What better way to end the week, practice English skills and enjoy the quality of Spanish wine at the same time? On the last two Fridays, 17^th and 24^th February, our school hosted an event which provided all these opportunities: the first two editions of the Leipzig Englisch Wine Tasting Evening, this time with a focus on Spain’s most popular varietals.

On the two occasions, Leipzig Englisch welcomed the Schkopau-based company RP Compounds to a pleasant evening featuring eight different wines, other alcoholic beverages and traditional Spanish food. The tasting itself was accompanied by a written and spoken presentation of the wines, which was given by Robert, our English trainer and wine expert. Besides receiving an insight into the different varietals, the processes involved in their production, and the regions of Spain they originate from, the participants also had a chance to deepen their knowledge of the country’s history and culture. This Spanish experience also included a gastronomic dimension, as our team prepared pinchos (Basque-style tapas on baguette slices) for the guests to enjoy in the break between the red and the white wines alongside Scott’s Spanish omelette, which received high acclaim on both evenings.

The Spanish journey took us from Galicia to Catalonia, covering three white, three red and one sparkling wine. For the purpose of comparison, there was also a French sample from the Loire Valley. Under Robert’s guidance, the participants learned how to taste wine like professionals, as well as what types of food go well with the different varietals. Cheese, chips, Heidi dark chocolate and other snacks were provided, which harmoniously complemented the wines.  There were also other alcoholic beverages on offer, such as English gin tonic, gin mule and vodka.

During the events, alongside gains in theoretical and practical wine tasting skills, language progress was made, as well. The participants learned specific oenology vocabulary, which they used in describing the appearance, aroma and taste of the wines. At the beginning of the two evenings, the guests were offered a file which comprised information about the seven wines and glossaries containing Spanish wine terms and German translations of useful English vocabulary. There were also other opportunities to speak English, as the informal setting was just right to discuss past travel experiences and future holiday plans.

At the end of the evenings, two clear winners emerged among the wines that had been tasted: the white Lurton Hermanos from the Rueda region and the red Beronia Reserva from Rioja. The guests left our school in high spirits, looking forward to their first lessons with Leipzig Englisch. Given our commitment to teaching language in context while offering a relaxed atmosphere for our students to express themselves in English, activities of this kind are very likely to continue in the long run. We look forward to welcoming YOU at our next event!

 

English-German glossary:

to host = veranstalten

to provide = anbieten

wine tasting = Weinprobe

varietals = Sorten

on the two occasions = bei beiden Anlässen

Schkopau-based = in Schkopau ansässig

to feature = (hier) darbieten

beverages = Getränke

accompanied by sth = von etw begleitet

insight into sth = Einblick in etw

to originate from = stammen von

to deepen = vertiefen

to receive high acclaim = gelobt werden

sample = Probe

under Robert’s guidance = unter Roberts Führung

to go well with sth = gut zu etw passen

to complement = ergänzen

gains = Gewinne

setting = Rahmen

to emerge = (hier) hervorgehen

in high spirits = in gehobener Stimmung

commitment = (hier) Zusage

in the long run = langfristig