Still learning after all these years

So I'm taking a class at UCLA (analog photography) and the teacher gave us all a handout at the end of the class. I got home and looked at it and it was the Wikipedia entry for Henri Cartier-Bresson. And I thought, um, I coulda done that. But if it's cheating if students cut and paste from the Wiki isn't it LAZY if the teacher just uses Wiki handouts?

Anyway off to a more fun, the beloved C and I are taking a wine appreciation class and it started this week. Here are some wines:

NV Mirabelle - eh, a crisp sparkler from CA but nothing really yummy.

1998 Montecillo Rioja Gran Reserva - this Rioja was lovely, tingly nicotine.

2005 Cortio 111 Rioja - this baby was young and yummy. It was also 7.99 and for that price it is a good value. It had enough tanin to give it a bit of a bite but not too oppressive and very pleasant mouth feel.

2005 Schoffit Gewurtraminer Cuvee Caroline - Yuck. Sweet. Had that typical Gewurtz nose, but thick and viscous on the tongue.

2005 Rombauer Chardonnay - oaky and buttery with malolactic fermentation, this is the kind of wine that gives chardonnay a bad name -yuck.

2004 Meo Camuzet Bourgogne - This smelled like good soil. There was a but of nicotine and dirt and fruit in the nose and on the tongue. I tasted it and thought "WOW" I really have never had any good Bugundies before and this one was something.

2005 Witness Tree Pinot Noir - this pinot from Willamette valley in Oregon was more fruit forward than the Burgundy above but it was wonderful as well, though it got a bit out of the dirt, reminding me of the Merce Cunningham saying about leaving Martha Graham's company - "I wanted to get off my knees!" Well this one wanted to get out of the dirt and it had flavors of cherry and blackberry and nicotine.

2005 Dr. Loosed Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese - this riesling was very, very sweet. It's apparently a wonderful wine, but so totally not to my taste, I thought it was ICKY.