Join Flûte's experts every month to learn about champagne and sparkling wine by tasting a selection of wines side-by-side. All (but one) of the tastings are conducted classroom style, with detailed information presented on each wine, food pairings and time for questions. We keep the class sizes small to give participants the best possible experience, so reserve early. Also be sure to look at the whole year's calendar of classes as we change the theme, and the champagnes to be tasted, every month. No previous wine tasting experience necessary!

NEW CLASSES FOR 2012! NEW PRICING!

***Tickets may not be refunded for cancellations less than 48 hours prior to the event.***

Rosé Champagnes and Smoked Salmon
MAY 12, 6-7PM, $65 per person
Rosés are an increasingly popular style of champagne, and an important niche to explore if you are a fan of bubbly. Not to be confused with the sticky-sweet still rosés of the 1970's or even the light summer wines of the south of France, rosé champagne is sophisticated and carefully crafted. At its best it combines the yeasty complexity of French champagne with a supple fruitiness coming from an emphasis on red wine grapes in the blend. Each champagne house has its own approach to this delightful wine style, and we will be tasting three side-by-side in this very popular Champagne School class. To add to the fun, we will also be tasting three types of smoked salmon from Petrossian Paris. The smoky richness of the salmon provides a delicious counterpoint to the champagne. This would be a great Mother's Day gift!

Vintage Champagnes and Sushi
JUN 16, 6-7PM, $65 per person
A vintage wine is one made of grapes from a single year's harvest so each bottle of vintage champagne is a time machine taking you back to the year its grapes were grown. Taste three examples and learn more about what sets a vintage champagne apart from a non-vintage champagne. This tasting that will cover both the difference in how a vintage champagne is made and in how it tastes. The refined character of many vintage champagnes make them an ideal match for the delicate flavors of sushi, our food pairing choice for this class. Skip the tie, and bring Dad to this tasting to celebrate Father's Day!

Prosecco
JUL 21, 6-7PM, $25 per person
Long, hot summer days put us in the mood for something light and fun to drink and Prosecco fits the bill perfectly. This Italian bubbly differs from champagne in some important ways and this tasting will tell you just what sets it apart. It's also one of our go-to wines for toasting casual celebrations, mixing sparkling cocktails or feting a crowd. But how to choose the right Prosecco? We can help you with that too!

Blanc de Blancs Champagnes and Parmesan
SEP 15, 6-7PM, $55 per person
"Blanc de blancs" means "white from whites" and is the name for champagnes made only of Chardonnay, one of the three grapes allowed in champagne production. Chardonnay plays a starring role in some of the most sophisticated and luxurious champagnes produced, so it is an important grape to know as you expand your knowledge of champagne. This tasting is a must for fans of Chardonnay wines who want to learn more about what this versatile grape can do. It's also ideal for those of you who think "dry, buttery, mineral-tinged with notes of brioche" is the description of a champagne you could love. For this tasting, we have paired each wine with a Parmesan cheese, which we find to be an ideal match for Blanc de Blancs champagnes.

Ultra Brut (Super Dry Champagnes) Champagnes
OCT 20, 6-7PM, $45 per person
Celebrate the crisp, cool days of autumn with crisp, cool Extra Brut champagnes. With little or no sugar added during the wine making process, these champagnes allow the character of the grapes to show through. This wine style was unheard of in the early days of champagne making when sugar was considered necessary to balance the wine. Now, modern grape growing and wine making techniques give champagne makers the ability to strip their product down to its pure, bare essence.

Gourmet Champagnes
NOV 17, 6-7PM, $55 per person
There is an unofficial class of champagnes that are a little bit more refined than your typical Non-Vintage, maybe because of a stricter selection of grapes or a bit more aging. We call these "gourmet champagnes" because their added complexity makes them ideal wines for dining. That's right - champagnes that can be enjoyed throughout a meal!

Prestige Cuveé Champagnes and Petrossian Caviars
DEC 15, 6-7PM, $79 per person
A 'Prestige Cuvée' is a champagne at the very top of a producer's range. It is the highest quality, the most refined - and the most expensive - champagne that the house offers. What makes these champagnes so special? Since there are no official guidelines for designating a Prestige Cuvée as there are for other categories of French champagne, this question can only be answered by understanding a champagne house's wine making philosophy and tasting the end result of the wine maker's best effort. This tasting will feature Louis Roederer Cristal and Krug Grande Cuvée. The decadence does not end there, as we will pair these defining Prestige Cuvée champagnes with caviars from Petrossian Paris.