Amateurs and experts pick up tips at wine classes

Want to learn a thing or two about pairing wines with foods or just about wine in general? We've talked before about occasional classes offered locally, either for special occasions or associated with festivals. But now you can experience wine more regularly with a company by that name that's offering classes throughout the year.

Experience Wine is the brainchild of Mark Hejtmanek, an executive wine sommelier. He offers several types of classes for the wine challenged. I attended two of them: "A Friendly Introduction to Wine" and a "Wine & Food Pairing Cooking Class."

The intro class was held at Mimi's Cafe on a Sunday evening. Hejtmanek did a thorough job of taking us through the basics of winetasting, including a brief overview of the history of wine. One of my favorite parts was learning the proper temperature for serving wine, something Hejtmanek is a stickler about.

"White wines are often served too cold, and red wines are often served too warm," he said. "I have the 20-minute rule. Take white wine out of the refrigerator 20 minutes before you want to serve it, and put red wine in the fridge 20 minutes before you want to serve it."

White wines should be from 50 to 60 degrees, and reds from 55 to 65 degrees, he explained. If you want to be even more precise, use a wine thermometer with advanced infrared technology to tell you the temperature of your favorite wine or champagne without popping the cork. The VinTemp thermometer - "a wine geek's toy," he said - can be purchased at his class for $26.85. It's also available at Vintages Wine & Spirits, 9 S. Tejon St., for $24.99 plus tax.

The class was lots of fun, and the food plentiful and tasty. We were served three courses, including a plate of pasta, a healthy serving of roast beef and vegetables followed by a dessert. Cost was $40 per person or $75 for a couple.

For the food-and-winepairing class, Hejtmanek was joined by Michael Longo of First Impressions Catering and co-owner of Nana Longo's Italian Market, 1725 Briargate Blvd. Longo talked about the recipes he had prepared, and Hejtmanek talked about the wines to be paired with the food.

"There are four things to look at for food pairings and wine: protein, cooking technique, spices and sauces," Hejtmanek said.

We all oohed and ahhed over the boneless trout dish. The delicate fish had a brown-butter sauce with a squeeze of lemon.

"Because of the richness of the sauce and the acid of the lemon, look toward food-friendly wines like Rieslings or pinot noirs," he said.

To me, the Riesling was a perfect partner for the fish.

"You know you have a good match when the wine tastes better with the food than on its own," Hejtmanek said.

Longo also served us chicken piccata, beef stroganoff, brie baked in puff pastry and his award-winning bread pudding, which I had boxed to take home. I was too full to eat one more bite. It had been another enjoyable and filling evening.

I was delighted to learn that Longo teaches classes on a regular basis, and the wine-pairing class was a bonus. At his regular cooking classes, students get involved with the preparation of the food, instead of just sipping and eating. Those classes cost $35 per person. Drop by the deli to sign up, or call 599-9595 for more information.

Visit experiencewine.net for a lineup of Hejtmanek's classes.

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Reach Farney at 636-0271 or teresa.farney@gazette.com. She appears Tuesdays on KOAA's Comcast Channel 9 at 4 p.m.