Bottles replace books<br>in Penn's newest seminar

On any given Saturday night, Penn students sit down to romantic candlelight dinners. The meals may cost a week's pay. The lights are dim, the violin plays softly in the background and, so far, the companions seem pleased. But there is one thing missing -- and the students are lost on how to order it. Wine -- it's a part of our culture, our society and our professional lives. If knowledgeable on the beverage, a person can throw a posh party or impress the boss at a business lunch. But, when it comes to wine, most undergraduates are clueless. "I drink a lot of wine, but I don't really know what's what," College senior Constantin Friedman said. Now the Penn Philomathean Society is hoping to change that, with the help of the Drug and Alcohol Resource Team. The society has launched a wine-tasting seminar this semester, determined to turn Penn students into wine connoisseurs. It's not entirely ironic that DART, an organization that cautions against alcohol abuse, supports a seminar promoting wine. In fact, DART president Molly Macdonald said that this seminar is a safe way of showing people how to enjoy wine. She came to the first session to advise students to drink responsibly. "We're a peer health education group," she explained to the students in attendance. "Our mission on Penn's campus is to provide education to reduce high-risk drinking. Educate your friends not only on what to drink but also on how to drink." Philo started the seminar in hopes of creating a more well-rounded Penn student. "Since 1813, our mission has been to increase the prestige of the University in the modern world," Philo President and Wharton senior Nikhil Da Victoria Lobo explained. "The reason we want to work with wine is that wine is a cultural activity. It's not something you engage in for the sake of having alcohol." The society will hold six sessions for this seminar throughout the semester. Thirty Penn seniors, all of whom are 21 or older, attend each workshop. Deborah Scoblionkov, the wine columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer, and Jim Anderson, a Philadelphia wine and food connoisseur, teach these sessions. Scoblionkov and Anderson didn't know the difference between a Chardonnay and a Cabernet before venturing to Europe, where both discovered wine was an integral part of the culture. "I lived in Europe for three years," Scoblionkov explained. "Soda was pretty expensive. Wine was the cheapest beverage at that time." Anderson learned about wine during his visit to France. And after learning about wine, both now use their understanding in their daily professional lives. So what will the two teach Penn students? "I want for them to develop a sensitivity to wine and incorporate it into their lives," Scoblionkov said. "I hope that they'll be able to feel confident in any setting that might require them to make a choice of what to drink," Anderson added. "It can be an intimidating thing." Scoblionkov started off the first session with a short history of wine, then poured some of the beverage for the students to try. She explained that the seminar will have a "practical approach to wine." Most students in the seminar consider themselves novices when it comes to wine. Scoblionkov said that those unfamiliar with fine wine might opt for commercial popularity rather than quality. "Usually people stick with a very safe, recognizable wine, and those are some of the most boring ones out there," Scoblionkov noted. Macdonald added that there aren't too many opportunities on campus to learn about wine, especially since other drinks are more popular at pubs and parties. "I think wine is not one of the primary beverages that is consumed," she said. "I think the drink of choice would be either liquor or beer." Some say education on wine and other alcoholic drinks may even cut down on binge-drinking. "You end up drinking less and getting more out of it," Anderson explained. The key is learning to savor the quality -- the taste, the smell and the texture. The Office of Student Health, which often deals with students suffering from over-consumption of alcohol, applauds the new wine-tasting seminar. "People who participate in wine-tasting are interested in the use of alcohol in a responsible fashion," said Evelyn Wiener, director of Student Health Services. "Alcohol is a part of this society and it is the responsibility of the University and various service departments to provide education, screening, counseling, treatment and referrals."

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