Published: May 06, 2008 08:59 pm            

ISU plans wine tasting class for second year

Students to study characteristics of each in relationship to different foods

An Introduction to Italian Wines class will run 5 to 8 p.m. July 7-11 and 1 to 5 p.m. July 12 at Indiana State University.

Diletta Frescobaldi, a visiting professor from Apicius International School of Hospitality and a 32nd generation member and marchesa in a family that has produced fine Tuscan wines for more than 700 years, will lead the class. The class also may be taken for graduate and undergraduate credit with those students paying regular ISU tuition and fees.

“It’s an opportunity for our students and community to participate and learn about Italian and Tuscan culture and wine,” said Frederica Kramer, chairwoman of family and consumer sciences, about the class, which is being held for the second year. “You can’t separate the two.”

Students will learn from Frescobaldi about significant wines of Italy and how to pair them with food. Participants also will learn about the history, traditions, geography and climate of each wine-producing region. Presentations will bring each region to life for the students, with special emphasis on Tuscany.

“My family has a wine culture,” Frescobaldi said. “I have grown up with a passion for wine and feel a responsibility to transmit the tradition regarding wine making.”

The class will include the tasting and evaluating of different wines, allowing students to study the characteristics of each in relationship to particular foods they should accompany. Students in the class must be at least age 21.

An accredited international sommelier, Frescobaldi earned a doctorate in marketing from the University of Florence. Her doctoral dissertation, “The International Strategy of Italian Wine Companies,” focused on the German market. In addition to her native Italian, Frescobaldi speaks English, German and French.

Kramer said the class was inspired by the annual study abroad program that takes students to Apicius, in Florence, each spring to learn about Tuscan culture and cuisine.

“Diletta knows as much about Italian wines as anyone else in the world,” Kramer said. “It brings a different vantage point to the class.”

To register, contact the ISU Office of Continuing Education at (812) 237-4011 or 1-800-234-1639.

        

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