One Time Events

A Pre-Valentine’s Day Wine & Chocolate Extravaganza – All things chocolate and wine in one delicious afternoon!

A joint production of the Westchester Wine School and La Dolce Vita University this fun and unique event will allow you to indulge in a variety of exotic Vosges chocolates featuring ingredients like blood orange, pink peppercorns, and gogi berries in the highest quality white, milk and dark chocolates! Each of the six delicious chocolates will be perfectly paired with a very special wine.

Savvy Singles' Sipping Soiree - For Westchester's well-seasoned Singles – 40's and up

Come for an opportunity to laugh, learn, mingle, meet, and connect as we sip "the world's most luscious wines” .…at Via Vanti Ristorante with its festive jewel box interior at the Mount Kisco Train Station. Six wines, light hors d’oeuvres and gourmet thin-crust pizzetti and Via Vanti’s “best-in-New York-gelatos”, plus scintillating commentary about the wines and, best of all, your participation!

Tuscan Primavera Wine Dinner -  a sparkling wine and 5 dishes and 5 matching wines from the culinary traditions of Tuscany

Reawaken Your Senses … and experience La Primavera Toscana

For many, Tuscany represents Italy at its most romantic. It is the land of undulating hills and ocher landscapes; medieval castles overlooking fields of irises and vineyards; shadowy cypress trees and explosions of springtime color. And Florence, capital of Tuscany, was the epicenter of the Renaissance, ending the Dark Ages and reviving the flower of classical culture.

In celebration of spring (La Primavera) and rebirth, we have chosen Tuscany as the inspiration for our May 8th wine dinner. Together we shall awaken our palates with the great wines of Tuscany and ingredients of the season presented with the simplicity and sophistication characteristic of the Tuscan kitchen. Join us for a typical Tuscan cuisine matched to the great Tuscan wines - Chianti Classico, Brunello, Super Tuscan and more.

Summer Wine Dinner with the Cucina and Wines of Southern Italy and the Islands 

Wines  & Cuisine of the Il Mezzogiorno  --  Land of the Mid-day Sun

Untouched by mass tourism, Southern Italy and the islands of Sicily and Sardegna remains unspoiled and largely undiscovered. It is the home of shepherds, farmers and fisherman; gorgeous coastlines and grottos; rugged mountains and volcanoes (both dormant and active); charming hill towns and walled villages; the mysterious trulli of Puglia; and Greek ruins that outshine many found in Greece. Using simple ingredients and strong flavors to create exciting and seductive contrasts, the peasant cuisine of Southern Italy has influenced food culture the world over. Here also are the finest of Italy’s native grape varieties – wonderful food wines, such as Falanghina, Fiano di Avellino, Nero d’Avola and Aglianico.

Complete Courses

The World of Wine (limited to 14; available only as a complete course)

Your Best Survey of Wine, for Beginners, Intermediates & Enthusiasts

French Wines and Wine Regions (limited to 14; available only as a complete course)

In the world of wine, France is special.  It is the birthplace of most of the principal grape varieties of the world: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Syrah.

Champagne, the Loire Valley, Burgundy, Bordeaux and the Rhone Valley are where these principal grape varieties are from. Participants will taste eight to ten regional wines each night. These wines, plus colorful maps, information sheets, and an interactive, educational environment, will afford participants a full taste of each region’s wines, history and “terroir”.

Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) Training Course

The Certified Specialist of Wine Course – professional training and certification for people in, or thinking of entering, the wine industry
9 Tuesday evenings: Feb. 28; Mar. 6, 13, 27; Ap.17 ,24; May 1, 15; exam June 5   Time: 7:00 – 10:00 PM                                                       $995
Location: Grapes the Wine Company, North White Plains        

Recipients name

Complete Courses and Individual Classes

Italian Wine 101 - All About Italian Wines and Wine Regions - Tour the varied regions and taste 8 – 10 of their delicious, unique wines along with a tasting dish typical of each region at the Universita Dolce Vita!

The Wine Lovers Course I: New Wine Experiences

The Face-Off: Italy’s big reds, Amarones, Barolos and Brunellos are compared to France’s Chateauneuf-du-Papes, Napa’s Cabernet Sauvignons, Spain’s Priorats, and Barossa Valley’s Shiraz.

Revisiting Old World versus New World Wine Styles – do the differences still hold, given the new star grape varieties (e.g. Tannat, Malbec, Albariño, Torrontes) and the new star wine regions (Northern Spain, Southern Italy, Argentina, New Zealand, Languedoc)?

The Wine Lovers Course II: New Leading Wine Regions of the World, the New Benchmarks of Quality and Taste

Taste the wines and learn about the history, terroir, and personalities that have made these countries among the most famous wine producing countries in the world.

Argentina – The World’s Brightest New Wine Star – its terroir, grapes, and wine shine down from 3-5,000 feet up in the Andes Mountains

Northern Spain – in the last 10 years the wine world has discovered the stunning wines from Rias Baixas, Bierzo, Navarra, Somontano, and Priorato