 Private Wine Talks
Having your own wine tasting has become a popular event because it can cost as little as $15 per person! It is a fun alternative to a party in your home, a business get-together or a fund-raiser for an organization. Mark Phillips, Executive Director of WTA, will conduct an educational and fun event for you. Any number of people will work and any theme can be done. The event format can be classroom style or reception style with lots of mingling. There is even a competitive element that can be included for those Type A personalities. With the cost so affordable, why wait? Give Mark a call at (703) 799-1221 or in the Chicago area at (312) 533-4727 or contact him to discuss a tasting for you.
The following are the most popular three formats:
Option 1: Overview of Wine
Option 1 is for folks who want to gain in their overall knowledge about wine both in discussing and tasting wine. The talk is very similar to Mark's PBS special. The information is presented in an unintimidating fashion with lots of humor, laying the foundation for enjoying the world of wine. The topics that are included are: Proper serving temperature; how long to keep wine; proper storage of wine; ordering wine at restaurants; what the legs/tears mean; sulfites in wine; how long wine lasts once it's been opened; when to microwave and freeze wine, wine & food matching and much more.
Option 2: Tasting Wine Like a Pro
What is more intimidating than describing wine? Are you supposed to use all those crazy adjectives used by wine writers? This presentation will focus on how to taste wine like the pros. The guests will learn the different styles or wine, how to describe it, how to communicate to a wine shop salesperson and much more. Once the guests finish this class, they’ll have the confidence on how to describe wine, how to order wine off of a restaurant wine list and the knowledge to buy wine they like.
Option 3: Blind Tasting Competition
This option is best for groups that want more interaction between the guests. It contains less general wine information. Instead the focus is on tasting wine. This option has a shorter talk, maybe 20 - 30 minutes that people could actually stand through followed by a reception-style blind tasting. Two wines are tasted during the lecture. The blind tasting has 8 wines. The wines are poured into numbered pitchers. The guests get a handout with the names of the wines along with tasting notes to help them guess the wine. The goal is to match the wines in the pitchers to the list on their handout. Guests work in teams and prizes can be awarded. Everyone has a great time mingling and working together to guess the wines. Participants are surprised how well they do and how much they learn just from tasting wine. Following the tasting, the answers will be given and I'll share a few helpful tips on wine.
Option 4: Informal Wine Tasting
If the wine tasting is not the main reason people are coming to the event, often this works best. I stand at a table and pour a selection of wines, six typically. Guests can ask questions about wine if they desire. This way, non-wine folks don’t have to sit through a wine program and can visit with others. The competitive aspect can be incorporated into this option by have the attendees guess the prices of the wines or complete a fun wine quiz that I provide.
Mark Phillips
America's Everyday Wine Guy
Executive Director, Wine Tasting Association
Mark Phillips is one of the nation’s most popular wine speakers. The main reason for his popularity is that he has such a humorous, non-snobby approach to wine that resonates with the wine consumer. He is the founder of the Progressive Approach to wine which is a modern and practical approach to wine vs. the Traditional Approach that other wine experts espouse. Because of Phillips’s approach, PBS asked him to host a wine special which aired in March 2006. The show, “Enjoying Wine with Mark Phillips” shattered all records by being aired on over 300 stations making it the most watched wine show in the history of America.
Phillips has developed several wine related products including an 8 CD Audio Wine Course, a fun yet informative DVD, a Pocket
Wine Journal and the Mark Phillips Wine Glass, the most elegant wine glass in the world.
Currently, Phillips is the Executive Director of the Wine Tasting Association (WTA) which hosts wine tastings in the Washington DC area. Previously, Phillips was the featured wine speaker for the Queen Elizabeth 2's Wine and Food Theme Cruise and transatlantic crossing. He was so well received, the QE2 asked him to be the featured wine speaker on the Chef's Palate cruise the following year and co-starred with Julia Child for her last public appearance. He has gone on to speak on several other cruises.
Stories about Phillips have appeared in the Washingtonian, Washington Post, Washington Times, Marie Claire, The Hill and USA Today. And when ABCNews, Reuters News Service, Forbes, National Public Radio, FOX TV, PBS, News Channel 8 and the Smithsonian needs a wine expert, Phillips is called to give an expert's view. Phillips has been a columnist for the Washington Beverage Journal, the sole industry publication for retail stores and restaurants in the Washington area. He has been a judge at wine competitions and taught restaurant employees about wine. For one year he hosted a TV Show, "The Wine-oceros Show" on a Washington cable channel.
Just a Few Comments from Recent Clients
For the past few years, Mark Phillips has done one of his wine tasting programs for the attorneys in my office. I can say, without a doubt, that this is the most well attended event year after year. He is charismatic, engaging, and really knows how to read the crowd so that he is able to get everyone involved. Even the attorneys who have participated year after year still ask when "the wine guy" is coming back.
