I love the term "beverage curious," as the Wine & Spirit Education Trust puts it. This class of drink enthusiasts, plus industry professionals, are the target audience of the WSET's first tour across the country, which drops by Tampa next month.
In more than 22 states, the WSET — the largest global provider of qualifications in the wine and spirits field — has 40-plus "Approved Program Providers" leading students through beginner-to-expert-level classes on spirits, wine and sake. Tampa Bay residents can talk with the network of educators (and alumni) during WSET Week USA's Napa Valley Wine Academy open house, planned for Hyde Park's Epicurean Hotel at 6 p.m. May 2.
Guests of the $10 event, whose tickets are up online, learn about WSET wine certification programs and how to train their palates during a blind tasting. Hors d'oeuvres will accompany the wine sampling, and door prizes are also in store.
Other WSET Week USA stops include cities like Miami, Nashville, Chicago, Denver and Brooklyn, where the "grape-to-grain" education experiences discuss everything from guided tastings to the beverage management degree.
This article appears in Apr 13-20, 2017.