• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About
    • About RAA
    • Meet Sherry Truhlar
    • What makes us unique
    • Reviews/Clients
    • Press
    • Licensing
  • Contact
  • Client Login

Fundraising gala auctioneer Sherry Truhlar

  • Services
    • Onsite Auction Services
    • Fund a Need Experts
    • Consulting
    • Onsite workshops
  • Products
    • $10 Trainings
    • On Demand Webinars
    • Books
  • Speaking
    • Why Sherry
    • Keynote and Other Topics
    • FAQs
  • Blog
  • Free Resources
    • Newsletter
    • Auction Item Guide™
    • Recording: Porch Parties
    • Benefit Auction Case Study
    • Blog
  • Store
You are here: Home / Blog Post / Where does a wine auctioneer learn about champagne?
Jun 04

Where does a wine auctioneer learn about champagne?

Sherry Truhlar Leave a Comment

Wine auctioneer Sherry Truhlar with champagne guru Peter Liem

Peter Liem and Sherry Truhlar

Welcome to wine week! Every post this week ties to alcohol. Here’s the post explaining it.

Where does a fundraising wine auctioneer go to learn about champagne?

Drinking it often is a good start.

But to more fully appreciate the bubbly, this past Monday (June 1, 2015) I headed to class.

This just wasn’t any class. I went to the Champagne Master Workshop & Tutored Tasting organized by the French Wine Society.

Peter Liem, one of the world’s experts on champagne, led the course.  My brother is a huge fan of his and I can see why so many are eagerly awaiting Peter’s book.

I’ve copy and pasted the course syllabus from the website below. For those of you with an interest, you’ll appreciate the ~20 examples of some pretty impressive bottles we worked through.

The room was packed with 36 students from near and far. The man to my left worked for Krug and flew in from Miami; the woman to my right was a passionate wine student.

========

Peter Liem instructs champagne class in Washington, D.C.

Peter Liem instructs champagne class in Washington, D.C.

Champagne Master Workshop & Tutored Tasting – Washington DC

Date: Monday, June 1st 2015

Time: 5 hours total: 10am-1pm; 2pm-4pm (lunch not included)

Location: The Capital Wine School, 5207 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite # 7, Washington, DC, 20015

Instructor: Peter Liem

Tuition: $250

Pierre Gerbais and Drappier

Comparing color.

This 5-hour workshop, led by Champagne expert Peter Liem is designed for students enrolled in the French Wine Society’s Champagne Master-Level Program, but is perfect for anyone who wants to explore Champagne at the deepest level.

Time to put theory to the taste test with an exemplary line-up of special wines! By working through nineteen still and sparkling examples, students will review the climate, soils, sub-regions and winemaking process of Champagne in an interactive format. Come prepared to sip, savor and discuss the factors that make champagne the most unique and distinctive sparkling wine on planet earth.

The Champagne Master Workshop & Tutored Tasting will be structured around a series of champagne flights.

Some of my notes...

Some of my notes…

Flight One: Still Champagne (Red, White and Rosé)

Learn the AOCs…and review the climate that engenders this style of high acid wine.

  • Pierre Paillard, Coteaux-champenois – Red
  • Henri Giraud, Coteaux-champenois – White

Flight Two: The Grapes and their Terroirs

Taste Pinot Noir from Reims marl/chalk and Kimmeridgean marl; Pinot Meunier on clay and sandstone; Chardonnay on chalk and Pinot Blanc on Kimmeridgean marl. You’ll taste wines from old vine fruit and pre-phylloxera vines while discussing the sub-regions, terroirs and meso-climates of this diverse wine region.

  • Tarlant, La Vigne d’Or Brut Nature (100% Meunier)
  • Drappier Blanc de Noirs Brut Nature (100% Pinot Noir)
  • Jerome Dehours, Blanc de Meunier (100% Meunier)
  • Pierre Peters,  Cuvée de Reserve Blanc de Blancs (100% Chardonnay)
  • Pierre Gerbais, L’originale Blanc de Blancs (100% Pinot Blanc)
  • Pierre Paillard, Bouzy Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs “Les Maillerettes” 2009 (100% Pinot Noir)
A look at most of the bottles we worked through in class.

