I got angry when I read this story. Really angry. It’s bad enough that owner Michel Monzain of Tony’s Wine Warehouse in Dallas is fleecing customers by charging them outrageous prices for wines, sometimes two or three times the typical retail price elsewhere in the country, but the classes he holds to “educate his customers” are some of the most horrific sounding collections of misinformation and lies I’ve ever heard of.

From outrageous explanations of why French and American Oak aged wines taste different (French Oak barrels are made from trees that grow near mushrooms, while American Oak barrels are scorched on the inside), to ridiculous theories as to why some wines are better than others (the grape vines’ roots go deeper), the “instructors” at this large retailer in Dallas spout such rot it’s hard to believe it’s possible.

It’s hard enough to slowly educate the wine drinking public of America, and eliminate the stigma of wine being a complicated and high-class beverage without jerks running sham businesses like this one. I applaud the Dallas Observer for their expose. Take a read.