The French salon of the 17th & 18th centuries, we are told by
Wikipedia,
was a gathering of stimulating people under the roof of an inspiring hostess.
Their aim was to amuse one another and to refine their taste and increase
their knowledge through conversation and readings, often consciously following
the poet Horace's definition of the aims of poetry - 'to please and educate'.
What better way to describe the aims of a Whisky Wine & Words tasting event!
A present day setting in which fine Italian wines and Scotch whiskies of character can be enjoyed and more fully understood, where conversation will stem not only from an appreciation of the liquid in your glass, but from a line of verse, a snatch of traditional song, a folktale or legend, the evocation of a moment in history.
Our events are designed to suit any audience and can be conducted in English or Italian - or both!
What better way to describe the aims of a Whisky Wine & Words tasting event!
A present day setting in which fine Italian wines and Scotch whiskies of character can be enjoyed and more fully understood, where conversation will stem not only from an appreciation of the liquid in your glass, but from a line of verse, a snatch of traditional song, a folktale or legend, the evocation of a moment in history.
Our events are designed to suit any audience and can be conducted in English or Italian - or both!
Date: |
19 & 26 January / 2 & 9 February 2009 |
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| Title: | An Introduction to the single malt whiskies of Scotland | |
| Location: | Riva Destra Restaurant Via della Penitenza 7 Rome (Trastevere) 20:30 - 22:30 www.rivadestra.com |
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| Description: | Four 2 hour lessons to introduce the beginner to the intriguing world of Scottish single malt whiskies. Each lesson will consist of a theoretical part and a practical tasting.... PROGRAMME First lesson Theory The first lesson will present an overview of everything we will cover in the course, namely: What do we mean by the words 'single malt'? How is a single malt different from other Scotch whiskies and from the whiskies of the rest of the world? Whereabouts in Scotland is it produced? How is it produced? What does it taste like and why? Practice How do we taste whisky? In the same way that we taste wine? We will taste two very different types of whisky and place them at the opposite ends of a 'flavour axis' on which we will classify all the whiskies we meet throughout the programme. Second lesson Theory Scotch whisky history, types and flavours, the law and the label, the whisky regions of Scotland and the principal stages in the production process - malting, mashing, fermentation, distillation, maturation (more on maturation in lesson 3) and bottling. Practice We will taste four whiskies whose flavour profiles are 'typical' of the regions they come from. Third lesson Theory Wood aging - the most intriguing, mysterious and influential chapter in the life cycle of a single malt. Practice We will taste four whiskies which have matured in different kinds of wood and for different periods of time. Whisky traditionally spends from 10 to 30 years or even more in the barrel. Fourth lesson Theory Whisky and food - a realistic combination? An introduction to Scottish cuisine. Matching whisky with Italian regional cooking and with that of other countries. Practice We will try to match all the whiskies we have tasted (and some new ones) with a series of dishes specially prepared for us by the chef. The cost of the course, including a text book and a ‘mini dinner’ at the end of the fourth lesson is €190. A deposit of €50 should be paid at Riva Destra, Via della Penitenza 7, on or before Saturday 10 January. The course will start when a minimum of 10 participants have confirmed their booking. N.B. During the lessons we will TASTE whisky, not DRINK it! (not in large quantities anyway!) That said, whisky is a strong alcoholic beverage and the lessons will be held on Mondays when the restaurant's kitchen is closed. We recommend therefore that you don't arrive 'on an empty stomach'. |
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