Greetings from Carrboro,

Context matters. Case in point: my mother couldn’t tell a joke to save her life. A few words into her set-up, she’d start to laugh and then momentarily gather herself to adroitly deliver in a rush the one thing she did remember correctly – the punch line. Or, at least, what was always assumed to be the punch line. Because she’d subsequently laugh even harder, leaving the rest of us somewhat befuddled thinking that there might be more to her joke. Until she’d say “that’s such a good one,” and walk out of the room.

Trying to understand wine can be a lot like deciphering my mother’s jokes. You’re given the punch line – the wine – but have to work backwards from there to extricate any sense of what you’re drinking and why you might enjoy it. And too often wine professionals do nothing but obfuscate with talk of “barrel programs” and “whole-cluster fermentation” leaving you even more confused than where you started. So, you keep your head down and buy whatever is on sale. And, ba-dum-tss, the punch line is once again delivered without any of the necessary set-up.

Well, we’re here to help. With wine, not comedy. On consecutive Sundays in September – the 7th and 14th – Kevin & Amy are going to provide some of that much needed context with classes at Atlas. Around Italian wine – and Italy – in specific. We’re going to concentrate with straightforward deep dives into two very different wine regions and the very different wines that they produce. Both Puglia and Tuscany have made wine for centuries. In both cases, the disparate wines are profound expressions of each regione, its people, and the unique lessons that can only be codified by time and hard-won experience. The classes will run from 4pm to 6pm. And space will be limited to 20 people.

On Sunday the 7th, we’ll explore Puglia, the sun-drenched heel of the Italian peninsula. Grapevines have been grown there since before the Pax Romana in the first century BC. A place where it’s not uncommon to hear, “that olive tree is only 300 years old.” But even with that long history the wines are relatively unknown. The recent history has been pioneered by trailblazing winemakers and winegrowers (many of them women) who are reimagining the place and the various wines produced. Tickets for the class are $40.

On Sunday the 14th, our focus turns to Tuscany. The land of the Medicis and Danté and Michelangelo. And while so much of that rich history still animates our modern conception of the place, Tuscany remains a fabulously vibrant and thriving part of Italy. If Puglia is unknown, Tuscany is too well known, locked in marble like the slaves of Michelangelo – timeless and yet unfinished. The class will focus on the noble wines that have made Chianti and Brunello household names and also the new generation of artisans framing the conversation around Tuscan food and wine. And, yes, there will be food. Class will run 4pm-6pm. Tickets are $48.

All of this is, of course, the perfect segue to Bill Belichick. Because in light of the pending supernova that is the UNC vs TCU game on Monday night, Acme is opening early – 4pm! – on the 1st to provide the all-important degustation required to guarantee a Labor Day victory for the Heels. ANd Monday Funday rules apply. By the way, what the hell is a horned frog?

Well, that’s all the news from Carrboro. The staff at Acme look forward to serving you soon.

Cheers,
The Staff at Acme