hairline.org.uk 19th Aug 2008

Reviewer: Bernie Greenwood

When you've finished watching stand-ups do skits about scrotums and coining street performers for mutilating themselves, you might like to try something a little classier. Wine tasting is a distant affair to many of us but, luckily, the only thing you really need to do is pay attention to what you're putting in your mouth and the rest follows naturally. To cultivate our tastes, the Case Studies Wine School has chosen six complementary bottles: similar enough for you to notice subtle distinctions yet different enough to broaden your experience. You are not expected to know how to talk in the flowery jargon but you are expected to have a slight clue of what you like as each event has a different selection. The hostess is enthusiastic and knowledgeable and quite prepared to enter a discussion or answer questions — this is not a lecture — it's a cosy and personal experience. The canal barge is a charming setting, the wines themselves are delicious, and it's not even that expensive. A word of warning, a day or two later you might sip a glass of ordinary plonk and spit it out. 4/5.

Qype 29th Apr 2008

Reviewer: Jadesy

During the festival every year, a wine school is run from a small canal barge boat on the union canal based at Fountainbridge.  Behind the bar Cargo, the small canal harbour plays host to the most fantastic experience in the festival.  The school has run for the last 2 years and I have attended both years.  Listed in the festival timetable, you can book online or just turn up on the day (assuming it's not sold out),  Every day a different tasting and learning experience is to be had on board a canal boat, dependent on your choice there is white wine tasting, red wine tasting, sparkling wines, rum and chocolate and whisky tasting.  Of course you don't have to spit it out.  It's only when you leave the boat that you realise it wasn't just the movement of the water that was making you sway!

Hick, hick... 22nd Aug 2007

Reviewer: Steve Cinderby, United Kingdom

Went to the rum and chocolate session. A great night out - I have never really been into rum but there is such variety that if you like spirits at all you will find something for you palate here. The chocolate tasting was equally good with some exceptional chunks - including some bizarre but very successful combinations (chilli anyone?). Mixed with the rum they worked very well. The venue is also excellent - great fun tasting on a narrow boat. If you want to learn more about wine or spirits at the Fringe this is the event for you.

Wine too good to spit 17th Aug 2007

Reviewer: Tully, UK

What I liked about Wine School is that fact that you are able to taste wines that you've never heard of before, let alone how to pronounce them. Claire not only talks in easy to understand terms, but you can see how passionate she is about her subject and knowledgeable. The titles of her tastings are fun too. Pfalz Impressions is all about German wines. I didn't even know that German's did sparkling wines let alone how good they are. Some of the other people there didn't know that they were going to be tasting and I think they were a little shocked to find that it was wine from Germany, rather than the more known countries. They like me were more than a little surprised at the quality of the wine. Some hated the sweeter one, but as Claire said, if you have it with food it becomes totally different. Wines from Germany have had a bad press and some of the producers offerings are truly ghastly: Blue Nun (spit), Black Tower (spit) and Liebefraumilch (spit). Give me Sekt (swallow), a minerally Riesling (swallow) or a burnt sugar tasting Riesling Spatlese (swallow). My mind and palate has been educated. Roll on the Rum and Chocolate – yummy – keep the spittoon Claire, I for one won't be spitting anything out!

Fun and professional tasting class! 13th Aug 2007

Reviewer: Caroline, Edinburgh

Very good! My friends and I went along for a wine tasting event as it is called Wine School but were treated instead to a rum and chocolate tasting session! We were slightly sceptical at first as this probably wouldn't have been our first choice, but, it was really interesting and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The girl from the School is knowledgable as is the rep from the chocolatier. Check the Wine School link so that you select the event of your choice - there is a whole variety available to suit all! The canal boat in the basin of the Union Canal, just behind Cargo, was a well-chosen, fun venue for the tastings too. Go give it a swirl!

edfringe.com 18th Jul 2007

Reviewer: Jeremy Miles

Wine School at the Fringe is one of the best ways to spend 75 minutes of your time!