American Marketing Association
Bank of America
Cox Media
Deloitte Consulting LLP
Glaxo Smith Kline
GMAC Financial Services
Hyatt Hotels
International Society of Event Specialists
Marriott Hotels
Meeting Professionals International
Nestle Corporation
Northrop Grumman
San Diego Padres
Sun Microsystems
The Ritz-Carlton Hotels
Trump Resort
The Wine Heretic offers entertaining teambuilding and educational wine and food presentations, delivered at your facility!
Sick of those same old group and corporate event? Team building has become too boring. The Wine Heretic combines edgy humor, fun activities and an informal atmosphere with his corporate team building and group events. Choose from many of his popular corporate events including:
Book John Alongé, the Wine Heretic, today for your corporate presentation or team building event. Call 619-607-0575 or email john@wineheretic.com.
Blend-Your-Own-Wine
This is a fun and educational teambuilding experience for all! We prepare samples of pure cabernet sauvignon, merlot and syrah and present them on a labeled place mat. First, we explore the art and science of wine blending, then we review each component wine and its blending characteristics. Next, each team creates their own signature blend along with a name for their wine and a label design. They then submit their creations to a tasting panel. The judges taste all the samples blind and award prizes to the team whose wine best fulfills the judging parameters. This is a highly participatory and entertaining event. The event will require approximately 60-90 minutes to complete.
Travel fees apply for bookings outside of San Diego County.
Set up needs:
Tables and chairs for all participants (divided into teams of up to 8pp.) One 6-foot judging table (draped) Three wine glasses per person Water at each table A sound system with wireless microphone (for groups larger than 30pp)
Incredible Culinary Combinations!
Enter a world of fabulous finger foods and exotic beverages in this unique and exciting presentation. Join Chef Carissa Giacalone (finalist in The Next Food Network Star) and beverage guru John Alongé (author of The Wine Heretic’s Bible) on this exciting food and beverage voyage. Your taste buds will never be the same again!
Chef Carissa will create bite-sized masterpieces brimming with powerful flavors and John will pair them with unique wines, cocktails and beers. Capture all the excitement of a live studio show, creating an unforgettable culinary experience for your clients. Attendees will get to sample all foods and beverages and will be given recipes and product lists at the end of the presentation.
Sample Pairings
(three food & beverage combinations will be selected for each presentation) Seared Ruby Rare Tuna with Wasabi Sauce/ Wasabi Root-Ginger Martini Rare Beef Slice with Black Pepper Crust/ Grenache Black Pepper Strawberries with Aged Balsamic Vinegar/ Sparkling Shiraz Seared Foie Gras with Sour Cherry Sauce/ Belgian Cherry Lambic Chocolate-Chipotle Mousse/ Imperial Stout Grilled Mission Figs with Stilton / Dry Muscat Granny Smith & Brie Crostini/ Vinho Verde Pink Peppercorn & Black Sesame Seed Encrusted Ahi Tuna/ Saké Pan-Seared Scallops with Ginger-Lime Beurre Blanc /Champagne Crispy Warm Rosemary Goat Cheese Bites with Red Pepper Coulis/ Bandol
Travel fees apply for bookings outside of San Diego County.
Set up needs:
Tables and chairs for all participants
Three 6-foot banquet tables (draped)
Four wine glasses per person
Water at each table
A sound system with 2 wireless microphones (for groups larger than 50pp)
Find the $100 Wine
A lot of what people believe about wine (and how much they are willing to pay for it) is based less on their own perception and more on ratings, packaging and marketing. In this unique presentation, guests will learn about how we really perceive wine. The group will then proceed to a blind tasting of three different wines: one very expensive (and highly rated) and two value-priced, well made wines. The group will be tasked with determining which wine is the expensive one, based on their own perception of the tasting characteristics that they learned about in the first segment of the presentation. Participants gain a new appreciation of their own ability to decide what they really like and are willing to pay for. This presentation will take approximately 60-90 minutes to complete.
Travel fees apply for bookings outside of San Diego County.
Set up needs:
Tables and chairs for all participants
One 6-foot judging table (draped)
Dry erase board with easel
Three wine glasses per person
Water at each table
A sound system with wireless microphone (for groups larger than 30pp)
Wine & Culinary Game Show
Imagine an exciting, high energy game show based entirely on food and wine! This event is guaranteed to have your group enthused and engaged. First, we divide everyone into teams. Part one is based on the Jeopardy game show and features a giant game board. One by one, the individual teams send up contestants to choose questions of varying point values. Correct answers accumulate “dollars” for the team total. In part two, the teams are challenged to develop lists on specific food and wine subjects as prompted by the game show host. Points are awarded for the number of correct entries and subtracted for incorrect ones. Finally, the judges tally the team totals and gather everyone to announce the winning team. Prizes will be awarded to the winning team members. The event will require approximately 90-120 minutes to complete.
