Geography of Wine Testimonials
“John Boyer is a great teacher and makes lectures very interesting. He's by far the best teacher I've had during my four years at VT.”
“Boyer is so amazing because he brings life into the classroom!”
“Online office hours are genius.”
“i think he was a very good teacher over all. he always made the class interesting and i learned alot about wine and grew to appreciate it more and enjoy it more than i have in the past. great teacher, love boyer he is a cool cat!”
“This was an amazing class. I learned a ton about wine. I really enjoyed the discussion panels; it was nice to hear other people’s opinions of wine. I did not really like the guest speaker on beer; the lecture was long and boring. The other guest speakers were great (i.e. cellaring, VA wines, bad wine lab). I liked the break down of the grading, and that as a class we got to decided the topics that were talked about. Thanks for a wonderful semester it was one of the best classes I have taken in my 4 years at college.”
“You made me love wine. God bless you sir!”
“Great course, very informative about a different subject matter. I HAVE GAINED MORE FROM THIS CLASS THAN ABOUT 75% OF OTHER CLASSES TAKEN AT TECH! Boyer does a great job of teaching it & making class enjoyable!”
“Mr. Boyer was an excellent teacher and I feel that he taught me more than I could have ever learned on my own.”
“Amazing Class, I learned so much about Wine and the regions of the world. Boyer is hands down the BEST professor at Virginia Tech”
“This class was informative and truly worth the time and effort. Also, the instructor, John Boyer, was very passionate about what he was teaching and it showed. As a math major I haven't felt that feeling since my Freshman year and I am now ending my Junior year. I wish I could be this interested and stimulated my all my classes. I enjoyed this class so much I will probably sit in on a few lectures next year if I have time.”
“I love this class. It was the best class I've taken here at Virginia Tech. Mr. Boyer made it fun to learn the material.”
“Watching the wine videos gave me a greater understanding of to smell and taste wine.”
“Boyer is always an amazing instructor. The layout of the class was perfect, and his ability to change things up is always interesting.”
“Required texts were very beneficial. This was a class I didn't skip simply because it was so interesting and entertaining. I learned so much without even realizing that I learned so much.”
“Awesome teacher. Really engages his students to give us a profound appreciate for wine.”
“John Boyer is an amazing professor with a love for educating his students. Throughout this course, I was constantly reminded by my interactions with him and his TA's that he really cares about teaching students about wine! This was the best course I've taken at Tech. The only thing which could have improved the course was a smaller class size.”
“Great teacher, great class. it was most enjoyable”
“John Boyer is one of the most exciting and interesting professors I have ever had. I have learned a lot from this class and highly recommend it.”
“I thought that the Wineries project was really helpful. We went to visit several wineries for our project, and I learned more by that than I could have in any class. I enjoyed the guest speakers that we had in class. The movies were a great assignment...enjoyable and educational at the same time. The wine quizzes weren't my favorite activity. I hated watching Gary V., but now that I think about it, I learned a lot from him. BEST PROFESSOR EVER!!”
“John Boyer is one of the best professors I have ever had. He engages his students, makes the course material accessible, and encourages his students to explore the subject in a fun and interesting way.”
“John Boyer is a great professor who tries hard to foster a stimulating learning environment. He has an animated teaching style which makes all of his lectures memorable, and I feel like I get more out of his classes than any other class here at Tech.”
“This was a very fun, and interactive course learning about wine. You kept the course interesting and I learned a great deal.”
“Professor Boyer is one of the easiest professors to relate to (which makes attending class and learning from him a joy) and is also one of the most knowledgeable people I have had the pleasure to learn from.”
“Boyer is an awesome teacher! I had hime for World Regions and Wine and he really teaches in a way that you want to listen and learn. There is definitely a need for more teachers like him.”
“This was my absolute favorite class I have ever taken at this university. John Boyer is a fabulous teacher with a riveting personality that keeps his students on the edge of their seats, anticipating what he will do/say next. I also learned so much about the subject matter, and I am now no longer intimidated by wines or the geography behind them. I now understand why everyone recommends taking a class with him before you graduate Tech, and my one regret is that I never got a chance to take his World Regions course.”
“I didn't even need to take this class but I was thrilled to do so. All my free electives are fulfilled and this does not count towards my major. Taken with another teacher, this course could be very dry and tedious what with the many many different rules and subregions. However, Boyer made this class a blast and it is the only class I have gotten to early to get 'good seats' for. I look forward to class everyday and I feel like this class has been my favorite class at VT yet and it will most likely be the class I use the most in terms of everyday use as I mature into an adult and a professional. I would highly recommend the class to anybody who is considering taking it. Honestly, just show up to class and learn about wine even if you don't need the credits!”
“John Boyer is the most awesome professor ever. In fact, I'm pretty sure I've seen him roundhouse kick awesomeness in the face. I've learned an incredible amount of information in this class without an excessive workload. I feel better educated about wine, beer, and liquors, topics which will be incredibly beneficial in life and in the business world I am entering. This was interesting, informative, useful, relevant, and a hell of a lot of fun. I'm sad to be graduating Boyer, as I won't be able to take a fourth class from you. Party on always!”
