San Francisco wine tasting course?

[Bucko]

Reply from a friend:

There are lots of classes in the San Francisco and the surrounding nearby area. Here is some (but only some) of what's available . . .

I teach a whole series of wine courses through the University of California Santa Cruz Extension program. My classes are generally held in Sunnyvale, about 40 minutes
driving time south of downtown San Francisco. Other people teach wine classes for UCSC in Monterey and Santa Cruz itself. UCSC Extension can be reached at
University of California, Santa Cruz Extension website (www.ucsc-extension.edu/) or at 800.660.UNEX. [Note: the "800" only works within California; outside CA, call
831.427.6600.]

UC Berkeley Extension teaches wine classes in Berkeley, in San Francisco, in Atherton, etc. (Each UC campus has their own Extension program responsible for several
California counties.) They generally do a very good job. Cal's Extension program is at UC Berkeley Extension Home Page (www.unex.berkeley.edu/) or at 510.642.4111


Also in San Francisco is a wine school called "Pacific Rim Wine Education Center." It's run by Bruce Cass, the person who edited The Oxford Companion to North
American Wines. They can be reached at Pacific Rim Wine Education Center (www.pacrimwine.org/) or 415.512.9318. The program is a bit limited and is more
expensive than the Extension programs at either UCSC or Cal, but Bruce is very knowledgeable and -- though only a year or two old -- I'm sure the classes are quite
good.

Another San Francisco-based wine school that is just starting up (January 2001) is called "The Grapes of Path" (?), headed by Pamela Busch. I don't know much about it
other than their "advisory panel" has some really good people on it. The website is at The Grapes of Path (www.grapesofpath.com), and their telephone number is
415.701.7335.

Hope that helps . . .

Jason