Get an education in wine at African American Vintners

Ursula Watson / The Detroit News

You, your honey bunny and a bottle of wine are usually the perfect ingredients for a wonderful evening at home. But for many, selecting a bottle of wine can be daunting.

Get an education while enjoying a night on the town on Nov. 20 when the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History hosts African American Vintners.

Red and white wines from three African American-owned wineries -- Vision Cellar Wines, Esterlina Vineyards and Brown Estates -- will be featured. There also will be South African wines that are not produced by vintners of color.

The cost is $35 per person but the evening may be worth the dough. In addition to the wines, there will be live entertainment and hors d'oeuvres, says museum spokeswoman Tina Tinsley.

And those with questions about wine can ask the "wine guy" Chuck Jackson during the event's Wine Tasting 101. Jackson is one of the founders of Mahogany Tasters, a local group that provides wine and spirits education and consultation for the novice and the connoisseur.

Jackson says people often shy away from events like these. "I have met many people who have been turned off by what they feel is snobbery of wine tastings," he says. "Many feel it is not a welcoming environment.

"We hope that we will have enough interest by connoisseurs to come and drink wine they haven't had before and that the novice will come and not feel intimidated," Jackson says. "We want them to come and be comfortable and learn about wines."

During his appearance at the museum, he will run attendees through wine-tasting etiquette, tasting techniques and how to get the most out of the experience.

A trip to Napa Valley, following the death of his father several years ago, prompted Jackson to explore wine.

"My dad always talked about some of the things he wanted to do in his life and I started thinking about what I wanted to do and hadn't done. I was looking for my passion."

While he went on to graduate from law school, he never passed the bar.

"It wasn't my passion," Jackson says. "I learned that I enjoy working in groups and I had a knack for wine education. When I study wine or research about wine, I never get tired of it."

uwatson@detnews.com (313) 222-2613