COURSE NUMBER: MBA 294.2

COURSE TITLE: Wine Industry Speaker Series

UNITS OF CREDIT: 1

FACULTY SPONSOR: Greg La Blanc

STUDENT ORGANIZERS: Christine Chu, Nate Keller, Stephanie White

EMAIL ADDRESES: christine_chu@mba.berkeley.edu; nate_keller@haas.berkeley.edu; Stephanie_white@mba.berkeley.edu

MEETING DAY(S)/TIME: Wednesday, 6:00 - 8:00PM

PREREQUISITE(S): none

CLASS FORMAT:

Classroom activities will consist of a series of guest speakers who will lecture on various aspects of the wine industry. There may be some panel discussions as well. Class sessions will involve both lectures about the wine industry and wine tastings.

REQUIRED READINGS:

There is no textbook or reader for this class, although we will try to provide background material on the speaker prior to each class.

COURSE FEE: There is a $150 fee to take the class, and it covers both wine and food. Please PayPal wineclub@haas.berkeley.edu no later than 1/21/14.

BASIS FOR FINAL GRADE: Attendance is mandatory! Missing more than two classes will result in no credit.

ABSTRACT OF COURSE'S CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES:

The Wine Industry Speaker Series is a holistic survey of the production, distribution, economics, marketing, and culture of oenology. All classes will comprise a presentation from an expert in an area of the wine business, followed by Q&A, but all include wine tasting. This perennially popular class promises significant learning, excellent wine, great company, and plenty of fabulous speakers.

We have divided the course into three sections: Wine Tasting & Basics, The Wine Value Chain, and The Wine Industry from the Outside-In. We will cover everything from small family wineries selling direct to consumer, to grape sourcing, to importing regulations, to wine journalism, to wine criticism.

Glasses: you will form groups of six students, and each group will receive a box of twelve glasses. You are responsible for these glasses for the whole semester, including storage and cleaning, and broken or missing glasses will result in a $15 replacement fee.

Food: each group is responsible for bringing food for one class, and the schedule will be posted after the first class. Stuff like hummus and chips, carrots/celery, pita bread, deli meats, and fresh fruit all works well; pizza does not. Please bring plates and serving utensils, and email Nate Keller after the class to be reimbursed