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Courses Level Descriptions
 ur wine courses are serious and challenging. They are designed for both the wine trade and consumers who want to greatly expand their knowledge of wine. Three levels of study are currently available. The first level includes a wine course as well as a spirits program.
 The classes are a progression, beginning with Intermediate Certificate, followed by Advanced Certificate, and Diploma. Each level covers the
entire world of wine--including viticulture,
vinification, and appellation labeling laws--and
also covers wine-tasting technique.
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Level One--Intermediate Certificate in Wine
The Intermediate Certificate is the ideal starting level for those with little knowledge of wine, or those who have depth of knowledge regarding particular types of wine but lack a true breadth of knowledge of all the world's wines. This program enables students to interpret wine and spirits labels, explain the fundamentals of wine-tasting, become familiar with the world's major wine regions and their principal wines, and give basic advice on wine selection and service. This course involves 16 hours of instruction. The exam is a one-hour multiple-choice exam.
Spirits Professional Certificate
The Spirits Professional Certificate is designed to provide a thorough knowledge of spirits and liqueurs. The course covers the history, production and style of spirits of the world: Cognac, Armagnac and other brandies; scotch, Bourbon and whiskies; white spirits, including vodka, rum, tequila, gin; and liqueurs and other flavored spirits. Tasting is part of every session. One class focuses on "The Art of the Cocktail." A one-hour examination includes 50 multiple-choice questions and a theoretical tasting note of one spirit or liqueur.
Level Two--Advanced Certificate in Wines & Spirits
The Advanced Certificate is the appropriate course for those who already have a broad foundation of wine knowledge--including wine labeling laws, appellation systems, major wine-producing regions, and grape types--and are experienced in tasting technique. It covers the major wine regions of the world in more depth than the Intermediate Certificate, and includes more detailed study of viticulture and vinification. This course enables students to describe the characteristics of the principal wines and spirits of the world and to explain the key factors influencing those characteristics. The course involves 37 hours of instruction. The exam includes multiple-choice and short-answer questions, as well a blind tasting of one wine. Advanced Certificate is required of applicants for the Diploma course.
Level Three--Diploma in Wines & Spirits
Diploma is a two-year program for highly-motivated wine and spirits professionals and consumers. It features heavy emphasis on viticulture and vinification; focuses special attention on production and consumption trends, wine marketing and other aspects of the business of wine; and covers the world's wine regions in considerable depth. Various tests throughout the course involve multiple-choice questions, essay exams, blind wine-tasting, and research papers. Diploma is the traditional preparatory course for those who wish to become Master of Wine students.
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