A look at most of the bottles we worked through in class.

Flight Three: Winemaking

Review the champagne process while comparing and contrasting champagnes that do/do not undergo malo-lactic, that are/are not aged in wood…plus rosé made by adding Pinot Noir still wine vs. rosé de saignée.

  • J-L Vergnon, Eloquence Extra Brut
  • Jacquesson, Cuvée No. 737
  • Billecart-Salmon,  Sous Bois
  • Ayala, Brut Nature
  • Laurent-Perrier,  Rosé
  • Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru Brut Rosé
  • Champagne Fleury Fleur de l’Europe NV

Flight Four: Vintages

Hone your tasting technique and vocabulary by examining the structures and aromatic profiles of vintage champagne made during a classic year, a warm year and a cool year. What defines an age-worthy wine? How do vintage champagnes differ from NV bottlings?

  • Louis Roederer, Vintage 2007
  • Pol Roger, Vintage 2004
  • Ruinart, Dom Ruinart
  • Philippe Gonet Blanc de Blancs 2007
  • Taittinger, Brut Millésimé, 2006
  • Alfred Gratien Classic Millésime 2000

Flight Five: Q& A and Champagne at Table

Explore the sensory impact of a demi-sec champagne and pound cake vs the same dessert and the same wine decanted! Sample champagne’s huge side industry: marc de champagne truffles. Review key points of study with an interactively sweet finish to the day.

  • Veuve-Clicquot, Demi-Sec”

========

One of my strengths as a benefit auctioneer has always been that I know what I’m selling.  If the bidding stalls … even if the item is as simplistic as dinner with the Headmaster … I want to have a back-up anecdote or two to re-ignite bidding. It might be a quick comment about how the Headmaster is an entertaining story-teller, or that his wife makes a killer martini.

The point is, I want to know my merchandise.

The same principle is true for me when selling wine (or specifically, champagne in this case) at auction.

Though I had tried a number of these bottles prior to class and had some basic background (e.g. how many times on stage have I mentioned that Pol Roger was Winston Churchill’s favorite champagne?), I wanted to have more ammunition to be able to secure that extra bid or two when working at a wine auction.

I invest in me, so my clients will invest in me.

It’s hard work! You ever tried keeping 20 champagnes straight?

🙂

P.S. Want to see me work a benefit auction room? Check out the video on this page.

Share on Facebook Share
Share on TwitterTweet
Share on Pinterest Share
Share on LinkedIn Share
Send email Mail
Copyright © 2015 Red Apple Auctions Co. All Rights Reserved

About Sherry Truhlar

Fundraising auctioneer and educator, helping schools and nonprofits plan more profitable benefit auctions. A prolific writer for her own blog and other fundraising sites, she’s been covered in The Beacon-News, Town & Country Magazine, The Washington Post Magazine, Northern Virginia Magazine, Wiley's Special Events Galore!, AUCTIONEER, and other publications.

Reader Interactions

[VIDEO] Comparing wine auction catalogs
Three ways a Los Angeles auction incorporated high-end wines

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Connect with Me Here

What auction planners say

Sherry, oh, Sherry! You were an invaluable asset to this year’s gala. With your assistance we were able to add so many new elements that truly made a difference in taking our event to another level. This year was the most successful yet! Everyone loved you and the amazing energy that you brought to the event. We look forward to having you again in 2018!

Krystal Fenwick
Read more testimonials

Thank you so much for the outstanding job you did for us on April 1! I have received so much positive feedback from so many who attended. You even earned Sister Suzan’s (our Vice-Principal) seal of approval! Safe travels to all your many events and thank you for making our biggest fundraiser of the year our best ever!

Diane Albano, Director of Development
St. Joseph Academy Catholic High School (St. Augustine, FL)
Read more testimonials

Sherry is flexible and easy to work with. She gives honest feedback and advice throughout the planning and implementation process. Without a doubt, Sherry and Red Apple Auctions has helped take our annual fundraising event to the next level.

