Santa Barbara & Beyond

You could sample a new Spanish wine every night of the year and still not experience all the variety that this country produces. Each region has their own specialty. Rioja creates smoky, earthy, subtle reds with the Tempranillo grape, while the Priorat region makes rich, dense, powerful reds from the Garnacha variety. The Ribera del Duero also employs...

French wines ooze intimidation; the language, no grape listed anywhere in sight, countless vineyards and producers, and all this at often exorbitant prices. Yet even in the face of these apparent obstacles, France is worthy of our attention. Why? Simply because they still continue to create so many of the world’s most intriguing, exotic, and individualistic...

Learn how to navigate the 3-tier distribution system successfully in the role of restaurant or retail wine director or cellar master. Explore the workings of distributors, brokers and winery direct sales, how to decide what vendors to use and how to maximize the relationships.  Discuss options and strategies for an efficient buying process. Learn...

Join us in unravelling the mysteries of the EU labelling scheme and compare it with wine from the rest of the world. We will look for global wine patterns touring the world in a glass. Take in the highlights of France, Italy, and Spain, plus various New World regions. The tasting of 5-7 wines will focus on New World vs Old World and examples from various...

Continue enhancing your French wine knowledge. Journey with us in the classroom as we leave last week's cool climate wines of the north for this week's warm climate wines of the south. Study and taste the French wines that are often imitated but never duplicated. In this course, you will learn the warm climates, grapes and wine styles of southern...

Sommeliers can identify and articulate the physical structure of the grapevine and the annual cycle of the vine, how viticultural practices such as organic, biodynamic and sustainable differ from mainstream viticulture and from each other, as well as the sequence of events that take place during the winemaking process. Learn winemaking terminology,...

Learn about the physiology of taste and how to evaluate acidity, tannin, residual sugar (RS) and other structural elements of wine. Start building your wine description vocabulary. Attend this fun session to gain confidence in knowing what kind of wines you like and how to describe them. Or use this as the start of your journey in preparing for entry...

Understanding the regions and categories of Italian Wine can be complicated. With extensive wine production in all 20 wine regions, hundreds of indigenous varietals, climates ranging from Alpine to Mediterranean and diverse soil types, Italian wine study can be daunting.  It is critical for a CSW to have extensive knowledge to understand, appreciate,...

The Greatest Wines of Italy Italian wine is hot in the USA & is a global powerhouse. Credential seekers can check out our Italian Wine Scholar North & Italian Wine Scholar South programs, but everyone will enjoy Intro to Italian Wines!  Piedmont's Barolo & Tuscany's Brunello surely make our list but come find out our other picks....

Join us in exploring cool climate wines of the world. We'll unravel the mysteries of the EU labeling scheme and compare it with the rest of the world. We will also look for global patterns as we tour the world by glass. Take in the highlights of crisp wines from cool climates from Germany, Austria, Northern Italy, Northern France, Oregon and New Zealand. ...

By far, one of my favorite class of the year. We’ll pour six wines. Some from islands. Some from volcanoes. Some from volcanoes on islands. We’ll talk about why these wines are unique, what sets them apart, and how to track them down. Islands are a special habitat for growing grapes. When the vineyards hug the coast, the grapes soak up the...

Creating a great list wine is easy, maintaining one requires immense effort. Mistakes are costly, both financially and for staff morale and customer service.  Learn to excel in the not so glamorous side of being a wine director or cellar master. We’ll review efficient and accurate ways to check in orders, code invoices, stock the cellar, program...

Can you create perfect pairings or are you paralyzed by the rules? Learn basic food pairing theories and see how different styles of wine interact with primary flavor components. Come taste many combinations and discuss the impact on your palate. Learn your preferences and those in the class and improve your confidence with new pairing knowledge! ...

Sunshine, warm breezes, olive oil, wine and the Mediterranean Sea tie Portugal, Spain, Greece and several other countries together. Learn the similarities and differences of some of the oldest wine regions of the world and some of the trendsetting new wines, as well.  We'll explore Cava, Rioja, Priorat, Ribera del Duero, Rias Baixas, Jerez,...

California is by far the largest wine producing state in the USA & is a global powerhouse. Credential seekers, or others seeking a deeper dive, can check out our California Wine Appellation Specialist, but everyone will enjoy Intro to California Wines!  Napa, Sonoma, Paso Robles and Santa Barbara are some of the best known regions we will...

Don't underestimate the importance of Germany and Eastern Europe in the wine world. The wines of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire have much in common and just as many differences.  Learn the regions, climate, grapes, complex labeling and many styles of wines from Germany, Austria, Hungary and more. We'll explore Spatburgunder, Riesling and...

Learn all about wines from temperate zones and regions around the world. Flying at 10,000 feet, we will look at global climate patterns and their impact on wine as we tour the world by glass. We leave the extreme climates of cold and hot and strike out in the middle with both white and red wines as we journey through the highlights of Central France,...

Discover the major wine denominations of Central Italy’s Toscana region or as many say in English, Tuscany. Explore the famous appellations of Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Bolgheri, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione and much more. Learn where they're located, what grape varieties they're made from, their styles and importance,...

MASTER THE WINES OF ITALY: An in depth program designed by the Wine Scholar Guild with the support of the Italian Wine DOC/G Consortia. The Italian Wine Scholar Study and Certification program provides up-to-date, extensive and precise information on the diverse wines and wine regions of Italy. This specialization program is designed for all intermediate...

Learn to accurately assess acid, tannin, sugar and alcohol as our Industry Leading Instructors lead you through a tasting of 16 carefully manipulated wines to help you clearly delineate the different levels of each. This workshop is fun for novice-intermediate tasters and an important tune up for advanced tasters. This workshop is part...