Style File: Wine

WSVN -- Paul Giamatti in Sideways (Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures): "I will tell you something, I've never come to expect greatness from a Cab Franc and this one is no different."

Whether you're a wine aficionado like Paul Giamatti's character in the movie Sideways, or you just enjoy an occasional glass with dinner, there's no better time to pop the cork here in South Florida.

Patrick Alexander, University of Miami: "Trouble is people haven't been educated in wine. They don't know how to express it when they talk about it."

But now local wine lovers are getting a chance to put their taste buds to the test.

The University of Miami is starting a wine appreciation course, teaching the finer points of swirling, swishing and spitting!

Jeffrey Wolfe, UM wine professor: "I want you to smell the wine and taste the wine."

The eight-week course, taught by wine expert Jeffrey Wolfe, focuses on everything from the history of wine to the difference between a beaujolais and a burgundy.

Jeffrey Wolfe: "They can use the language, they can use the lingo, talk the talk, walk the walk, pick a wine off the list and be comfortable in their decision-making."

Using an aroma wheel and smelling extracts, Wolfe helps students identify certain wines through their different scents.

Jeffrey Wolfe: "We get cedar, we get a rich buttery aroma, we get chocolate, cherries."

But don't think this class is all fun and games -- homework is included.

Jeffrey Wolfe: "What's cool about the homework is that we want you to go out and buy a bottle somewhere and write down your experience with the wine."

Now, if you would rather drink the wine instead of studying it, then head on over to Vine Wine Shop and Tasting Loft in Miami.

Specializing in small-production wines you won't find in the grocery store, Vine offers wine lovers a quaint environment where they can shop, sip and socialize.

Cary Quintana, owner of Vine: "So this is from South Africa. It's actually a very up-and-coming wine maker."

Owner Cary Quintana says her passion for wine was the catalyst for Vine.

Cary Quintana: "It just took one bottle of wine to set me off on a whirlwind of collecting wine."

Plus, with bottles ranging from $10 to $500 and weekly cheese tastings, Vine attracts everyone from the novice to the enthusiast.

"If we are having a dinner party or friends are stopping by, we can just pop over here and get something they can recommend."

"Very good quality, something that, when you bring it home, you're going to enjoy drinking, and, if you have friends over, you can serve it with a lot of confidence that it's going to be good wine."

Don't forget next week, Style File moves to a new time.

You can watch it first at 4 p.m., every Thursday afternoon.

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