Published by Jeremy. Last Updated on September 19, 2023.
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Not being able to get out to a wine bar in Pittsburgh is rough. We get it. Drinking at home is sometimes not as enjoyable as tasting your way around a menu in a unique setting. But you know what the next best thing is? Learning about new wine regions online!
Thankfully, our friend Adam Knoerzer of Burghundy has you covered with his online lecture series featuring growing regions from around the world!
About Adam from Burghundy
We first met Adam at a First and Third Friday wine tasting at Palate Partners in Lawrenceville where he was a consultant and periodic instructor. It doesn't take long after hearing him speak that you know he is in love with all things wine, and when you dig in a bit more you find out he is a certified sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers, has his Level 3 WSET Award for wine, and Level 2 WSET for spirits. (I am pursuing my WSET Level 2 certification in part due to talking to Adam.)
But perhaps the most interesting thing about Adam's background is that he specializes in wine from South African- a region we have admittedly only sampled from minimally. You could go as far as saying that Adam is the foremost expert of South African wines in the USA as he was the US champion in the 2019 Wines of South Africa Sommelier Cup- a pretty impressive distinction!
So to say Adam knows a lot about wine is a bit of an understatement and was all we needed to know to start taking his online wine classes.
Take a Virtual Trip to a New Wine Region
Adam's online lectures are often structured around individual wine regions from around the world (think Finger Lakes or Burgundy), specific wines (Chardonnay, Sweet & Dessert, etc), and a few specialty topics like grape growing and how to taste wine. Each class lasts roughly 60 minutes and, at the time of publishing, he offers about three or four classes per week on various topics.
Since Adam specializes in South African wines, he has a robust selection of regions from this country in his online lecture series as well. Naturally, we were drawn to this component and have taken his lectures on Hemel-en-Aarde and Swartland- two regions just outside of Cape Town we knew nothing about.
The region-specific classes follow a fairly standard structure that includes an introduction of the region, a discussion about the terroir, a look into the top grape varietals and notable winemakers, and finally a virtual tasting for those who are able to snag a bottle in advance to enjoy with the group.
But the best part of the class is that the information is presented in a way that is easy to digest while also showcasing Adam's vast knowledge of the region. You could be new to wine or a seasoned drinker and walk away having a good time. In fact, one of our favorite parts of the classes is that Adam responds to questions and is able to give fairly complex responses that are easy to understand.
Overall, if you are wanting to learn more about new wine regions from around the world, Adam's classes are a great introduction at a wonderful price point ($10 at the time of publishing). While we are still big fans of in-person wine tastings, mostly as they often include wine along with it, these online options are the next best thing and we highly recommend checking them out!
To book a class with Adam, check out his available listings at Burghundy. At the time of publishing, he is currently working with Sprezzatura in Millvale and The PA Market in the Strip District plus conducting pop-up wine dinners with local chefs to name a few.