Tim Barr is teaching students a meaningful way to drink.

For Barr, an instructor of food studies at Syracuse University for 18 years, this includes catering your drink to a specific occasion and knowing when to cut yourself off.

“It’s a product you have to respect, and I definitely respect it,” Barr said.

Throughout his wine and beer appreciation course, Barr teaches a delicate balance between enjoyment and respect. Barr said this has become especially important after SU was ranked the top party school, but added that the students who have contributed to SU’s reputation for drinking are not the ones in his class.

“I think the ones that are there truthfully want to learn something,” Barr said.

Recalling a recent encounter with a former student, Barr was impressed when he saw how she had retained knowledge of wine’s subtle complexities.

“She had her sleeve up and was holding the wine up to it and was explaining (it) to the guy she was with,” Barr said.

Barr said that this technique ensured the wine was being compared against a white background, a tip the student had picked up during the course of the semester.

As a member of the restaurant industry for 40 years, Barr considers himself to be especially appreciative of wine and other alcoholic drinks, but this hasn’t always been the case.

“When I was younger I probably would have had six of whatever it was. I’ve since realized that there’s a lot more to be said for quality than quantity,” Barr said.

And to stress the importance of moderation to his students, Barr uses the concept of “terroir” — knowing the right time and place for each specific beverage.

But while Barr said the idea of the class is responsible drinking, he also encourages the students to broaden their horizons and move away from cheap beer.

“About 15 years ago, I always appreciated it, but it got to the point where I started realizing how good the different wines and different beers were,” Barr said. “It broadened my horizons too.”

Published on October 29, 2014 at 12:01 am

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