Valentine’s Day Dinner Date

This four-session continuation of the Wine Essentials series offers in-depth exploration and tastings of some of the world’s more interesting and unusual wines. Studies will include an expanded array of lesser-known varietals and wines, as each class concentrates on one wine category and delves into the wines’ production, characteristics and uses, including discussions of food and wine pairing. Session 1: Advanced White Wines: Side-by-Side Tasting of Interesting Aromatic and Fruity Wines. Session 2: Advanced Red Wines: In-Depth Comparison of Selected Wines From Old and New World Regions. Session 3: Off-Dry to Sweet: Exploration of Elegant Rieslings to Cru Classé Sauternes. Session 4: Fortified and Aromatized Wines With Wine Service: Fascinating Wines, From Vermouths and Sherries to Madeiras and Portos.

Italy produces wine from hundreds of different grape varieties, making its wine varied and engaging, yet perhaps a bit hard to grasp. This tasting concentrates on the wines from Toscana, Italy's third-largest quality wine-producing region. Although many of the wines are Sangiovese-based, the distinctive terroirs and other cultivated varieties offer a diverse tasting opportunity, ranging from some tasty whites to Old World and even international-style reds, topping off with traditional sweet. ICE's resident sommelier, Richard Vayda, will also discuss Tuscan wine history and Italian wine labeling. Regional cheeses will accompany the eight or more wines featured in the tasting.

Emilia-Romagna, which stretches between the Adriatic coast, northern Tuscany, and the Po Valley, is one of the most prolific agricultural regions of Italy. It is known for its pasta, balsamic vinegar, Parma ham and Parmigiano-Reggiano, among a wealth of other products. While enjoying wines such as Sangiovese and Barbera, you will learn to make traditional dishes that include: brodetto fish stew; cotechino con lenticchie; chicken cacciatore with creamy polenta; and warm zabaglione with Marsala wine for dessert.

Make the one-pot profusion of Spanish flavors that paella comprises --- seafood, chicken, chorizo, rice and more --- come to life. You'll learn to make masterful cuttlefish-ink paella and paella from Valencia, in addition to some spectacular Spanish tapas. Your menu includes: garlic shrimp; tortilla española; arroz negro paella; and paella valenciana (paella with shrimp, chicken and chorizo).