San Francisco - September 16, 2004

Sippin' Safari

The Wine Tutor

Remember high-school field trips?

Probably not, since you were too busy sneaking sips of Boone’s Strawberry Hill from your backpack.

The field trip is alive and well, but now the drinking takes center stage. John Thoreen, a.k.a. the Wine Tutor, leads two-day customized jaunts behind the scenes of Napa’s most exclusive cellars and vineyards. Name your favorite Chardonnay or Pinot, and the 30-year veteran of the region will take you and up to a dozen of your friends on a quest for preferred varietals, proto-cult wines, or boutique vineyards. The 48-hour lesson is further enhanced by picnics and Thoreen’s pearls of pre-Socratic philosophy that will remind you of the libation’s roots — not only in the ground, but also in history.

We doubt he’ll touch on your early experiences with the fruit of the vine.

The Wine Tutor (707-738-5274 or winetutor.com).