While it was perhaps not the right thing to do, I left for Burlington the next day.

Vermont Wine School was where I would spend the remainder of my time in Vermont. Interestingly enough; and in my favor, they had a class schedule that started fresh every two weeks. I also knew that I would potentially, and most likely, meet some other people who may even be attempting to become sommeliers.

Each class consisted of five to seven weeks of instruction. They had topics that focused specifically on countries to one in particular that focused entirely on France...a tough nut to crack in the wine world. I decided that I would soak up every bit of knowledge that I could muster. It may have been like "drinking from a fire hose", but I felt sure this would help me toward my end goal.

Focusing on the country of France would be of great importance. Perhaps I would learn enough to help me get thru the advanced exam and further study of the country would certainly be required in order to master France. Either way, I knew one thing for sure...my job would always be dynamic. The wine world has changed so much in a century, and even in the past twenty-five years, as was explained in my first class on the first day surrounding French wine.

France is considered "Old World" wine, but even in the "Old World"; the advent of technology and viticulture techniques and practices and the like have come so far that many of the veterans of the business have had to change their ways and philosophies around making wine. What worked in the past and was simply repeated year after year was no more.

The French now needed to evolve as much as the rest of the wine world, and I was about to learn how.