Boston Wine School

My brother bought my husband and I tickets to the France vs. Italy wine tasting event for a particular day. I became pretty sick and didn’t want anyone else to get sick, so I called the Boston Wine School to see if they would credit us the money back. They said they would give us a 50% credit because it’s their policy (thankfully, we received this amount, as the events are fairly expensive). Based on this policy, I will use this credit, but I don’t plan on going back after that.

Unfortunately I had high expectations for their wine and chocolate pairing. WAYYYY overpriced. The students were a combination of snotty older adults with lots of wine experience and newbies like myself with only a few years. The snotty adults made it very awkward for any of us to speak up. The instructor was good (Tres was her name), but the participants in the class just made it a crappy experience. For $ 70 I expected a lot more!

Went to a Fathers Day Whiskey Class last night. Very informative and fun. We tasted 5 different styles of whiskey and discussed the process and different tastes with everyone. Had a BBQ dinner afterwards. The dinner was good but «takeout» and a little warm. The atmosphere was great and open discussions were fun
I will be coming back again for other classes.

On Saturday, my sisters and I went to a Wine Tasting and Lunch class focusing on Tuscany. The experience (my first wine tasting) was amazing. I learned so much from Tress, our teacher and the wine was phenomenal. I can definitely pretend I know what I’m talking about at wine bar from now on. The food was delicious as well and I can’t wait to return for another class.

I went to the Take a Bite out of Whiskey class. Amazingly fun. If was a fun setting, the food was good, the staff really new what they they were talking about. I would definitely recommend taking a class with friends and/​or family.

I highly recommend this school for anyone who wants to learn about wine, have a fun evening out with friends or get started working in the wine business. I took the Working in Wine class in the fall. It was informative, fun and the networking was tremendously helpful. Erika, Jonathon and Roz were the instructors that I had dealings with. They have each continued to be supportive and helpful in my journey getting started in a new industry. They have continued to be available for questions.

I’ve been here several times over a few years, and it’s always a wonderful! I’ve had a couple classes with Johnaton, but this last time around we had other instructors who were just as wonderful. Check their calendar regularly — they repeat popular classes, as well as trying new themes.
A few tips:
— It tends to be a bit chilly in the winter, so if you get cold easily — bring a sweater, wrap, etc.
— The «extra parking» (besides the alley wall spots) are not marked well — but they’re basically the numbered, diagonal spots at the storage building.
— There are multiple rooms (not used for all classes), so if you’re coming with a large party or buying last minute, you may want to chat with them to make sure your party isn’t separated (or they can address when you get there).

What a great experience! We learned so much from Jonathon and had a really fun time throughout the class. There were many opportunities to ask questions and have conversations, but in a pressure-​free environment. The staff was extremely hospitable, the venue was nice, and the location was easy to get to with ample parking. Worth the money and worth a Saturday evening! Good food, good company, and great wine!

I bought tickets to the «Taking the Bite Out of Whiskey» class and dinner. I had a better experience than the reviewer in April — perhaps they read his review and stepped it up a bit. We were welcomed by Jonathan Alsop and assistant upon arrival and enjoyed the appetizers and Cold Toddies made by Mr. Alsop. We had a chance to socialize with the other attendees, which is nice, and when we were ready to sit down, formal introductions were made and an overview was given on how the night would progress. In general, we tasted 5 different types/​styles of whiskey (pretty generous pours, I felt), examined the smell, taste, etc. For someone who doesn’t know much about it, I thought it was great to be able to taste a variety and know what I liked what I what I didn’t. The process is quite subjective and Mr. Alsop encouraged the class to describe flavors and aromas to help others identify what they were tasting and smelling. I imagine that the level of interaction and fun you have will depend on the group dynamic (we had a lot of fun and met some really nice people). Mr. Alsop is engaging and taught the class some basics of distillation and how it becomes whiskey. At the same time, I felt that some «technical» knowledge should’ve been known on the spot at least for a whiskey class (for example, the difference between scotch and bourbon — we ended up referencing a book he provided in order to get the answer). I feel that wine is his strong suit and he incorporated some elements of wine tasting into the whiskey class (as a wine person, I appreciated this). In terms of food, aside from the appetizers, we had a cheese plate during the tasting, and then the barbeque dinner from Blue Ribbon (second helpings were encouraged), and a fruit tart from Clear Flour. We were definitely satisfied and full when we left. All in all, we had a great time. I think if you know more than the average person about whiskey and/​or drink it regularly, this probably might not be the right class for you. However, if you don’t know much about it, drink it only on St. Patrick’s Day, or are afraid to try it, this is a good primer to understand what types you like and what types you don’t!

