The Wine Experience
by Armando Manzanares
The Metropolitan
Since the beginning of the year, Metro's Alumni Association and Michael Wray, professor of Hospitality, Meeting & Travel Administration, have partnered to host wine tasting classes available specifically to alumni and some of the college community. 
(Photo By Danny Holland) HMTA professor Michael Wray leads a discussion at a wine class, which took place Aug. 13 at Above The Rim wine shop in Denver.
Together they offered a three-series wine tasting class with each costing $25 dollars. This event targeted alumni of the HMTA department with 25 people taking part in each class.
ìEvery wine tasting class has been very successful,î Amanda Garrison, assistant director of Alumni Programs and Services said. ìThis is an alumni cultivation event where they can interact with one another in a social environment. But also, they continue to learn about things that interest them and continuing their experience with Metro.î
THE CLASS
The first two classes took place in the HMTA's classrooms in the Plaza building. The first class introduced the participant to the taste of wine and how to approach wine more discriminativelyóto experience the difference between drinking and tasting wine. The second class focused on principles of combining wine with different types of food. A select food menu was offered to complement the few wine selections at the class.
The final class took place Friday, Aug. 13 at Above The Rim wine shop in Denver . The participants were taken out of the classroom and into the wine shop to put their wine tasting and selection skills to the test.
The class members learned how to navigate this particular wine shop while getting a guest lecture on buying wine from around the world and how and when to enjoy them from Above The Rim owner Steve Mohler.
Mohler took the group of 25 through his shop and explained his layout, which is organized by varieties and regions. This was to demystify the wine buying experience so when in a wine shop students do not endlessly walk around lost in the wonderful world of wine.
Wray began a partnership with Mohler and Above The Rim when he was buying wine for the courses he teaches at Metro.
Wray explained to his students that it is important to develop and keep a good relationship with a merchant of wines. This will aid the processóshould you develop menus or become a buyer for a restaurant or storeóof what you like and do not like and what people want to buy from you or have with their meal. 
(Photo By Danny Holland) Michael Wray, HMTA professor, beings the wine tasting class at Above The Rim wine shop in the courtyard behind the shop August 13. 25 participants took part with the majority of them being Metro alum and their guests.
Wray has been teaching at Metro for four years. He has over 10 years in various food professions from chef to food and beverage director to professor and certified Sommelier instructor. A Sommelier is a highly trained wine steward a fine restaurant would have who helps you match wines with foods in your budget.
His awareness and training in wine comes mostly from his previous professions but he is also a certified instructor of the International Sommelier Guild. Metro houses the only program in the region authorized by the Guild, which Wray administers.
The International Sommelier Guild offers a training program at Metro consisting of three levels. The first two levels take place over a 12-week course and the third level is a 22-week course, which upon completion will bestow a certification in the Guild's Sommelier Training program.
Wray wants the average person to not be afraid of wine and to take a beneficial risk and partake in wine's enjoyment.
ìThere is a lot more about wine than people know. Becoming knowledgeable and comfortable with wine can enhance your life and is a great celebratory thing.î
ìUnderstanding food and wine and their complementing each other will give you so much more, and when done responsibly it is wonderful,î Wray said.
The partnership between Above The Rim and Wray (his classes) has been a great one, he said. Wray directs his students to the shop to buy wine as a part of the courses they are taking as well as to complement their personal experience. 
(Photo By Danny Holland) Above the Rim owner Steve Mohler, left, educates Alumni Association board member Geri Grimes and her husband at the last of the three wine class events hosted by the association.
ìIt's a great partnership and I'm looking for more like this one,î Mohler said. ìIt great to meet more people, get our name out.î
Mohler said if you want to host your own wine tasting, give him a budget and he will figure out what you can get for your dollar.
THE SHOP
Above The Rim wine shop located on the edge of Capital Hill at 1936 Pennsylvania in Denver .
Shop owner Steve Mohler, and a friend who worked as wine buyer at another large store, opened the shop almost two years ago. Mohler brings with him 25 year's experience in the importing and wholesale business of wine. The two of them bring to Above The Rim extensive knowledge and backgrounds in the business.
