Wine Courses

What would you learn in wine courses? Wine school will prepare you to become a wine specialist and sommelier. But what does it take to become a sommelier?

A sommelier is the skilled in the art of matching wine with food to augment the flavor of food. With specialized training and fine-tuned palates, sommeliers work as restaurants’ wine experts and share this expertise with restaurant guests. Their job is to demystify wine and honor the fantastic food pairing. Many would argue that wine is not just a drink but a passion, pleasure, and way of life for people around the world. Wine tasting is the the sensory examination and evaluation of wine. The practice of wine tasting is as ancient as its production. A sommelier or wine steward, is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional. Sommeliers mostly work in fine restaurants specializing in all aspects of wine service and food matching. A sommelier is more specialized than a wine waiter. The work of a sommelier is procurement, storage, wine cellar rotation, and providing expert service to customers.

Wine Education and Training

With wine education, you will learn exactly what wine is suited to different occasions. Wine specialist training will prepare you to be familiar with the artist behind wine making. This includes knowing everything from types of grapes for making wine, to soil composition, to weather requirements, to fermentation and aging procedures and how each of these affects the wine bouquet, aroma, and taste.

Wine classes take you through old world and new world wines and regions as well as the processes related to viticulture and vinification. Wine courses include:

• Grape varieties
• Soil industry statistics
• Climate and geography
• Grape-growing and wine-making techniques
• Food pairing
• Blind wine-tasting techniques

Many enter the industry after completing some culinary training and taking wine courses, although traditionally many sommeliers developed their skills through a passion for wine and work experience. A sommelier trainee must also learn how to properly store and care for the bottles for maximum flavor and longevity. Hence, becoming a sommelier requires culinary arts training.

Wine Specialist and Sommelier Careers

Even as a non-sommelier or whine professional, you can take a wine appreciation course close to you. These short-term courses are often offered by wineries, wine bars, and culinary arts institutions. Drinking and judging wine may is a fun and exciting job but it is also a career that requires extensive practice and knowledge.

Sommeliers should be knowledgeable about the chemistry behind making wine, how to taste wine, and how to judge its color, aroma, flavor and body. A good sense of taste and smell, a good understanding of food chemistry are also essential skills.

After you complete your wine specialist or sommelier training you will be able to recommend drinks to be served with meals, as well as pairing. Certified sommeliers also work as floor sommeliers, wine directors, cellar masters, restaurant managers, lounge managers, beverage managers, chefs and maitre D's.
Sommeliers work in:

• Fine dining restaurants
• Wine retailers
• Wine distributing companies
• Wine wholesalers
• Wine tasting rooms
• Hotels and resorts
• Cruise ships
• Culinary colleges

Estimated Income and Projected Career Outlook

The salary for novice sommeliers is around $28,000 while certified master sommeliers earn $80,000 to $160,000 annually. The median expected salary for a Sommelier in the United States is $50,759. Most sommeliers work for high-end restaurants, spas, or resorts. Their salary reflects their important contribution to the restaurant's success. After completing wine courses and other requirements in culinary school or wine school programs, your salary will still depend greatly on the location and quality of the restaurant.

Wine courses and culinary arts