Jennifer King - Cooley, Godward, Kronish
Mark Phillips brings wine education and enjoyment to a whole new level with excitement and humor for all. He entertained and educated our new and renewing top donors at a fabulous, elegant gourmet dinner and then followed it up the next day with a blind wine tasting event in our TV studio for a casual group of new and current members. Attendees raved about the light-hearted, information rich presentations and totally enjoyed the delightful and witty humor that he mixes in. Mark is easy to work with and gave it his all from our first conversation. We reached a new audience with his events and have new members to prove it.”
Christine A. Hause - WGCU PBS TV
We had the opportunity to host our client, a major international telecommunications company, back in September of 2006 for a dinner and wine tasting with the purpose of solidifying our relationship with this client and furthering discussions around multiple consulting opportunities. We engaged Mark Phillips as our keynote speaker and were truly delighted with his presentation and easygoing style for such an intimidating subject. He took ownership of the event's success before the night began: he met with the catering staff of the hotel to ensure the presentation and wines were carefully handled. He did not leave anything to chance and his professionalism and dedication to our event's success was realized. What we most enjoyed was Mark’s colorful descriptions of wine tasting and the affect in can have on people; He made it fun and we'd do it all over again using him as our speaker.
Christina Vipond, Americas Deal Hub - East Region, IB
Thank you letters:
The client appreciation event was a huge hit because you are such an engaging and entertaining speaker. You took the snob aspect out of tasting wine and made it fun. This was the reason that I searched for you after seeing your show on PBS. Our clients still talk about how much they enjoyed your presentation.
Lisa R. Featherngill - Heritage Wealth Advisors
Your presentation at the wine festival was the most entertaining talk on wine I have ever heard. I learned more practical information about wine in that hour than I have learned in my 40 years of drinking wine. And it was fun to boot. If the wine speaking goes south, you certainly have a career in comedy. I have received so many positive comments from the attendees, it truly was the most talked about seminar of the event. And judging from the line to talk to you afterwards, the attendees wanted even more. Thanks again!
Jon Steimen – Events International Inc.
Your wine tasting program was a big hit. In fact, many of our lawyers are still talking about it! The talk was informative and very entertaining. Everyone in attendance raved about the event. An audience of lawyers can be intimidating but you read the group and adjusted your presentation to fit the mood and the crowd. I enjoyed working with you and we intend to invite you back to the firm for future events. You get a perfect score of 10 from me.
Tom Rodriguez – Spriggs & Hollingsworth
Thank you so much for joining us and leading the blind tasting. It was a total blast and everyone enjoyed it very much. I have gotten so many thanks from my colleagues, who really had a great time. So thank you. Thank you!
Peggy Henderson – International Finance Corporation
Besides the fact that I was already sold on your performance BEFORE your arrival, the fact that my boss (co-owner of the vineyard) had the "best time ever drinking wine" is the end all.
Julia Zimmerman – White Fences Vineyards
Thanks for such a fantastic event - we truly enjoyed every part of your discussion and are still talking about such things as the "nose", wine in a microwave etc. You were so right about having the right speaker - it made all the difference. You got rated an overwhelming 5 on a scale of 1-5 and everyone, bar none, gave you a high-5! Congratulations and thanks again for a wonderful session.
Arun Sardana – Morgan Stanley
I received so many great compliments about you and your presentation. I really appreciate your taking time to stay around to talk with us. You and your presentation were exactly as I had hoped!!! It was awesome!
Beth Adeson – ITT
I just wanted to let you know how well I thought the tasting went on Saturday night. We received numerous compliments on the format for the evening and your presentation in particular. We will not hesitate to recommend you to our partner companies and others.
Linda Grote – Tiger Team Consulting
Thank you very much for putting on such a fun and presentation last Saturday night. I still continue to receive compliments on how professional, informative and light hearted the night was. Again, thank you for helping make it such a success. You can chalk me up as another individual who will personally push your services.
Matt Pettinelli – CapGrow Partners
After my husband and I stumbled across your program on PBS, we became huge fans! Completely amused and educated all at once! I came to work raving about your show and how we were entertained by your unique way of teaching us common folk about wine. So it was such a thrill to have you come and speak to our team. You’re even better in person and you were a huge hit!
Karen McGlamery – Capital One
Thanks so much for your presentation. You were very engaging and made learning about wine fun and entertaining. I learned many helpful skills in the art of tasting wine that I'll remember forever. I've been to wine tastings before, but this was the first time I have not been intimidated by the experience. We really appreciated your relaxed, down-to-earth style.
Gerry Stanton, Director of Meetings, Capital One
I would like to take the opportunity to extend a very heartfelt thank you for your participation and presentation at this year’s Michigan Wine Expo. As you know this was our first year event and it was an outstanding success. Much of this success was the result of your presentations and the attendees’ familiarity with you from you PBS Special. We did have a chance to talk to quite a few attendees who came specifically to hear your witty and educational seminar. Post show comments continue to resonate and we have already have been asked to make sure that you come back next year for the event. Mark your knowledge of wine, combined with the wit and easy-going style, make you one of the most popular speakers we’ve worked with in our 17 years of promoting shows.
Todd Smith, President, Show Promotions, Inc.
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