Palate Partners to celebrate wine as part of Black History Month
Wine should be inclusive, a connoisseur says.
“It needs to be accessible to everyone,” said Adam Knoerzer, a wine expert at Palate Partners, located inside Dreadnought Wines, in Lawrenceville. “Wine is considered a luxury good in the U.S., but really, it’s just a drink. I don’t think the subject of black winemakers has been covered in Pittsburgh.”
He’s offering the class “Celebrating Black Winemakers” Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. During the class, he will feature wines from Theopolis Vineyards from California and Aslina by Ntsiki Biyela, the first black female winemaker to have her own wine label in South Africa. He plans to share their stories, achievements and struggles within the industry.
The class coincides with Black History Month.
Some of the featured wines are available in Pennsylvania state stores.
Attendees will have an opportunity to sample tastes of sparkling, rose, red and white as well as enjoy bread and cheese.
Cost is $45.
Other classes include information about port and sherry, how to blind taste wine, exploring Portuguese red wines and a basic wine course. They are also offering a class called Tour de France, where guests learn about French wine.
Palate Partners is an approved program provider for the Wine & Spirit Education Trust in London. Founded in 1969, this trust provides high quality education and training in wines and spirits.
“I want to highlight a community of black winemakers and learn about these individuals and their wines,” Knoerzer said. “I want to expand people’s horizons about wine. I want to help people know how to get these wines. People sometimes feel like they have to know a lot about wine to buy it. There is often a mystery when it comes to wine, but there doesn’t have to be.”
Knoerzer said the classes are growing in popularity. As more and more people become interested in food, pairing drinks comes into play, he said.
“Pittsburgh is more of a blue collar town and is a little bit more apprehensive about wines,” he said. “I will help you get quality at a good price. Wine is chemistry but it’s also about history and culture. I want talk of wine to be fun and encouraging, not stuffy. I want people to try different wines. You need to understand your palate.”
Palate Partners is located at 3401 Liberty Ave., Lawrenceville.
Details: 412-391-8502 or palatepartners.com
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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