Small, casual virtual sessions designed for curious people who want to understand wine better — without sitting through a lecture. No prior knowledge required. Just curiosity.
Sign up for an upcoming class. Sessions are small — typically 10-15 people — to keep it conversational.
Each class suggests an optional bottle to have on hand. Tasting along makes everything click. Not required — but encouraged.
45 minutes via Google Meet. Casual format, questions welcome throughout. No one will quiz you at the end.
Leave with real, usable knowledge — not jargon. The kind of stuff you'll actually remember and use at a restaurant or wine shop.
⏱ 45 minutes · Virtual · Suggest: Bring a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
Oregon's Willamette Valley is one of the great cool-climate wine regions of the world — and one of the least understood outside the Pacific Northwest. This class fixes that.
We'll cover the geography and climate that makes the Valley special (including the Van Duzer Corridor — a Pacific wind channel that's the secret to the region's character), the history of winemaking in Oregon, the main grapes and why they thrive there, and what to look for on the label when you're at a wine shop.
Tim grew up in the Willamette Valley. This is his home turf.
Email Tim to be notified of upcoming dates
⏱ 45 minutes · Virtual · Suggest: Any French wine
This isn't a history lecture with wine as a footnote. This is the story of how French winemakers survived two devastating wars — and how wine itself became a symbol of resistance, identity, and survival.
We'll cover how the trench lines of WWI cut through some of France's most famous vineyard regions, how winemakers hid their finest bottles behind false cellar walls during the German occupation of WWII, and how a bottle of wine became a quiet act of defiance.
Along the way, you'll learn more about the wines of Champagne, Burgundy, and Bordeaux than any conventional introduction would cover — because understanding what was being protected makes the wines themselves more interesting.
Email Tim to be notified of upcoming dates
⏱ 45 minutes · Virtual · No bottle required
Here's the thing about Champagne: most people only open it when something remarkable happens. A promotion, a wedding, New Year's at midnight. The bottle sits in the back of the fridge, waiting for permission. This class is about removing that permission slip entirely.
We'll cover the real story of Dom Pérignon — a Benedictine monk who spent his career trying to prevent bubbles, not create them. We'll trace how Champagne's sweetness shifted from the intensely sweet styles of the Russian Imperial Court to the bone-dry Brut we drink today. And we'll get into the méthode champenoise, the three grapes, big houses vs grower producers, and how to actually read a Champagne label.
By the end, you'll understand why Champagne deserves to be opened on a Tuesday for no reason at all.
Email Tim to be notified of upcoming dates
⏱ 45 minutes · Virtual · Tailored to you
Not every curiosity fits a pre-built class. If you have a wine topic you've always wanted to explore — a region you're traveling to, a grape you can't stop drinking, or a style you want to understand better — Tim can build a class around it.
The format is the same: 45 minutes, casual conversation, no jargon. The content is entirely yours. Here are a few directions people ask about most:
Natural wine and what it actually means. The differences between Champagne, Prosecco, and Cava — and when each one is worth it. A real introduction to rosé beyond the pink-drink stereotype. Whatever topic you've been meaning to learn properly.
Oregon vs California Pinot Noir — side by side, head to head. A deeper dive into German Riesling than any wine shop will give you. The wines of a country you're about to visit. Tim has tasted wine in 50+ countries and loves nothing more than talking about a specific place in depth.
Already obsessed with Burgundy? Want to understand why that Barolo you had last year was so extraordinary? Have a grape or region you keep coming back to and want to go further? That's the best kind of class to build — we start where your curiosity already lives.
Email Tim to discuss your idea — no commitment required
No. These classes are designed for beginners and people who know a little but want to know more. No prior knowledge assumed.
No — the bottle suggestions are optional. You can participate fully without a glass in hand. But tasting along makes it more fun.
Pricing details are provided when you register. Email Tim for current information.
Yes — additional topics are in development. Sign up to be notified when new classes are added.