"extension classes" news and stories

Some topics don't quite strike me as candidates for online education. Clay modeling. Flying lessons. Childbirth. I might have put wine there, too (since there's no substitute for learning by tasting, after all!) but now a new UC Irvine Extension course may have changed my mind.

The course's main advantages:

1. You don't have to actually go anywhere or talk to anyone
2. If you accidentally taste too much, there's no driving involved
3. If wine makes you anxious, you can learn about it in private

OK, I'm being a little flip. The course is actually interesting. It's called "A Sommelier's Secret Guide to the Wine List: Wine and Food Galore," and it teaches students how to ID value wine on a wine list and pair it with food. If you know nothing about wine and are suddenly entertaining clients on a huge expense budget (though who but AIG has those anymore?) this might be the class for you.

More info: www.extension.uci.edu