Wine Buzz Podcast: Sarah Heller – The Artistry Within Wine

In the second season of the “Wine Buzz Podcast,” hosted by Dr. Clinton Lee, the opening episode features an enthralling conversation with Sarah Heller, a Master of Wine whose expertise and experiences transcend the conventional boundaries of the wine industry. Sarah, born and raised in Hong Kong and now residing in the Pacific Northwest, brings […]

Study Techniques

Read through APWASI’s Suggested Study Techniques to ensure that your educational journey will be a successful one. 1. Understand online learning practices and expectations. The first thing you need to realize is that online courses are not an easier way to learn, but rather a more convenient one. To successfully learn online, you need to […]

How much wine should one pour?

As a wine lover and host, serving the right amount of wine to guests is an important aspect of creating a memorable experience. When it comes to serving a group of six, finding the right balance can be challenging. Pour too much, and your guests may feel uncomfortable or overindulge. Pour too little, and your […]

How Online Wine Courses Can Transform A Student’s Career in Wine – Keith Herndon

Completing an APWASI course, let alone multiple courses, is a significant achievement for any student aspiring to excel in the field of wine. It requires an extensive understanding of wine’s theoretical and practical knowledge, food pairings, culture and history. In this blog, we will delve deeper into the experience of a student, Keith Herndon, who […]

How To Cut Open A Cigar

How To Cut Open A Cigar How to Cut Open A Cigar How you cut open a cigar can affect the overall smoking experience. First of all, there are different cuts that you can make to the cigar: The Straight cut also known as the guillotine cut - a straight line cut across the head [...]

Dry vs Sweet Wines

Youtube: Dr. Lee Explains How to Tell The Difference Between Dry and Sweet Wines What is the difference between dry and sweet wines? Generally speaking, we determine the sweetness of a wine  by the amount of residual sugar that are left from the grapes during the fermentation process. A sweet wine means that there is [...]

How To Taste Wine – 3 Point Test

Learn how to taste wines with Dr. Lee in the 3 simple steps so that you will feel comfortable in any scenario. The wine tasting tips are practiced by sommeliers around the world, but it's quite simple and you can use it to improve your palate. No one is born with the skills to taste [...]

Top Wine Etiquette Tips

APWASI Youtube Channel Proper wine etiquette doesn't have to be complicated. In fact, we try our best to make our content education and entertaining. We share our most best wine etiquette tips from Dr. Lee that you can use for different occasions, from how to cheers to how to taste wine at a restaurant. Tip [...]

Grapes and Science, a Combination Not to be Underestimated

This is a guest post and excerpt from Il Marco Polo – Augusto Oriani, where Dr. Clinton Lee was interviewed. Grapes, a superlative fruit, excellent to eat also produces nectar of the Gods to drink, wine. Grapes are natural and play their part in the environment. We know that the transformation of grapes into wine […]

Lebanese Wines and Cuisines

This post was originally posted on ilmarcopolo, written by Augusto Oriani  and Clinton Lee. Lebanon has and sadly continues to be a country tormented by continual upheaval and suffering over thousands of years. Yet despite these complexities, Lebanon majestically brings out the best of the region, illuminates the richness of a history derived from the […]

Sommelier VS Wine Taster

The following blog was featured on il Marco Polo on February 14, 2021. In this engaging article, we will highlight a very beautiful, but often little-known topic, the differences between a Sommelier and a Wine Taster. They maybe subtle but there are differences. As always, I will be engaging with Dr. Clinton Lee, a very […]

The Importance of Decanting Wine and the Storage of Wine

What is decanting wine and how do you properly store the wine? Defining Decanting According to the Cambridge English dictionary decanting means “pouring a liquid from one container to another.” In the case of liquid, it is the wine, the first container is the wine bottle and the pouring into another container refers to the […]

Chinese New Year Food and Wine Pairing (Year of the Ox)

February 12th, 2021 marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year heralding in the Year of the Ox. Food served during the Lunar New Year period is very symbolic and the names of the dishes selected must sound similar to very positive words and meanings. This event is celebrated all over Asia, it is also known […]

Gik. Blue Wine Phenomena

Guest post: by Augusto Oriani Today we delve into the world of blue wine. Many people are stunned by the prospect of seeing a blue wine. They would think about, what devilry or artifacts have been added to obtain this colour, perhaps a white wine with the addition of Curacao, a coloured liqueur blue or […]

Wine Industry Career Path Part 3

We have been discussing about wine industry jobs on a micro level in Parts 1 and 2. Today we discuss wine jobs in retail, restaurants and hospitality and education. Retailer The list of wine retailers is endless, but of interest is these larger establishments have a buyer’s role, specific to each category, they also have […]

Wine Industry Career Paths (Part 2)

As the second part of our wine career series, we put together a list of jobs for a variety of career options in the wine industry. We offer insight into salary expectations and winery job descriptions based on references in Canada. EXPORT Manager for a Winery As an export winery sales manager, you will be […]

Wine Job Opportunities (Part 1)

Wine Job Opportunities (Part 1) Are you looking to start a career in wine? Working in a vineyard is not easy work. It is tiring, exhausting and oftentimes frustrating, yet you will also feel exhilarated and rewarded at the end of the day. Here are the most common wine jobs that are available in vineyards: [...]