It’s with a heavy heart I write this review.
There’s so much promise in a Taking The Bite Out Of Whiskey dinner, and knowing how I do adore that dirty water, KG peeled two bills for a pair of admissions to the tasting.
Perhaps the curriculum was new, or perhaps there was evidenced a severe disconnect between the pair of instructors (one, Jonathan Alsop, the proprietor of the school, and the other, a buyer from the attached liquor store, who led our class) on the use of a photo slide show through the duration of the class, or perhaps it was the less-​than-​interesting bourbons, ryes and blends sipped, or the hour long wait for the class to even begin… The entire experience just left us underwhelmed.
The space is beautiful — studious, comfortable (even at folding tables and chairs) and inviting. A common reception housed 40 students, who mingled over store-​bought cheeses, apricots, pistachios and toast points while awaiting the class start. Fine for 10, 15, hell even 30 minutes, as the congenial hosts tasted barrel cured or bourbon-​inspired beers before the show began. But it didn’t stop there, as we awaited late comers and began the class almost an hour after it was set to start.
Our group split in to two, with half traipsing through the attached liquor store and the others staying in the sweet study of a classroom. Fortunately, we’re in the latter. A candid conversation begins with the upfront admission that there’s no real agenda, aside from the tasting schedule, so «ask questions as we go.» It quickly became apparent that the second instructor, while extremely knowledgable on whiskey, had very little understanding of Jonathan’s intended curriculum, or if he did, then the subject matter was loose and disjointed.
A limited portion of the cheese we’d been eating was served to accompany the flight, and the bottles tasted (from white whiskey to scotch) were «economically feasible,» none of which eclipsed a $ 20 bottle retail. Two and a half hours after the ticketed start time, we’re presented with dinner — a single trip (read: no seconds) down a serviced buffet of Blue Ribbon BBQ — and that was that.
So, $ 100 a head got us 3 oz of well whiskey, a $ 6 scoop of BBQ, a Trader Joe’s cheese plate and a Wikipedia article on distilling corn. I came to understand from our peers that this place is constantly offering 50% off deals through the usual suspects, which would’ve made the experience a little more fair to the dollar. But at full sticker, we were fooled once. Shame on us.

Went to class for best wines for around $ 10. Very friendly atmosphere and Great presentation. Very knowledgeable, nicely setup 2 hour class. Appetizers plentiful, great selection of sample wines. We were encouraged to ask a lot of questions and we given great tips to become more educated in picking wine.

Absolutely, YES!
How are there not more reviews for this place? It is certainly a little gem tucked in the cellar of the Brookline Liquor Mart.
I received a wine tasting & dinner from my boyfriend as a birthday gift. We attended this past Saturday for the «How to taste wine & Why?» event… it was so much fun & educational for sure! Let’s start off by saying that neither myself or my boyfriend are wine connoisseurs, but we are definitely wine enthusiast.
We pulled in (5 minutes late… Boston traffic is.the.worst!) and parking was a piece of cake. The entrance could be a little easy to miss, but we were forewarned that its kind of like entering a basement on the side of the building so we found it very easily.
Greeted with some bubbly and appetizers and we were off to a good start! I really liked our teacher, I believe his name was Andrew. He referred to himself as a «Wine Geek» which was certainly more welcoming and amusing than the typical «Wine snob». We all introduced ourselves and what we were hoping to get out of the «class» — it was great that Andrew ACTUALLY took the time to then go back to what people had said they were hoping to learn & touched on many of them (i.e.: it was nice to not just play some silly little ice breaker game)
The first hour-​ish was spent tasting 4 different wines: Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. Talked about each one, how it would pair with food, how to taste wine & what we were smelling, seeing & tasting… we even tried the wine with some cheese, olives and jam to see how they paired.
The second part is actually a dinner with some more paired wines. (To be honest… food was *eh* but that’s OK when you’re drinking wines… a lot of wines… refills all around…) Andrew came around and we were able to ask more personalized questions that obtained more to why we were there or our own personal experiences with wines.
I’d go back in a flash. In fact, me & my boyfriend went home and immediately looked up other wine classes or events we could go to!

What a hidden gem! I had lived up the street from this place for years and never gone in. Little did I know it’s not just a liqour store… it’s a whole experience!
This place is located on Comm Ave where there’s the big flashing sign «Brookline Liqours». It’s adorable inside and the classes are so cool!
We took a «Burger and Wine» class and the teacher/​owner was very knowledgeable, personable, and fun. Laid back class, nothing snooty about it. We all learned something and had delcious food and wine.
Definitely a fun thing to do as a girls night or with a date. Try it out!

