Clifton Wine Shop to Offer Classes

Lucinda Lawson is bringing more than just her taste in wine to The Clifton Wine Shop. Lawson, who bought the store in July and reopened in September, is a former college professor, and decided that the shop needed to start educating customers. 

"The first class is on the seven varietals of Bordeaux," Lawson told Patch. "I'm slowly becoming a wine expert because I'm such a nerd. I love researching and reading and finding unique wines that you can't find anywhere else." 

So, what does it take to become a wine expert? Patch asked David Glancy, a customer visiting the wine shop who just so happens to be a Master Sommelier (one of 197 in the world), and the chief education officer of the San Francisco Wine School.

"You start out by tasting wines and finding out what you like," said Glancy. "And everyone thinks of themselves as a wine expert, but the first sign of spotting a fraud is when you meet people who call themselves experts. You can never learn too much." 

Lawson, an Arkansas native, previously taught human resource management at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Penn. She moved to Clifton in 2011, and started working at the wine shop in May of that year. "The best degree you can have is to have a few degrees of freedom to do what you want to do, and not necessarily do what you're good at," Lawson said. "And there's so much to learn here that I'll always be busy."

Classes at the Clifton Wine Shop, 7145 C Main St., begin Jan. 22 and will be held Tuesdays from 7:30-9 p.m.