Online Wine Class

Why Online

Taking classes in the hopes of receiving sommelier certification is intense. Classes are for each level generally consist of eight hour long classes over the course of three days. These classes are an intensive journey of tearing apart a wine and then putting it back together so quickly. Many people that have been through this process have wished that they were able to do some of this online.

Many Choices

As mentioned in the article about becoming a sommelier, there are many roads/choices one can take to get their knowledge base kicked up a notch in the quest to become a sommelier or just a better educated wine person. You can take many classes from universities or community colleges around the country (but especially around wine country areas). The people that attend these classes come from all walks of life: from professionals, to real-estate agents wanting to know more about wine to sell wine property or people who know a good deal about wine and want to keep up their education on the subject -- to people who know nothing and just want to get their feet wet. Needless to say, whatever your experience or knowledge base, there is always more to learn and know and experience when it comes to wine.

Difference Between Certificates and Courses

Online wine classes are beginning to have more and more of a venue, but wine courses are not the same as sommelier courses designed to take you to a specific knowledge level so you can take the next level class. None of the top-notch recognized sommelier courses are offered online. Due to the the intensity, high-level demand, and the physical aspect of tasting wines with different aspects surrounding it, it’s very difficult to get uniformity and conveyance through an online class. The Court of Master Sommeliers, the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) and International Sommelier Guild all have classes offered everywhere, except online. That is something that probably will never happen. The high rigor of the class and the difficulty in passing (and it is very difficult) demand the high-level course content that only works in face-to-face education.

New Choices Every Day

Now, that’s not to say there aren't any wine classes online! As mentioned before, there are more and more classes coming online from universities and colleges sprouting up on the internet every day. Doing a search for “online wine classes,” you can find a plethora of choices and costs. The University of Delaware has some interesting courses, as well as the European Wine Academy. For those of you who subscribe to Wine Spectator magazine, they have begun to offer online wine courses on a variety of wine subjects -- from wine sensory evaluation to wine regions.

How to Prepare -- How to Succeed

Of course, the benefit to online courses is the ability to do it when you have time and on the days you have available…all in the comfort of your own home (unless where you work is lenient when it comes to drinking on the job!). Here are some recommendations to help ensure your online wine education experience is a good one:

• Use the tools offered - The benefit to the classroom environment is the interaction between people. Online, you can “hide” in the corner and just do your own thing…but to get the most out of the class, be sure to use the online tools, such as the chat room or message board to ask questions or even just to post what you thought about a specific wine you tasted.

• Plan a schedule - Even though an online class is at your own time, try to plan out a schedule every week where you can dedicate time to your study. Sometimes, without a set schedule, the temptation to “put it off until tomorrow” becomes too easy.

• Get your friends to enroll with you! - Having people you know creates a support group to help you through everything from technical issues to wine tasting buddies when it comes to tasting the wines on the list. Having a friend doing it with you not only gives you support, but I’ve seen frequently how a little friendly competition can make you try harder!

• Buy all the recommended materials - If there are other materials recommended for the class, buy them. If there are extra notes, read them. If there is extra credit, do it. All of this gives you more information and more exposure to get more out of the class.

Online Wine Class Resources

Here are some online resources to check into. Make sure you check the length of the class, the class schedule and how much it costs. Sometimes the class is fairly inexpensive, but the wines you have to buy are bit more costly then you’d care to spend. Just research thoroughly before committing, that’s all…you will be sure to have a better experience that way, too!

• Wine Spectator School
• University of Delaware
• Culinary Institute of America
• Wine School of Philadelphia

You don’t have to stop there…since classes are online, you can take them even from a different country’s school as well! Good luck in your online wine education experience.