A clueless American in Paris - why I am taking this class - Eddy Bueser

In January of 2018, I moved to Paris to live with my boyfriend of 5 years. I loved the challenge of immersing myself in a new country, despite barely knowing how to speak the language. French culture is distinct in so many ways from American culture, but the biggest difference of all was the role that wine played in everyone's lives. To the French, wine is so much more than just fermented "grape juice" - it's a national treasure, a source of pride, and the cause of so many heated dinner-time debates. I was an ignorant innocent bystander in so many of these debates, as my SO and his friends would bicker over the superiority of "Bordeaux vs. Burgundy." Before I left Paris to come to the GSB, my colleagues pooled their money and gifted me a single bottle of wine on my last day. I only realized later, thanks to my SO, that the bottle was a Chateau d'Yquem, Sauternes - a special bottle, to say the least.

My candid reason for taking this class is that France and french culture will likely become a big part of my life in the near future (cue the wedding bells). My goal is to "be dangerous" on the subject, enough to engage in meaningful debates with my French friends, and maybe teach them a thing or two. While I don't see myself actually working in the wine industry, I'm certain that what I learn from this class will be useful in any business context, business dinners included. My second reason for taking this class is to have fun - and based off of our first class, I'm sure there will be no shortage of that in future class sessions.