Slutty Wines with Joe

Sommelier Joe Smith is back for another educational class, this time taking a closer look at one of the most important influences in winemaking: oak. We’ll explore how different types of oak, barrel size, age, toast level, and time in barrel can shape a wine’s aroma, flavor, texture, and structure.

Throughout the class, Joe will use a selection of wines alongside our aroma kit to help guests identify classic oak-derived characteristics like vanilla, baking spice, toast, cedar, coconut, and smoke. We’ll also look at how winemakers use oak differently around the world and learn to recognize when oak is making its presence known in the glass. This class goes beyond simply asking whether a wine is “oaky” and explores exactly what that wood is doing to your wine.