WINES CERTIFICATES

Are you interested in developing a more nuanced appreciation of wine?

In this certificate program, guided by renowned wine expert Cheryl Stanley, you will expand your knowledge of wines from the four major wine-producing regions of the United States: California, Washington, Oregon, and New York.

You’ll begin your journey by exploring wine tasting and evaluation techniques to identify distinct aromas and flavors in wine. With this foundation, you’ll have the opportunity to discover each region’s own unique history and landscape, connecting flavor profiles to the geographic features and production factors that influence them. You’ll also learn to interpret wine labels in order to confidently navigate a wine list, select better wines from each region, and pair food with wine successfully.

Your experience will culminate with an at-home wine-tasting experience. During this event, you’ll be able to observe how people interpret different wines, and compare your expectations and perceptions of wine, from grape to glass.

France produces many of the planet’s best old-world wines.

The Wines of France certificate leads you on a virtual tour, from grape to glass, of eight important French wine regions. To prepare for this journey, you will first complete the Wine Essentials course to build a foundational understanding of viticulture, winemaking, and wine evaluation. You’ll then have the opportunity to explore the French wine classification systems, the varietals grown in different regions of France, and how the climate affects the grape and wine outcomes in the next course, Foundations of French Wines. You’ll also examine terms you will encounter on French wine labels so you are prepared to anticipate the characteristics of a given wine. During the third course, Experiencing Wines of France, you’ll select French wines to taste, share, and compare.

Whether you’re working in a professional hospitality setting, entertaining, or simply enjoying, after completing the program, you’ll be able to select, experience, and recommend French wines with greater confidence — not to mention impress your guests!

Many people associate Germany and Austria with excellent beer, but wines? Yes! The wines of Germany and Austria are well balanced and pair wonderfully with food. The rivers, hills, and valleys of these countries are beautiful and fruitful for growing Vitis vinifera, despite their northern locations. Their cooler climates enable Austria and Germany to grow high-acid white and red grape varieties that produce myriad styles, including some of the driest and sweetest wines available.

In this program, you will explore the wine-producing areas of Austria and Germany and discover many unique wines, including the famous riesling, spätburgunder (pinot noir), and eiswein, as well as lesser-known wines like scheurebe and dornfelder.

To prepare for this journey, you will first complete the “Wine Essentials” course. You will then examine the structure of German and Austrian wine classifications and nuances of their labeling terms, the varietals of the regions, and how the various climates affect the grape and wine outcomes in the specific styles produced there. In the third and final course, you will have the opportunity to use what you have learned to select wines to taste, share, and compare.

Italian wines come in many different styles and are constantly evolving, making them an exciting combination of old-world tradition and modern innovations in grape growing and winemaking. From traditional nebbiolo, to the world-renowned sangiovese, to lesser-known grape varieties like trebbiano and brachetto, the Wines of Italy certificate program will take you through four major geographical zones within the country to not only explore the history of viticulture and winemaking in each of Italy’s major areas, but also to analyze the unique regional geographic features that impact the wine.

To prepare for this journey, you will first complete the “Wine Essentials” course to build a foundational understanding of viticulture, winemaking, and wine evaluation. In the next course, “Foundations of Italian Wines,” you’ll dive into the Italian wine classification systems and take a closer look at the varietals grown in each zone of Italy, including how the climate affects the grape and wine outcomes. Additionally, you’ll have the opportunity to examine Italian wine labels to better understand and anticipate the characteristics of a given wine. In the third and final course, “Experiencing Wines of Italy,” you’ll put what you’ve learned into practice by selecting Italian wines to taste, share, and compare.

Whether you’re working in a professional hospitality setting, entertaining, or simply enjoying, after completing the program, you’ll be able to select, experience, and recommend Italian wines with greater confidence — not to mention impress your guests!

The people of Spain and Portugal have grown grapes and produced wines for over a thousand years. You may know of sherry from Spain and port from Portugal, but these regions produce many styles and variations of these world-renowned fortified wines. Spain and Portugal also grow many well-known international grape varietals for non-fortified wines as well as a number of unique varietals, including albariño, verdelho, and, of course, tempranillo. You will have the opportunity to consider them as individual varietal wines as well as in the blends for which both Spain and Portugal are famous.

In this program, you will begin your journey by completing the “Wine Essentials” course to establish a strong understanding of viticulture, winemaking, and wine evaluation. You’ll then have the opportunity to explore the climates and geographic regions of Spain and Portugal and consider how they influence the varieties of grapes grown along with the grape and wine outcomes. You will also examine the wine classification systems of both countries and the content of their wine labels. Finally, in the last course, “Experiencing Wines of Spain and Portugal,” you will taste, share, and compare wines from these countries.

Whether you’re working in a professional hospitality setting, entertaining, or simply enjoying, after completing the program, you’ll be able to select, experience, and recommend Spanish and Portuguese wines with greater confidence — not to mention impress your guests!

The Southern Hemisphere wine industry is among today’s most compelling and innovative. With foundations firmly rooted in “old world” viticulture and winemaking traditions, those leading the “new world” wine industry in the Southern Hemisphere are not afraid to experiment with grape-growing and winemaking practices and technologies. Their creative and fearless approach to wines, plus a healthy respect for tradition, make a journey into the wines of the Southern Hemisphere interesting — and often eye-opening. From exploring traditional international varieties, such as chenin blanc and merlot, to signature varieties like pinotage from South Africa and malbec from Argentina, this program will guide you through five of the highest wine-producing (by volume) countries in the Southern Hemisphere: Argentina, Australia, Chile, New Zealand, and South Africa.

To prepare for this journey, you will first complete the “Wine Essentials” course to establish a foundational understanding of viticulture, winemaking, and wine evaluation. In the next course, “Foundations of Southern Hemisphere Wines,” you will take a close look at the varietals grown in each country and consider how the general climate of the countries, along with the microclimates created by mountains, valleys, elevation, and proximity to coasts and waterways, affect the grapes grown and wine outcomes. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to examine Southern Hemisphere wine labels to better understand and anticipate the characteristics of a given wine. In the third and final course, “Experiencing Wines of the Southern Hemisphere,” you will put what you’ve learned into practice by selecting Southern Hemisphere wines to taste, share, and compare.

Take a tour around the world through your wine glass! In the Wines of the World certificate, you’ll have the opportunity to establish a strong understanding of viticulture, winemaking, and wine evaluation, followed by a deep dive into the wine classification systems, varietals, and climates of the major wine-producing regions of the world. You’ll also have the opportunity to taste, share, and compare wines from each region you discover, which will enable you to select and recommend wines from practically anywhere in the world!

Whether you’re a restaurateur, hospitality professional, or wine retailer looking to expand your knowledge, a professional looking to impress their next client, or someone who simply enjoys learning about wine, this program will provide you with the tools you need to serve, discuss, and buy wine with confidence.

For the best experience in this program, Wine Essentials is required to be completed first. Regional courses may be taken out of order, but courses within each region are required to be taken in order. For example, Foundations of Italian Wines and Experiencing Wines of Italy can be taken before Foundations of French Wines and Experiencing Wines of France. However, Foundations of Italian Wines is required to be taken before Experiencing Wines of Italy.