“Awesome class thanks Boyer BTW loved the Drink This Now! book”
“Boyer is the best professor in the world! Extremely knowledgeable, witty, and funny. I took away so much from this class.”
“This was an awesome course and Prof. Boyer was a fantastic instructor. I learned so much and loved how he encouraged students to ask questions. His Drink This Now! book rocks.”
“I thoroughly enjoyed the course and feel confident I can apply the information in real world situations in the future. It is a common topic that has global recognition and relevance.”
“Weekly online quizzes provided a very manageable way of absorbing a great amount of information from multiple texts. Obviously, John Boyer's passion and enthusiasm for wine did not go unnoticed or unappreciated. It was infectious, and left me with what I'm sure will be a lifetime of viticulture/viniculture curiosity and joyful imbibing.”
“Boyer is my hero and really encouraged me to want to drink many different kinds of wine. He made me look forward to class.”
“John Boyer is an absolutely phenomenal professor. His excitement about the subject matter, whether it is wine or world regions, is passed on to his students. He makes every lecture stimulating while getting the material across in the most effective way possible. Thanks Boyer.”
“I thoroughly enjoyed coming to this class and doing the reading. The lectures were made interesting and relevant and I have learned a great amount about wine and the world market surrounding it.”
“Boyer is the best professor at Virginia Tech. His knowledge of wine and the wine world was amazing and informative. I started the class knowing nothing and leave feeling like I know more than most of the world does when it comes to wine.”
“This is by far my favorite class. Professor Boyer is great. Somehow he is able to teach us a LOT and still keep lectures incredibly entertaining. I don't even mind the weekly online quizzes because the subject matter is that interesting.”
“This course is one of the best I've taken as far as really developing an appreciation for the subject matter. I feel alot more cultured and smarter since taking it.”
“By far, one of the best classes I have ever taken at Virginia Tech. I am walking away with so much knowledge, and I had a blast! John Boyer is awesome.”
“Hands down the most informative class I have ever taken and the most enjoyable. When I sit down to take his midterm, I cannot believe how much I actually have learned and know. He makes a potentially boring subject, extremely interesting. Makes you want to go to class always.”
“John Boyer is by far the best instructor I've had at Virginia Tech. He truly makes learning fun, as cliche as it sounds, and it makes you want to come to class every day and learn. Although he uses humor to teach, he is very effective in communicating subject matter in a way that is interesting and in ways that allow you to actually retain the information and go out to seek more knowledge. I love his textbooks that he personally created - they made homework both FUN and educational. (Again, cliche, but true)”
“I really enjoyed taking this class. Professor Boyer is the only teacher who can make classes enjoyable and entertaining, while still being educational. His exams were very fair and contained material I can actually use in the real world. The online quizes were very helpful and were a great tool to stay up to date with the class. Taking them every week made studying for the exams easier because you actualy learn the material rather than just memorize it.”
“John Boyer is an outstanding professor, and his ability to teach this now widely popular course of 500+ is amazing. His lectures were always a pleasure to attend, and he continually reminded students why the material was important. A top notch professor with a top notch course. I would highly recommend this class to anyone, especially if they are interested in wine, or agriculture in general.”
“This course gave me a deep understanding and profound appreciation of the wine industry and wine itself as a geographically unique phenomenon.”
“Boyer once again proves that he can make anything interesting and entertaining. He's specialty is the violation of teaching norms in order to get into the heads of college students. Sure, for this class a certain group of people may look at it as the fact the class talks about alcohol. Well that's a narrow minded view. Sure the class revolves around wine but we gain knowledge in many areas that will help us in life. Those of us who may be at a business dinner in the future and can know what to order form the wine menu while the bowtie wearing fool from UVA has no clue will be a step ahead of the game. Geography of wine is a fun class but also teaches culture, geography and many other aspects to Virginia Tech students. We go out into the world with something that is seen as an unusual skill but can easily set us apart from graduates of other institutions. Unlike other classes, such as accounting, the memories and things I've learned in this class will not fade as I grow older. Boyer's classes present some of the best value for money that you can have from any higher educational institution. It is the farthest from a read and regurgitate class that you can get. In a time when students are repeatedly distracted by their cell phones, IM, or other technological gadgets, it is great to have a professor that pulls them away and gets them to pay attention. We not only learn, but we apply, and that is where an education is created. Should Tech ever decide that Boyer doesn't teach anything worthwhile or do anything to harm his unique style of teaching they will be doing nothing but shooting themselves in the foot.”
“The usage of online quizzes and practice quizzes were extremely helpful in gauging my knowledge. All of Boyer's lectures were well-organized and I never felt the class was too big to ask questions and make small discussions. The only problem I had was sometimes finding a place to sit on certain days but my note-taking and learning never suffered even when sitting on the floor. I would recommend this course to anyone who has any interest in wine. I feel like I've become an expert in one semester!”
“This was a great course. I haven't previously drank wine or even alcohol - and I now have an appreciation for both, especially the wine making process and its evolution across the centuries. John Boyer has made this class very entertaining and educational. I am now highly encouraged to learn much more about wine - even if I don't become an expert wine drinker. Also, the weekly quizes were a great way to learn - even if we aren't tested on them for the mid-term or final. It forced me to spend time in the text if I wanted to do well in the class! Again, this was a great course!”