winonelson

I'm telling ya, check out Rob Stewart's class - it's great for beginners and sophisticates - hell, I even learned a few things at his advanced burgundy class .

I highly recommend Rob Stewart's "Wine Captain's Course" which he puts on about three times a year - it's about 8 weeks and it is fun and educational - lots of tasting, little quizes to make sure you pay attention, and Rob's commentary is the perfect combination of entertainment and education. Email him at winehead@earthlink.net and ask to be placed on his email list for tasting class schedules.

I'm waiting for them to do "tax lawyers try aged grand cru Burgundy." I'll be happy to help.

Dino's, newly opened in Cleveland Park, states on its web site that corkage is $10 per bottle. Please note, however, that wine pricing is very very fair at that restaurant.

Yes - I believe it is $350 but with $220 deductible. Call Heidi Arnold, see if she'll give you a "friend of Maureen" price. It is totally worth it - a fabulous event.

and part of the cost is deductible! This is a fundraiser for the American Heart Association called "Heart's Delight" and the centerpiece of three days of events is a seated Bordeaux tasting led by Serena Sutcliffe, the head of Sotheby's wine dept, flanked on the podium by the winemakers/chateaux owners of the wines being tasted. After the tasting, there is a very large silent auction but interspersed with the auction items are stands set up and staffed by chefs from around the country passing out plates of items they've prepared. Also more wine, etc. Then there is a live auction, accompanied by cheese and dessert - and more wine! The event takes place on Saturday, April 30, at the Reagan Trade Center in DC, and tickets may be purchased by calling Heidi Arnold at the American Heart Association at 703 914-3720. You can see a description of the whole group of events here: www.heartsdelightwineauction.org/event.htm - and here's a list of the wines and some of the chefs that will be there: Château Angelus Château Bahans Haut-Brion Château Branaire Ducru Château Brane – Cantenac Château Canon La Gaffeliere Château Carbonnieux Château Chasse-Spleen Château Climens Château Corbin Château Cos d’Estournel Château D'Issan Château Domaine de l’A Château Fombrauge Château Gazin Château Guiraud Château Haut-Bailly Château Haut-Brion Château Jean de Gué La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion Château La Couspaude Château La Lagune Château La Mission Haut-Brion Château La Tour Blanche Château La Tour Haut-Brion Château Lagrange Château Malartic – Lagraviere Château Pape Clement Château Paveil de Luze Château Palmer Château Pontet Canet Château Rauzan-Ségla Château Rol Valentin Château Suduiraut Château Vieux Château Certan Come schmooze with Stéphane Derénoncourt, Bernard de Laag de Meux, Eric Prissette, Bérénice Lurton, HRH Prince Robert deLuxembourg (Director of Domaine Clarence Dillon of HB and LMHB), and Jean-Philippe Delmas, the commercial director of same, just to name a few. Eat food handed to you by the chefs of some of the hottest restaurants in the country, such as Avenues, La Tache, Nacional 27, Spring, and Green Zebra from Chicago; Flying Fish and Rover's from Seattle; Cypress in Charleston; Le Bernardin in New York; and DC Coast, Tosca, and Taberna del Alabardero in DC, just to name a few.