When visiting his shop, Mohler wants his customers to have left with a purchase they were informed about with the service they deserve.
ìService is everything. Knowledge is key and having a good crew that have a passion to offer good service and listen to what the customer wants,î is the shop's motto Mohler said.
He said all too often people go to buy wine, get no help when doing so and end up with a purchase and no information about it, its cultivation, taste and pairing with foods.
ìIf I go into a store and get no help and they don't know about wine, most likely you will buy something advertised or mainstream. I believe in helping people discover things they'll want on every shelf in any store,î Mohler said.
The shop has an easily navigateable layout with the areas or regions of each wine prominently displayed above each section. The small staff is willing and able to assist with any purchase customers may have. The shop offers the general selections of wine and spirits, but it prides itself on offering distinct and select wines not widely available. Mohler said if there is something a customer wants and he dose not have it, he will do his darndest to get it. 
(Photo By Danny Holland) Debie Herrington, a 1989 Metro graduate, prepares to taste one of the many wines served at the wine education class sponsored by the Alumni Association August 13.
He said he discovered and began drinking good wine in his 20's and fell in love with the romance of wine and food.
ìI don't believe in talking down to people, I want people to feel comfortable and come back to my store because they had a good experience,î Mohler said.
He said they taste everything before they put it in the store. He is not going to buy wines because of a big rating. He said if it does that's great but he rather provide wines that are not widely available.
Beyond offering select, great wines, Above The Rim offer and hosts various events through out the year consisting of wine tastings, catering with wine and charity events.
ALUMNI
The wine tasting classes are a part of a life-long learning piece the Alumni Association and Alumni Relations are trying to create.
ìWe're combining our efforts, working smarter from a connection standpoint. Making sure people connect with their departments in an effective way. Also, from a staffing and energy standpoint we merge our efforts with the staff of a department, like the wine class, we could pull off an incredible event,î Garrison said.
ìWe have faculty committed to teachingó like Michael Wrayówho have so much great experience and have come to Metro because they love our students' dedication to learning,î Garrison said. She and the association hope to uncover more assets on campus and partner with them to offer events great events like this in the future. 
(Photo By Danny Holland)
Metro graduate, former The Metropolitan staffer and current Metro employee Donna Fowler searches through the hundreds of wine bottles to select one for the class to taste. The wine class took place at Above The Rim wine shop in Denver August 13.
Amanda Garrison plans events, like the wine tasting, working on a year calendar and tries to plan events that fit into the strategic goals of the association. Garrison said with the help of the departments, the association can tap into the relationship the student keeps with their department because of the close connection they develop with them and the departments have a lot of credibility when it comes to relationships with Metro's alumni.
Through the association, alumni can get involved in different volunteer programs and events that keep the connection with Metro. Communication occurs with alumni primarily through the web but they also do mailings to recent graduates to donate and get involved. They work closely with College Communications for their communication needs with print publication and electronic media.
ìWe give them opportunities to give something back to Metro. Some people feel a real connection to Metro because they got a lot out of it and was a great experience in their lives,î Garrison said. 
(Photo By Danny Holland)
Alumni association works as a non-profit with its own board of directors. They have a dedicated staff on-campus, who also serves the Alumni Relations office. Alumni relations was recently re-organized and moved from under Institutional Advancement to the President office.
At every graduation the association provides greeters for the ceremony who hand out programs and direct people to their seats and the bathrooms. Other events the association have or sponsor are the annual homecoming, which happens in February, and the Radio City Music Hall Spectacular, which is the association's biggest fundraiser for the year.
The money the association raises is used for alumni-related programming and they offer a full-tuition scholarship for senior-level students at Metro. This scholarship is given based on leadership, academics and community service. Last year the association awarded six full- tuition scholarships and this year awarded two. They also have given book scholarships to students as an award for an essay contest.
On September 9, the Alumni Association is having their annual business meeting with this year it being a breakfast meeting with having Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper as the keynote.
General fundraising throughout the year by going directly to alum for a donation that can be directed to where in the college they want it to go. The average donation is $40 and is funneled through the foundation. Goals for the Spectacular is $40,000, this is used for endowed scholarship fund. |