Like most people who live in Brighton, I walk/​bike/​ride by this place twice a day and always wondered what the deal was. I went last night for the Fine Wine Tasting on a Budget class, which was a bunch of fun. Although most of their classes are out of my price range, this one hit the spot at 35 $ a person.
There were 7 or 8 wines that we sampled, each under 10 $ a bottle. The guy running the class explained how to taste and savor the wine, and helped us explore what we liked (or didn’t like) about them. He also gave us tips about buying fine wines on the cheap. I found it interesting that a few of the bottles he had never sampled before — just picked them up using his tips and tricks to find something good.
The appetizers were, of course, a bummer for a vegan but I wasn’t expecting to eat anything other than bread as a palate cleanser. There were two olives and a date, which was delicious. The pineapple was soiled by two pieces of salumi, but whatever. I was here for wine, not food! :)
I would definitely go here again. I think this would be a fun place to take an oenophile for their birthday /​anniversary /​whatever.

I walked by this place many times on my nightly walks along Comm av.
I have been to several wine classes before. I think that Jonathan really makes the class shine. What I really like about the instructor is that he really puts the focus on what do YOU like in wine. He wants to impart the basics, but you are only one that can tell what you like to drink.
Will definitely be going back for more.

Do you want to have fun and want to learn about wine? And by learning, i dont mean reading boring books. I’m talking about drinking it and discussing it. Then you want to come here. Jonathon Alsop answers all questions about wine and tells you everything about it along with stuff to nibble on.
I just finished the 4-​week ‘Wine Tasting for the Complete Novice’ class and it was totally worth it. I have taken other classes also and will be taking more classes.
has a whole calendar of events and prices. Check it out!
–Khemara

I have no idea how I originally found this place, but I’m so glad I did. Over the past year we have made our way to the Fine Wine on a Tight Budget class (2 times), a beginning red wine class, a few beer classes and a few other misc. wine classes.
For the price of admission, which is usually $ 35 – 50 depending on the class, you are treated to about 8 wines, some wonderful nibbles, and a really knowledgeable instructor.
Jonathon’s love for wine is contagious and his method of teaching is welcoming to input from others. Be prepared to talk about yourself, what you came to the wine school to learn, and to walk away with some great knowledge about some wines you may never have encountered at the liquor store.
Check out the calendar and be sure to stop by for a class… or three!

How have I not heard of this place sooner?
Rather than go to the highly-​advertised and often pretentious wine tastings at fancy restaurants around town, I decided to take my hubby to Jonathon Alsop’s Boston Wine School for his birthday gift.
The place itself is great (though it would’ve been cool to have gone to the original location, Jonathon’s actual wine cellar in his home) — light, airy, open, with exposed brick, and my favorite part were the chalkboards with all sorts of geeky fun wine facts.
We had a small group for our class on comparing syrah and shiraz. Jonathon was a great leader, giving clear direction on better ways to introduce yourself to the wine before slugging it down. If there were questions (there were many!), he answered them thoroughly. There was no snobbery to be found, and it was a really nice casual and relaxed atmosphere. And of course it’s a great way to meet new people with a common interest.
In addition to the 6+ wines we tried, we also had some snacks to nibble on, which were excellent. The class ran over its alloted time, but Jonathon in no way rushed us out, and 30 minutes later, he still encourged us to eat and drink as much of the foot and wine that was leftover.
I/​we were very pleasantly surprised at the experience, as we really weren’t sure what to expect.
One thing’s for sure — we’ll be back for more classes, definitely! The variety and number of classes offered is almost too many, as it’s difficult for me to decide which one (s) to sign up for!

I had a fantastic experience at Boston Wine School last weekend. A girlfriend of mine and I went for an Argentinian wine tasting. The price was $ 35 and we were very surprised, upon arrival, to find out that it included food as well. Good thing, too, because we tasted seven, yes SEVEN, wines! We were greeted by a very friendly Jonathan and staff and were immediately handed a glass of sparkling wine. The tasting was informative and thoroughly enjoyable. It wasn’t stuffy at all, despite the fact that the service was very professional and classy (which is a good thing!). Bonus is that there’s free parking behind the building (**Insider’s tip though… Don’t drive unless you don’t plan on fully participating in the tasting. I was definitely slightly tipsy when I left).
Bravo Boston Wine School! I have already recommended you to many friends and will definitely be back.

Jonathon Alsop’s Boston Wine School is a blast! My girlfriend and I have done a number of his wine classes and always love his highly informed, and always entertaining wine class. Whether it was personifying our sample of 5 wines to the starting lineup of the 1987 Boston Celtics, or getting a real handle on what exactly Pinotage is, his classes are well worth it.
His new space is great because it’s really easy to get to, and can hold more people — our group of friends can all attend class at the same time now! :-)
Definitely a fun and different way to do a birthday event, get together with the people from work, or just a little wine learning afterwork or on the weekend.