Travel fees apply for bookings outside of San Diego County.
Set up needs:
Tables and chairs for all participants (divided into teams of up to 8pp)
2 belly bars
Dry erase board with easel
A sound system with wireless microphone (for groups larger than 30pp)
Behind-the-Scenes Winery Tour
This trip will take you way beyond the typical winery tasting room experience. John will personally lead your group through the entire visit. You’ll tour a local winery from the vineyards to the production facility to the aging cellars, learning the entire winemaking process from growing the grapes to blending and aging the wines. A private tasting in the aging cellars and a box lunch are included. Duration, including transport time, is approximately six hours.
Box lunch includes selection of a sandwich, salad, bag of chips, dessert, and bottled water, presented in an elegant tissue lined box with napkin, fork, salt, pepper, and wet nap. Other lunch options are available.
Transportation Options:
Option 1 – Minicoach (up to 29 guests)
Option 2 – Motorcoach (up to 47 guests)
Option 3 – Limo Bus (up to 19 guests)
Transportation prices will vary based upon specific vehicle selection and seasonal availability.Travel fees apply for bookings outside of San Diego County.
5 Easy Steps to Really Enjoying Wine
This entertaining presentation will appeal to novices and experts alike! John will help guests debunk the wine snob mystique and get to the heart and soul of enjoying wine. Audience participation makes this event unique every time. Participants will learn how to pick a wine from even the most extensive wine list, how to avoid intimidation when selecting wines and information on current trends in world winemaking styles. This event will require approximately 60-90 minutes to complete.
Travel fees apply for bookings outside of San Diego County.
Set up needs:
Chairs (classroom-style) for all participants
Two 6-foot banquet tables (draped)
Dry erase board with easel
A sound system with wireless microphone (for groups larger than 30pp)
Crash Course in Wine
In this entertaining presentation, individual participants are asked to come up with a “wine fact”, something they know or have heard about wine. John will then dissect this information, educating and entertaining participants with the details behind their factoids and separating fiction from fact. Each person will sample four wines to illustrate various specific wine characteristics. Participants will walk away with a broader understanding of the world of wine and a memorable tasting experience. This event will require approximately 60-90 minutes to complete.
Travel fees apply for bookings outside of San Diego County.
Set up needs:
Chairs (classroom-style) for all participants
Two 6-foot banquet tables (draped)
Dry erase board with easel
Four wine glasses per person
A sound system with wireless microphone (for groups larger than 30pp)
Regional Wine Tasting
Explore the diversity of varietals and winemaking styles of various viticultural areas in this animated presentation. Participants will be guided on a progressive tasting of four wines selected from four major wine producing regions. A narrative account of regional differences in style, winemaking techniques, microclimates and historical perspective will be offered. A question-and-answer period will be included. The event will require approximately 60-90 minutes to complete. *Note: This tasting can feature a selection of domestic or international wines.
Travel fees apply for bookings outside of San Diego County.
Set up needs:
Chairs (classroom-style) for all participants
Two 6-foot banquet tables (draped)
Dry erase board with easel
Four wine glasses per person
A sound system with wireless microphone (for groups larger than 30pp)
Sushi Tasting with Saké (or Wine) Pairing
Enjoy the excitement of live sushi making instruction along with an educational pairing presentation four appropriately paired sakes or wines. Guests will be treated to a selection of freshly made sushi paired with John’s specifically paired sake or wine selections.
Travel fees apply for bookings outside of San Diego County.
Wine & Cheese Pairing
In this entertaining presentation, participants will taste and compare a variety of cheeses and wines and learn how they complement each other. They will sample cheese from different origins, different types of milk, and different production techniques. We will pair them with diverse wines, specially selected to enhance the attributes of the various cheeses. Learn the secrets of matching flavors to maximize your enjoyment. This class includes three distinctive wine/cheese pairings. This event will require approximately 60-90 minutes to complete.
Travel fees apply for bookings outside of San Diego County.
Set up needs:
Chairs (classroom-style) for all participants
Two 6-foot banquet tables (draped)
Three wine glasses per person
A sound system with wireless microphone (for groups larger than 30pp)
Wine & Chocolate Pairing
In this fascinating presentation, participants will learn about the origins of various chocolates and the production techniques used to produce the final, delicious edible product. We will then proceed to sample three fine chocolates with various wines and ports specially selected to enhance their flavors. Enjoy the pure decadence of these delightful pairings. The event will require approximately 60-90 minutes to complete.
Travel fees apply for bookings outside of San Diego County.
Set up needs:
Chairs (classroom-style) for all participants
Two 6-foot banquet tables (draped)
Three wine glasses per person
A sound system with wireless microphone (for groups larger than 30pp)
