Du Jour: Steve Staples, wine expert

For the last 25 years, local wine expert Steve Staples has been turning Baton Rougeans on to wine through his popular wine-tasting classes, taught through the LSU Leisure Classes series. This fall is no exception. Once again Staples, who works by day for national wine distributor Glazer’s, will feature his bedrock class, “The Taste of Wine,” along with a specialty class that zeroes in on the wines of the southern Mediterranean. Only a spot or two remain, but he’ll feature another duo of classes in the spring, repeating “Taste” and adding a session on wines of the West Coast. Staples’ approach to wine is famously approachable and fun. He stresses the subjectivity of wine drinking, telling his students that if they like 60% to 70% of his recommendations, he considers his guidance successful. Novice wine tasters are welcome. Click here to read more.