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Learning about wine online is about to become a lot more fun, with the April 1 launch of the eVineyard TasteTour Wine Course. Designed to appeal to both novice wine drinkers and aficionados who crave new knowledge, the course offers its members an in-depth experience with a new wine varietal each month.

eVineyard chief wine officer Ronn Wiegand, Master Sommelier, Master of Wine and creator of Restaurant Wine magazine and TasteTour Wine Guides, has designed the course to provide an experience that is as entertaining as it is educational. Every month for six months, participants will receive three bottles of high-quality wines of a particular varietal, accompanied by the TasteTour Wine Guide featuring a single varietal and commentary by Wiegand about that month's wine selections.

Beginning with Merlot in April, the featured varietals will continue with Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel and Chardonnay. Wiegand will select each trio of bottles to represent a variety of regions and styles. Two tiers of wines will be available to club members: a distinctive selection at $349 and a premium selection at $799. eVineyard customers can sign up for the course at any time.

Wiegand's commentary will cover the specific characteristics of each wine in the monthly shipment, as well as discussing how those qualities relate to the wines' producers and their regions of origin. "Getting down to the basics of a particular grape's classic characteristics really opens the door to a greater understanding of that varietal," said Wiegand. "And by selecting bottles from around the world, we're able to highlight the nuances of how one varietal has different personalities depending on where it's grown."

"By developing this special wine course with the expertise of one of the world's great wine authorities, eVineyard is offering online wine buyers truly a one-of-a-kind opportunity," said Brett E. Lauter, vice president and chief marketing officer for eVineyard. "This blend of fine wine enjoyment and education is the type of hands-on experience that makes wine appreciation such a pleasure."

About eVineyard

With its ten current logistic centers, eVineyard sells premium wines to each of the country's top 10 wine markets, reaching over 75% of the United States market for off-premise premium wine sales. eVineyard's recent acquisition of WineBuyer.com and its related technology have positioned the company for expansion in the B2B space. The company expects to achieve profitability in 2001.

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