Centrale Sommes - Fall 2017
Instructor: Dave Malone, Wine Expert
Office Hours: By appointment
Email: sommes@centraleitalian.com
Phone: 850-765-6799
Course Description
This course is designed to give you an appreciation for wine in an approachable manner, a hit with your friends (but not pretentious) and making you a Centrale Somme which unlocks special events and deals.
Learning Objectives
- Become a badass restaurant wine orderer and look classy as hell when tasting it
- Learn how to be a boss when buying cheese for your wine (or just eat whatever cheese and drink whatever wine makes you feel good)
- How to become a wine buying ninja and find high quality wine at affordable prices
- Earn Mr. or Mrs. Worldwide Wine Drinker certification with understanding of what wines certain regions are known for making
Teaching Materials: Textbooks/Readings
Umm, no.
For a Better Classroom Environment
This course is all about your learning experience. The instructor will try hard to support your learning process during the semester through the lecture and extra efforts. Also, each of you plays a role in shaping this course. Therefore, The instructor is expecting you to do your best and to respect the class by:
- Attending four of the seven classes.
- Being active learners: Being involved class activities, class discussions, team
- projects, team meetings, and reading all assignments before each class session.
- Students are responsible for obtaining any additional assigned readings.
- Being focused on the lecture: Any personal conversation during class will distract
- the class learning environment.
- Please, turn off your digital devices including personal laptop computers, MP3
- players, mobile devices including cell phones, tablets, etc. Please, consult your
- instructor in advance of using your personal computers during class time.
- Please do not check cell phones in class; you are supposed to be participating.
Weighting:
This is a “pass/fail” course in which four of the seven classes (57%) is a passing grade.
Evaluation:
Just choose four of the seven classes (feel free to come to more if anything interests you), show up, drink, and then pass. That simple- as wine should be.
Centrale Attendance Policy:
As long as we see you and you give us a high five, we are good.
Make-up Exam and Presentation
In this class, communication between the instructor and you is vital, especially if it affects to your grades at the end. If you believe you have an exceptional reason for missing exam, quiz, or deadline, please discuss it with me immediately or prior to the events. Other than that, a missed deadline, exam, quiz will result in significant grade penalties. Make-up exams will be given ONLY for three situations:
1. Personal or family health conditions, certified by a physician or counselor and approved by the instructor;
2. Personal or family legal conditions, warranting your attention during class time and certified by an attorney or judge and approved by the instructor; or
3. University business certified by a University official and approved by the instructor.
Please do not ask for exceptions other than these. Keeping up with grades is your responsibility. Please check the instructor during office hours if you have a problem or need an exception.
Personal Emergency
It is your responsibility to advise me of any personal emergency that might affect your performance in the course. In the case of any emergency or any circumstance that causes missing class over an extended period of time, please notify the instructor or the School of Wine and Cheese office (phone: 850-765-6799) as soon as possible via telephone, e-mail, or message. You will be held responsible for missed class notes, handouts, and any announcements made in the absence.
Academic Dishonesty
As a student at this university, you have accepted a commitment to the Honor Code. Since, academic dishonesty is an important issue of concern at the University of Centrale, scholastic dishonesty will be strictly enforced. Also, as an instructor at this university, The instructor charged with its enforcement and take that responsibility very seriously. Students are expected to uphold the Academic Honor Code published in The Centrale University Bulletin and the Student Handbook. The Academic Honor System of The Florida State University is based on the premise that each student has the responsibility (1) to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity in the student's own work, (2) to refuse to tolerate violations of academic integrity in the university community, and (3) to foster a high sense of integrity and social responsibility on the part of the university community.
Free Tutoring from Centrale Sommes
On-campus tutoring and writing assistance is available for many courses at Centrale University. For more information, visit the Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) Tutoring Services’ comprehensive list of on-campus tutoring options - see http://ace.fsu.edu/tutoring or contact tutor@fsu.edu. High-quality tutoring is available by appointment and on a walk-in basis. These services are offered by tutors trained to encourage the highest level of individual academic success while upholding personal academic integrity.
Religious Holiday
Centrale University policy on observance of religious holy days provides: (1) Each student shall, upon notifying his or her instructor, be excused from class to observe a religious holy day of his or her faith, (2) While the student will be held responsible for the material covered in his or her absence, each student shall be permitted a reasonable amount of time to make up the work missed, and (3) Professors and University administrators shall in no way arbitrarily penalize students who are absent from academic or social activities because of religious holy day observance.
Syllabus Change Policy
Except for changes that substantially affect implementation of the evaluation (grading) statement, this syllabus is a guide for the course and is subject to change with advance notice.
Tentative Class Schedule
Below table represents a tentative outline of topics that will be covered over the course of the semester. Although we will make every effort to adhere to the schedule, it may become necessary to make modifications to accommodate unforeseen circumstances. The instructor will advise the class of any events that necessitate revision to the present schedule.
Sep 7 - Tasting 101: You Mean We Don’t Chug It?
We’ll show you how to properly taste wines and discuss different elements of taste: sweet, bitter, sour (acidic) etc. to give a broad overview of what’s available in the wine world.
Sep 21 - Sitting on a Throne of Wines: If Game of Thrones had Wine Regions
If the GOT kingdoms were wine regions, what would they be? We’ll relate the character of the GOT kingdoms to wine regions and taste wines from the respective regions. Learn how the climate of the region influences the wine style.
Oct 5 - Myth Busters: If You Don’t Know, Now You Know
We’ll introduce you to wines that break from the norms of what most people expect. A Riesling that is dry. A chardonnay that is not oak-y. A red that is sweet. A rose that actually tastes like real wine, etc.
Oct 19 - Say What Now? Commonly Mispronounced Wines and How to Order at Dinner:
We’ll taste four wines whose names are commonly mispronounced and provide background about the wines. Last thing you want to do is be at a nice dinner with a business associate and order a fine glass of the MUR-LOT (Merlot). Learn how to pick out a bottle of wine for dinner at a restaurant AND say the name right.
Nov 2 - A Little of This, A Little of That: Demystifying Blends
Blends are often looked down upon as being inferior. We’ll blow your mind with four highly acclaimed blends.
Nov 16 - Getting Bubbly: A Discussion on Champagne
This class will eliminate any and all confusion you have ever had about sparkling wines and will send you into holiday season as a champagne expert for all of those holiday parties.
Dec 7 - FINAL EXAM
Tuition can be paid at www.centraleitalian.com/products/centrale-sommes