tiered approach from foundation to advanced level. Their courses provide both theoretical knowledge and tasting instruction, as these two facets are essential to establish a complete understanding of the vast world of wine. If you look over their websites, you'll be able to get a sense of how they approach the subject. For French wine, I recommend the French Wine Society (frenchwinesociety.org), which offers a full range from an overview to "master-level" courses. Depending on the organization, there is online and/or classroom instruction you can read more about on their sites. As for "tasting and pairing," that is a more casual rather than strictly academic activity. For this type of approach, you could look into possibilities posted on Local Wine Events in your area. After all, matching food and wine is very personal and subjective, and you may only need a reasonably well-informed (and entertaining) guide rather than formal schooling.