Beckie Middendorf, Development Director and Janet Gulla, Development Coordinator
St. Henry District High School (Erlanger, KY)
Read more testimonials

Sherry is “on board” from day one of auction planning, works closely with our steering committee and is only just a phone call away. The night of the auction, we toss her the keys and let her drive the event! We are never disappointed!

Charly Ryan, Director of Institutional Advancement
The Academy of the Holy Cross (Kensington, MD)
Read more testimonials

I was very fortunate to have Red Apple on board for my first auction. Working with Sherry was invaluable. She provided guidance at every phase of planning, from procurement on forward – and she challenged us to make our event more ambitious and more successful at every stage. Thank you, Sherry!

Pete Goldlust, Director of Development
Oak Hill School (Eugene, OR)
Read more testimonials

If your auction needs to upgrade, call any auctioneer you find on Google. But if you want your auction to be impressive, meaningful, and profitable, you need to call Sherry.

Erin Banda
2016 NYUMBANI Board member
Read more testimonials

The auction was entertaining .. proactive … the crowd was involved and felt a part of it,” he said, emphasizing, “The entertainment value was huge.

Darrell, a long-time attendee
Read more testimonials

We plan on booking Red Apple Auctions much earlier for our next event so we can take advantage of more of the pre-event offerings.

Nicole Carr, Director of Grants and Special Events
The Ivymount School (Rockville, MD)
Read more testimonials

Sherry, personally, I can’t even begin to tell you the immense amount of positive feedback that I received having YOU (and Darby) there with is this year! Some of the tidbits: You added EXCITEMENT and ENTERTAINMENT… You added EXPERTISE and FUN… You helped the evening FLOW, in a wonderful and positive direction… You were FUN,… Read The Rest “Anne Livaudais Knudsen, 5th year gala co-chair”

Read more testimonials

Aren’t KK and Michael a cute couple? They liked that I “moved the crowd along … kept the crowd engaged but wasn’t obtrusive or invasive. We were able to talk but still keep track of what was going on.”

Read more testimonials

You have NO idea of how many people came up to me (I know Julie as well) and said, ‘That auctioneer was incredible … she engaged the crowd, … she got the bidders to bid without being rude/pushing, … I loved observing her, I just watched her, … she did a great job.’ It was… Read The Rest “Staci Meruvia”

Read more testimonials

Geri said: “Great job of getting potential donors in the room to step up to the plate and not feel guilty or bad about it. They actually wanted to give more … and that’s not something I’ve seen in many other auctioneers.” The following year, she herself ‘stepped up’ and became one of the gala… Read The Rest “Geri”

Read more testimonials

Irene attended one of my New Hampshire auctions and assumed I must be a radio personality — until I started to chant that fast talk. “I’ve been to this event before with a couple of other auctioneers,” she said, “Your ability to get personal with people in a way that isn’t intimidating — men, women,… Read The Rest “Irene”

Read more testimonials

Most product & consulting remarks are found on their respective webpages, but I’ve listed two below so you’re assured my products are as spot-on as my auctioneering.   Not only was our 2013 auction a blast, but our Washington, D.C. public school raised $67,000 — that’s $25,000 more than last year! The evening went off… Read The Rest “Carolyn Kahn-Hall and Andrea Del Vecchio”

Read more testimonials

As a former Fox News Anchorwoman, I am often called on to perform at auctions. So, I know first-hand that auctioneering can be a difficult job. Sherry Truhlar is one of the best in the business. She is skillful at managing an audience and keeping them focused on the task at hand – which is… Read The Rest “Cynthia Steele Vance”

Cynthia Steele Vance
Guest at The Potomac School 2014 auction (McLean, VA)
Read more testimonials

home | auctioneering | consulting | free item guide | about

 

Red Apple Auctions Co., PO Box 6066, Arlington, VA 22206
Toll free: 888-474-0838 | Email: Info@RedAppleAuctions.com | Copyright © 2005 - 2018

 

Sherry Truhlar • Charity Auctions • School Auctions • Fundraising Auctions • Auction Galas • Benefit Auctions

 

Terms of Use · Privacy Statement