Wines of Paso Robles & The Rest of San Luis Obispo

Can you create perfect pairings or are you paralyzed by the rules? Learn pairing theories and exceptions and the progression of flavors in multi-course meals. Come play with your food and wine as we taste 36 combinations and discuss each student's impressions and preferences.  Challenging food ingredients will also be reviewed and how to overcome...

Service is much more than proficiently performing, it is an attitude. Learn the roles and conduct of the sommelier, mis en place for service shifts, responsible alcohol service and the mechanics. Standard wine service, Champagne, decanting and tray service will be demonstrated by the instructor and performed by each student.  Tools, service...

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 unraveling the mysteries of the EU labeling scheme and compare it with the rest of the world. We will look for global 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 climates...

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...

In this warm-climate wine workshop, we'll look for global patterns across the world's warmest wine regions as we travel the world by glass.  In this class, we explore ripe wines from warm climates.  We'll explore the highlights of Southern France, Southern Italy, Southern Spain, Portugal, Greece, Washington, South America, Australia and...

Learn to tune up your senses as you identify specific smells and tastes of various fruit, spice, herb and other elements as you blindly identify them in 12 carefully controlled sample wines.  This is a far more effective approach than commercially available wine aroma kits made with essential oils that are not consumable or in a wine solution....

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,...

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. ...

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, Vinho Verde,...

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,...

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...

The Greatest Wines of France French wines serve as the foundation for most people trying to understand the wines of the world. After all, the French created the first nationwide appellation system that has since become the model for the European Union. Credential seekers can check out our French Wine Scholar program, but everyone will enjoy Intro...

The United States is the world's fourth largest wine producer. In this class we cover the wines of California, Oregon, Washington, and other states, plus Canada and Mexico. Discover labeling laws, American Viticultural Areas, the history, climates and wine styles of each region.  This workshop is part of the Certified Specialist of Wine program....