Cynthia Betancourt is the sommelier at Azul at Mandarin Oriental. This summer, she launched a semi-regular wine class for women at the Mandarin called “Wine, Women, and Song.” Ladies quaffed wine, made friends, tried samples from Clay Conley’s kitchen, and listened as Betancourt expounded on topics such as Navigating a Wine List and How to Throw a Wine Party.
Wine tastings are common events and some places do it better than others. Betancourt wanted to create a class that would stand out from the countless wine and cheese classes she remembered. Why just for women? “Women are the ones that tend to do most of the buying [of wine]. They do 65% of the buying, but don’t feel secure enough to purchase wine in a restaurant or for a corporate event. They tend to automatically pass the wine list to someone else, usually a man.”
Betancourt addresses questions such as these in her classes: What should I expect from a sommelier? What is the proper etiquette for a diner and a sommelier? What difference does it make what kind of glass I pour the wine into?
Betancourt keeps the class sizes small to finesse the balance between a learning environment and a social setting. Women in the class catch up with friends from past wine classes, but without drowning out Betancourt as she leads the class in a comparative wine tasting of a Chardonnay from France and one from California. The intimate atmosphere allows women to feel comfortable asking all of their wine questions.
Betancourt herself has made new friends in the classes. She enjoys teaching so much she feels that she’s found a new niche as a wine educator.
The $40 price of the class includes the class, tasting portions of selections from the Azul menu, and a gift bag which includes goodies such as Wine News magazine, a cd of music from the Mandarin spa, and a bottle of wine. Here’s the schedule for the fall:
Thursday, September 11: Italian Wines – Passionate & Chic
Thursday, September 18: Time to Tango: Argentinean Wines
Thursday, October 9: The Fine Art of French Wine
Thursday, October 23: Roses
It’s important to reserve early as Betancourt caps the classes at 30 students. No men allowed!
Since the class is about “Wine, Women, and Song,” I asked Betancourt about her favorite wine, women, and songs. Favorite wine right now? “Italian whites.” Favorite women? “My first choice is my mother. For my second choice, it’s my mentor Laura DePasquale who is a master sommelier.” DePasquale taught Betancourt both the wine side and the business side of being a sommelier. She taught her how to succeed as a woman: “She taught me that we’re sassy, we’re personable and that we make that work in business.” Favorite songs right now? “You know what, I guess the one my assistant bought me—it’s electronic tango. I like that a lot.”
When: See schedule above. All classes are from 6:30 pm to 8 pm.
Where: Azul Bar at the Mandarin Oriental hotel, 500 Brickell Key Drive, Brickell Key
How much: $40 per class, call (305) 913-8358 to register
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