All Cognac is brandy, but not all brandy is Cognac! 

Cognac is the original brandy and still to this day the most revered and historical distillate of wine. A legendary spirit with centuries of history.  First and foremost, Cognac is a place.  It is a town in the Charente department of southwestern France, and the distinct climate, soils, culture, and history of the surrounding area are expressed in the spirit that’s made here. Today, both within the fine-dining, alcoholic beverage industries and pop-culture, Cognac has regained all of its past glory.  The styles, versatility, applications and personalities of Cognac are immensely varied and its production method considered one of the most artisanal and crafted in the world of spirits.

In this 3.5-hour course, we will cover Cognac’s history, production, and ways to enjoy it, including food pairing.   We will taste a selection of 9 (nine) Cognacs that will illustrate a variety of terroirs, styles, tiers and aging categories. 

The course will also feature a series of small bites to showcase pairing applications.

The instructor, Irina Ponomarenko, is an official Cognac Educator, certified by the BNIC (Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac).

Presenter:  Irina Ponomarenko, Certified Cognac Educator, WSA/NASA Silver-Pin Certified Sommelier, Master Taster.

Participants will receive a ‘certificate of attendance’ issued by the North American Sommelier Association in conjunction with the BNIC (official Cognac Bureau).

Irina recently returned from Cognac where she was among a select group of educators training for the Cognac Educator Certificate.  Irina has been an instructor with the North American Sommelier Association since 2013.  She teaches a variety of courses, including the spirits module of the Certified Sommelier curriculum. 

WHEN: MAY 26th - 1:00pm to 4:30pm

WHERE: RITA HOUSE - 5971 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90036

COST: $179.00 NON-NASA MEMBERS (all inclusive) / $149 CURRENT NASA MEMBERS

*membership status will be checked for discount

When:  Wednesday November 1st, 9:15 am PST/12:15 pm EST
Who:   NASA members, guests, trade, our partners, public. (Max 100 attendees)

Instructions: 
1. Click on the link 5-10 minutes before the start of the webinar:

https://nasommelier.adobeconnect.com/sherry/

2. Please enter as GUEST - you may need to switch browsers, install FLASH or Adobe Connect Add-In. We recommend a test.

3. A PDF of the slides will be sent the day before the seminar.

This webinar will be recorded; the link will be online soon after the webinar.
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The wines of Jerez have been made for export since the times of the Roman Empire.  Magellan, in preparation for his trip around the world, spent more money on wine than any other supplies.  His entire wine supply came from Jerez, so Sherry has been traveling around the globe for half a millennium.  Perhaps this is what makes Sherry such a versatile wine when it comes to pairing it with food.  In our webinar, we will briefly review where Sherry comes from and how it is made, and then focus on the palette of Sherry styles and matching them with food.

Presenter:
Irina Ponomarenko, Certified Sherry Educator
Irina Ponomarenko is a WSA/NASA Silver Pin Sommelier. She is a Master Taster and Instructor for NASA, with a passion for and specialization in spirits and fortified wines.  Irina recently traveled to Jerez for the Sherry Educator program; she is pictured here receiving her certification from the Consejo Regulador.