Classes
Wine should be fun! Learn how to swirl, sniff, sip, slurp wine and gain confidence
about wine.
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schedule...
Meet Pooch...
G.M. “Pooch” Pucilowski, CWE, is a dynamic and exciting speaker, whose enthusiasm for wine is balanced by his 30+ years of teaching and educating both consumers and members of the trade. A certified wine educator, prolific writer and highly sought-after speaker, Pucilowski brings his infectious enthusiasm and dedication to educating others about the myths and misconceptions people have about wine and the industry. What began as an intense curiosity about wine and the industry
decades earlier has turned into a lifelong passion for Pucilowski.
Today, he is a nationally known wine educator and consultant, who continues to educate wine lovers every-where through public seminars and private lectures, bus tours, corporate presentations, and his popular
Wine Appreciation 101 classes held at the Oak Ridge Winery Event Center, in Lodi, California.
With his ability to talk to wine enthusiasts on any level, Pucilowski breaks down the “complications” of wine into easy to
understand segments. From how to taste wine to food pairings, any “student” will get the facts he or she needs to know to make an informed decision about what wine to buy.
Serving for the past 26 years as the Chief Judge and Consultant to the California State Fair Commercial Wine Competition, one of the largest and most respected tastings of California wines in the country, has given
Pucilowski the credibility and knowledge necessary to create the a wine competition where consumers are the judges. People who actually drink the wine, judge the quality of the wine. It is called the Consumer Wine Awards in Lodi which has wine entries from wineries all over the United States an the world.
Pooch also serves as a wine judge at some of the most prestigious wine competitions in the country, including the San Francisco Chronicle, Dallas Morning News, Houston Livestock, Rodeo & Wine Competition Fingerlakes Int'l, and Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
My philosophy?
Wine should be fun!
Plan a day tasting at some of California's
finest wineries.
Add a dinner
or meal for an
added delight.
Have a private
session or an exclusive wine seminar for a group. Each session is customized.
A prolific and engaging writer, Pucilowski has served as wine consultant/writer for Sacramento Magazine for nearly 10 years, and has written numerous articles for various wine publications throughout Northern California. Pooch’s continued fascination and interest in wine has prompted Pucilowski to begin writing a book about his own experiences within the industry. With decades of experience to draw from, the book promises interesting anecdotes and illustrations about wine and the industry.
His unique blend of humor and expertise landed Pucilowski his own “Pooch on Wine” segment, aired weekly on Sacramento’s KOVR Channel 13. Today, he continues to make regular guest appearances on television and radio shows throughout the country.
Pucilowski is Past-President of the Society of Wine Educators, an international organization of 1,500 wine educators from all over the world. He earned his credentials as a Certified Wine Educator (CWE) through the Society, which acknowledges an exceptional standard of both academic knowledge and sensory capability in the field of wine. He was a Charter Member of this Association and served on the Board of Directors for over 12 years.
As President/Owner of the University of Wine, (previously known as Wine Educators, Ltd.) he has had the opportunity to travel around the country, Canada and the Virgin Islands giving lectures and seminars to wholesalers /distributors, restaurateurs, retailers and winery personnel. Through his consulting work, he has designed, created, produced and sold educational programs to train these same groups.
His passion for the grape and his love of teaching keeps Pucilowski in demand as a speaker, writer and, most importantly, an educator. With more than three decades of training, experience and knowledge, he has become one of the most well-respected wine educators around the country.
Emerson once said, “To be great is to be misunderstood.” If I didn’t know any better, I would think he was referring to wine. During my thirty-plus years as a Certified Wine Educator, I have found that, to this day, people still view wine as too complicated to understand. If there’s anything at all complicated about wine I can assure you it is only in the process of making it. For the rest of us, discovering our own tastes should be about as complicated as it gets.
But as wine’s popularity continues to grow, understanding wine—from how to taste wine to how to pick a good $10 bottle—still remains a mystery. Walk down the aisle of any wine shop and you’ll find many varietals from various parts of the world. White or red? Chardonnay or Zinfandel? Rosé or sparkling? With so many wines to choose from, it is no
wonder that many of us are confused, possibly intimidated or just plain clueless about how to taste and purchase wine.
To help you on your educational journey to understanding the wide world of wine, I encourage you to indulge your passion for wine through wine events, seminars, educational classes and
presentations—all of which I offer. Most of my classes and seminars are open to the public. At other times I am invited to be the keynote speaker at a corporate event, or to preside over some of the most prestigious wine judging competitions in Northern California.
From Wine Tasting Basics to three-day workshops, each can be customized to create a fun and memorable wine tasting experience for the public-at-large, at corporate functions or private gatherings. Whatever your preference, I promise to engage your senses and expand your knowledge about how to
taste and enjoy wine—just like a pro!
In Vino Veritas!
– G.M. “Pooch” Pucilowski
Pooch is the Chief Judge and Consultant for the California
State Fair Commerical Wine
Competition, Consumer Wine Awards at Lodi, Californina State Fair Home Winemaker
Competition and the very
successful Grape & Gourmet
where wines that won an award
at the State Fair commercial competition are poured along with tastes from local restaurants.
