Wine evening with European Wine Education

At the beginning of 2020, the first wine evening of European Wine Education took place, focusing on the theme 'Jean Jacques Favorites'. The concept of the already very successful wine get-togethers was revised and slightly modified for this event.

Jörg Bornmann talks to Andrea Vestri about the reasons for the changes:

Jörg : Andrea, the regular wine get-together of the European Wine Education is now called Wine Evening. Why the name change?

Andrea : When we started the wine get-togethers, the idea was to regularly bring together former students, sommeliers, wine merchants, but above all, private wine enthusiasts to talk about the topic we all love—wine—and to taste a good bottle. Initially, this worked very well, but over time, the wine get-togethers were increasingly attended by professionals. We believe that the name of the event, "wine get-together," deterred private wine lovers, creating a barrier. Since it's particularly important to us to find mixed groups for exchanging experiences, we decided to change the name.

Jörg : That means the wine evenings of the European Wine Education are aimed at everyone who likes to have a good wine in their glass and would also like to talk about it.

Andrea : Absolutely, we welcome anyone who enjoys wine. Their prior knowledge is completely irrelevant. We've found that the exchange is much more open when the group is diverse. Furthermore, my friend Jean Jacques and I have experience in moderating discussions.

Jörg : How do experts and wine lovers benefit from each other?

Andre: Wine lovers often experience wines quite differently. They are usually more open and eager to learn. This thirst for knowledge, in turn, can be quenched by the experts present. Experts, in contrast, have a unique, personal perspective on the world of wine. In the daily grind, there's often no time to broaden one's horizons. And that's precisely what happens at our wine evenings: perspectives change and expand through the influence of these private wine enthusiasts.

Jörg : "The name change is one thing, but what exactly has changed in the concept?"

Andrea : Up until now, we've had each participant bring a bottle of wine that fits the theme. This sometimes meant that, for example, in our popular country comparisons, we had too many wines from one country while missing others. Sometimes the wines brought were too similar, but a certain variety is necessary for a wine evening like this. Therefore, we've decided to slightly increase the participation fee and purchase the wines ourselves. This way, we can guarantee an exciting wine comparison.

Jörg : What does that mean in numbers?

Andrea : We previously charged €25 for participation, which included the fees and a small, suitable food pairing. Each participant brought a bottle of wine. Now, participants pay €39 for the wine evenings, including the wines to be tasted.

Jörg : That sounds like a good, fair offer. What topics are coming up next?

Andrea : Since we're now sourcing the wines, we have the opportunity to surprise the guests at our wine evenings, and that's exactly what we're planning again for March. On February 26, 2020, we'll be featuring 'Jean Jacques Favorites,' and on March 25, 2020, 'My Favorites.' We're offering a very special highlight on April 8 with the theme 'Female Winemakers on the Rise.' It's about wines made by women and questions like: 'Is there a feminine touch to winemaking?' We've also invited two female winemakers who will personally present their wines and answer questions. I promise all participants some very special surprises.

Jörg : Thank you very much for the interview, Andrea, and best of luck with the new concept.

About the author

Jörg Bornmann is the publisher of the online magazine genussfreak.de . For over 15 years, he has also published the special-interest magazines wanderfreak.de and radlfreak.de . Jörg has appeared on television cooking shows, teaches cooking classes, and organizes and cooks at culinary events, such as at the Viktualienmarkt for the city of Munich. Furthermore, Jörg has successfully completed sommelier training with the European Wine Education. In short: he loves and lives for the art of fine food and drink.

European Wine Education homepage: eurowine-education.de