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. read more

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! read more

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! read more

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! read more

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. read more

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). read 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. bostonwineschool.com has a whole calendar of events and prices. Check it out! -Khemara read more

My company gave us a gift: a wine tasting class at the BWS!!! It was wonderful- the teacher was not in the least a wine snob. We all learned so much and had so much fun. Go if you can! read more

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! read more

I'm surprised there aren't more reviews for the Boston Wine School. What a great place. I'm on class #2 of 3 in a "Wines of Italy" tour and it has just been so much more fun and informative than most tastings I have done. In fact, I think I might actually learn and remember something here. Anyone know what the upcoming wine is in the South of Italy? I'll give you a hint, it is often compared to Italian Shiraz. read more

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. read 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. read more

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! read more

The class was called "a night in Champagne" but the subtitle should have been "with some noisy Americans" I know...I know, a bit snobby but the biggest things my fiancée and I took home from our class was how annoying some of the other students were. We paid $125 each to strain to hear the instructor over the sorority party happening at the end of our table. Pretty inconsiderate....and I wish the instructor was a little more proactive about reminding them why they were there. That being said, we DID enjoy our evening. The sparkling wines we had were (mostly) quite good and there was plenty to go around. It was also a very nice progression from lighter to heavier and they paired well with the food. The one disappointment was the there was no Nicolas Feuillatte as mentioned in the course description on the web site. The food....was decent (some better than others) but for $125 and a 6:30 to 9 pm class, I was expecting something a little more substantial. We were both still hungry at the end of the night. Another disappointment on the food front was that there were no oysters...also mentioned in the description on the web site. But again, the food paired well with the wines. The staff was very approachable and knowledgeable (and very informal) and provided us with some good (and useful) information on the history, production of, terminology, and future of bubble. They were also very happy to take questions and talk one-on -one and provided us with some really great insights into the business and how to pick out good wines (hint: pay attention to the distributor). The made sparkling wine more accessible. Aside from our displeasure with some of the other attendees, there were some people who were great at comparing notes about the wines with us....I think that's part of what made the class work so well. So would I go back again? Absolutely...but with some hesitation at going to the more expensive classes. Pros: Knowledgeable, approachable, informal staff Great space (and easy to get to) Well thought out class Some of the other students were great at sharing thoughts Plenty of bubbly Cons: No oysters or Feuillatte...both of which were in the description on the web site Food not substantial. Part of the group was loud, making it hard to hear instructor. Rating 7 out of 10 read more

My fiance and I attended the France versus Italy wine tasting last night and had a blast! The other attendees were really nice and there was such a great vibe set out by the Boston Wine School Class that it felt like we were all old friends 15 minutes in. I highly recommend Boston Wine School!! read more

The Boston Wine School is a fantastic place for anyone to go and learn more about wine and to enjoy a great social event as well - whether or not you no a pinot from your elbow. Jonathan, the owner operator, is very knowledgeable and a fantastic host. Events at the school are casual, fun and informative. The food was fantastic and the wines were even better! The school specializes in helping folks find great wine at great prices and there is absolutely no pressure to buy anything. After having attended two events at the school, I would recommend them highly for corporate/office events as well as for a fun night with friends! read more

Thanks Jonathan for such a great time. In March 2010, I had part of my bachelorette party here for a wine tasting class plus dinner. It was so fun! I highly recommend it, and I can't wait to go back! read more

Thank you Jonathan for a wonderful evening of great food and of course great wine. My husband and I can't wait to come back and take another class. We loved the fact that the class size is limited and we really got to learn about the wines being featured that night. I can't wait to go back to Tuscany. read more

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. read more

Jonathan is engaging, smart, and absolutely passionate about wine. But the course I took would have benefited from less lecturing, and more engagement from the group -- we waited for almost an hour before we actually began the tasting, as Jonathan described his method for helping us identify our favorite wine, and we sat mostly silently. Our verdict was: "too talky." I would have also loved more conversation about the topic of the night, which was France vs. Italy... is it terroir? Methods? Traditions? All in the grapes? Will probably try again, but would love to have less lecturing and better teacher-prompted engagement with the group. read more

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! read more

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. read more

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. read more

This is such a GREAT deal! No pretense or snobbery AND Jonathan lets you taste a lot of different wines. He is really laid back but he knows more about grapes than anyone I have met. When I think of the wine school, I think of a party and NOT adult education. This should be listed as a great night spot with a great way to meet new and sexy people who enjoy food and wine. Jonathan's classes get an A plus from me!!! I can hardly wait for the Fall classes to begin!!!!!!!! read more

My husband and I went to a class for wine novices at Middle Grey in Brookline this past Saturday night. It more than met our expectations. The founder Jonathan led the class and he was truly into all of our experiences with wine, what we liked and what we hoped to get out of this class. We learned so much about wine and ourselves. The appetizers and cheese plate were excellent and really helped you figure out how to mix wine and food. I can not say enough about the dinner. The food was excellent. It was an extremely enjoyable 3 hours. We experienced many different wines from bubbly to whites to reds. We learned how to experience wines and why and how we look, smell and taste the wine. My husband and I can not wait to go to another event. read more

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. read more

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. read more

I hosted an event here for work. Jonathon is very helpful and makes the event easy to plan. Everything was perfect! A lot of the wines you'll taste are sold in the connected liquor store and they're all budget friendly, so you can actually afford the wines you're tasting! I was very happy with the whole experience. This would be a great event for a bachelorette party, alumnae event, etc. The education portion was really interesting, but there was a lot of time to talk with your friends, too. read more

Trusting Yelp revieweres I gifted my husband with a three hour " How to taste wine and why" class held on a Saurday night. What a wonderful experience. Not only did we enjoy fabulous wine and appetizers but our ticket also included dinner. Jonathon and Adam were wonderful hosts who not only love wine but love entertaining and treated us all like guests We learned so much we didn't know about wine and just plain had a great time. Highly recommended. read more

This place is fantastic. I had a corporate event here recently and it was an incredible experience. I work in an industry where special milestones are normally celebrated with nice dinners, and in this one particular instance we decided to think a little outside the box and go with a wine tasting class and wine paired dinner. I'm very happy that we went this route, as Jonathan provided a very entertaining night. The wine class that my group took was called "Buy the Numbers," and was a run down of all the numeric elements that are involved with wine (Price, Age, etc.). Jonathan is someone who is very passionate about his craft but also very personable so the evening was both very informational but also very fun. I would encourage other people to consider events here (both personal and corporate), and look forward to coming here again. read more

I recently went to a private wine dinner with a few friends here and overall we were happy with the experience. I am forgetting the name of our host, but she was really amazing! She made it a really fun environment and we also learned a lot about the wines. The food was good, but not great. My biggest complaint is the room we were in, The website shows this really nice room with the brick wall and nice bar. What they don't show is that there is another back room where private parties are also held. To get to this room, you have to walk through the liquor store, through the loading dock area, and then into this dark, dingy, low ceiling, badly lit tiny room. They could really do a lot to spruce this room up! I was initially very skeptical about the dinner after being led to this room, but it turned out just fine thanks to our host. For the price we paid though, the room should have been A LOT nicer! It was certainly not a cheap experience, and for that kind of money, the food and ambiance need to be much better! Loved the experience, but don't think I would go back because of the price and what you get (or don't get) for it. read more