Food, Wine, and Love Combined in an Italian Dinner

Food, Wine, and Love Combined in an Italian Dinner We all love food and wine. We all look forward to having a delicious meal shared with our family and loved ones. Especially, during the holiday season and celebratory events like Thanksgiving where we might pair a three-year-old Pinot Noir from Burgundy with the Turkey, or [...]

Interview with Recent Student of APWASI Wine Tasting Course Neely Dhanoa

Interview with Recent Student of APWASI Wine Tasting Course: Neely Dhanoa As the pandemic spread around the world, the year 2020 has been difficult and life-changing for many. With lockdowns and social distancing, many schools and institutions have had to pivot to online learning for their students. As a result, online courses have become very [...]

A Wine for Every Season – The Ultimate Pairing Guide

A Wine for Every Season – The Ultimate Pairing Guide Just like the weather changes, some choose to drink wines based on the season. Maybe it is because of the different foods you eat; pairing it with the right wines go a long way. We explore the top wines and food pairings for every season. [...]

Which is the Most Relevant Wine and Spirit Course Available for you on the Market?

I recall with great fondness when I first began the best adventure of my life – the studying of wine. Naturally, as any self-proclaimed respected scholar would confess, researching which wine course to study and select is of prime importance. The choices were few then and the instruction delivery limited, unlike, today where students face […]

The World of Cigars

Something very different this week on our ongoing "Wines Across Borders" video series with Dr. Clinton Lee! This week's video is all about cigars... what makes cigars different, and where they are primarily produced. Check out the video here. If this is of interest then you are invited and encouraged to learn more from our [...]

The Water of Life – Whisky

Something new in this week's video for our "Wines Across Borders" series! APWASI Executive Director Dr. Clinton Lee talks about Whisky – The Water of Life. You'll learn more from this informative 3-minute video than you would have thought possible... including whether it's a good idea to evaluate the color and aroma of your whisky [...]

What Makes a Good Wine for You?

Continuing with this week's "Wines Across Borders" video series, Dr. Clinton Lee discusses this important question! It's interesting to think about how to approach this topic depending on whether you're a professional with extensive knowledge of the world of wine, or simply a wine enthusiast and perhaps don't even consider yourself to have an "educated [...]

Wine Bottle Shapes

Have you ever wondered if there's a reason behind the shapes of different wine bottles? APWASI Executive Director Dr. Clinton Lee answers this question in this week's "Wines Across Borders" video entitled "Wine Styles and Wine Bottle Essentials". Learning about wine styles and bottles is truly essential knowledge if you enjoy drinking wine! Check every [...]

Top Wine Question

If there was one question you could ask about wine, what would it be? How about: what makes a great wine? Dr. Clinton Lee shares his extensive knowledge and expertise in the newest YouTube video of our "Wines Across Borders" series! By the end of this short but informative video you will know all about [...]

The Best FREE and PAID Online Wine Courses (and more) in 2020

Covid-19 has obliterated the word “normality” in countless lives and activities across all colors, races, creeds and continents. The devastating impact has ramifications far beyond a generation, yet to be measured effectively, but it is undeniably agreed, it is unfathomably deep and the effects could well match or surpass the negative impacts of the “Black” […]

Dr. Clinton Lee: Viticulture and Wine, an Art!

Read Italian’s News interview with Dr. Lee at https://italiansnews.com/dr-clinton-lee-viticulture-and-wine-an-art/ “Viticulture represents the set of vine cultivation techniques and includes all of the time span between the implant (planting of grafted vines) until the time of the explant, a decidedly long period of time (a vineyard can live up to 20-30 years or more). In Western […]

Long Awaited Youtube “Apwasi Channel” Has Arrived!

10 and counting. That is the number we have initially set up on Youtube under the title" APWASI CHANNEL". Like wine, videos take time and the initial set,  long awaited and highly demanded by colleagues, students and fellow professionals has finally arrived. We have new videos scheduled to be added to our channel every week. [...]

Prestigious Wine Organization Drops Use of the Term “Master”

Prestigious Wine Organization Drops use of the term “Master”. The New York times June 22, 2020 reported the Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas, will drop the name “Master”. It was stated that Ashtin Berry who is a hospitality industry advocate said,” The industry is classist and centered on white people and their palates. That information [...]

Prowine China 2020

Prowine China, considered to be the benchmark for wine trading in China is scheduled to take place in November 2020. Before this major wine event, the tour organizers have embarked on a gigantic promotion covering 40 cities in China to encourage, empower and enthuse the wine industry in China during these challenging times.

Methuselah Bottle Sold for $272,100 USD

Two weeks ago in Hong Kong a bottle of DRC Romanee-Conti 1999 vintage was sold for over $272,100 USD. It was a 6 litre Methuselah bottle. The auction was held at the Sotheby’s office in Hong Kong and the auction was comprised of two single-owner collections. The final sales brought in $23 million USD and [...]