General Wine courses

Introduction to General Wine courses

(Most with e-learning, via the e-learning platform)

These are all (mostly) e-learning courses, with no costs included for any Workshops, Field Trips or Practicums. They are offered at the Certificate and the Associate Degree levels and are aimed at persons who have no previous wine experience. We have arranged them into specific categories.

Introduction to Wine (10 lectures)
(no prior wine knowledge required)

In this e-learning introductory course, the student will be learning about some of the major aspects of wine, in particular how to evaluate and taste wine. In this short course assignments are required, but wine tasting exercises are only recommended. The lectures will cover the following topics: Introduction to and the Impact of Wine, Classifications, Appellations and Labels, the Different Wine styles, Tasting I, Tasting II, Tasting III, Tasting IV, Tasting V, Introduction to Champagne and Sparkling wine and Introduction to Spirits.

Essentials of Wine

(20 lectures – no prior wine knowledge required)

(This is also a module which can form part of another course. If that other course is one relating to viticculture and wine production this Essentials module will be adapted somewhat.)
This e-learning course, in which you receive one lecture per week, provides an introduction to all the fundamental and essential basics of wine. This will include wine tasting and evaluation techniques, the different components of a wine’s appearance, aroma and flavour, and also how to taste and analyse wines, sparkling wines and spirits.

The course covers wine essential topics, a few examples: wine labels, international regional classifications, how to taste and evaluate wine, viticulture and wine making, sommeliership, cellar management, wine and food pairing, terroir, the influence of climate on viticulture, as well as lectures on sweet wines, fortified, sparkling wines and spirits.

You will also get an introduction to viticulture and winemaking, as well as the setting up and managing of a wine cellar.

The course consists of:

- 20 lectures with compulsory Assignments
- Compulsory Wine Tasting Exercises of 20 wines
- A compulsory on-line final examination
- Optional tutored workshops & wine tastings: where we discuss any possible problems, new developments or techniques, and taste at least 6 wines. This is obviously optional as it may not always be possible, (given that students may be following this course in various parts of the world,) to get sufficient numbers of students together to conduct such workshops and
  tastings. Details about this will be provided to students throughout the course via the platform. The course fees do not include any of these costs.
- Optional Field Trips: the intention being that during such Field Trip students get some hands-on, practical exposure to grapes, viticulture, winemaking or other related practical experience. This is usually of at least 4 days duration. Obviously, these Field Trips are also optional and will depend on how many students wish to attend such Field Trip.

The Foundations of Wine Certificate

(a blended course: combining a normal (f2f) and an e-learning module) (costs can only be established once the number of students is determined)

In a ‘blended learning’ course one part of the course is offered, like the other e-learning courses, on EWA’s e-learning platform in advance of the second part: a face-to-face course, of a few days, held at a suitable venue in one of the recognized wine regoins of Europe.

Such a ‘blended learning’ wine course can be held in any city or wine region. Using blended learning makes it possible for us to offer a professional course in a flexible manner (our students almost all work full-time) and it makes it more affordable as part of the academic material is accessed and processed by the student her/himself, in his/her own time, and with only a limited intervention by the tutor. The tutor plays a larger role in the f2f section. Further details are available upon request.

International Certificate in Wine & Spirits
(40 lectures with e-learning – no prior wine knowledge or experience required)

We have updated and upgraded this course this year (2020) to better educate students and provide a wider range of topics. Many students start their wine career off with this e-learning course of 40 lectures. This is also our most popular course.

This is a detailed e-learning course of 40 lectures (with compulsory assignments) aimed at the student with no, or little wine knowledge or experience, who wishes to acquire a professional and thorough wine education. It covers all of the Essential elements of wine in the following modules:

Module I:
Covers topics such as the question as to what wine is, it’s definitions, 5 lectures on how to taste and evaluate wine, the various wine styles, the world of wine & consumption, wine labels, international and regional wine laws, appellations and classifications, sommeliership and how to serve wine, cellar management, wine and food pairing, how Spirits are distilled, lectures on Champagne, sweet & fortified wines like Port & Sherry, spirits like Whisky, Cognacs, other brandies and liqueurs.

Module II

An introduction into viticulture, the effect of climate change, organic and biodynamic grapes, a typical year in the vineyard, the grapevine plant, canopy management, pruning, harvesting, how to select a vineyard site, the importance of soil, what terroir is and its effect on the wine.

Module III:

In this module on wine production we cover all the essential matters including the Essentials of Vinification – Grape maturity and Quality – Winery equipment & Presses – The Principal Constituents of wine -Wine Microbiology-Juice Production: De-stemming, Crushing, Maceration, Free Run and Press Juice -Must adjustments – Fermentation, Wine Microbiology- Yeast, Micro-organisms, Cooling, Temp control, Malolactic fermentation – Stabilization – Fining & Filtering, Basic analysis of must and wine – Blending and Maintenance.

Module IV:

This module also offers an introduction to the basics of wine marketing & business planning, it also includes wine costing, and economics, management of a wine business -Pricing – Marketing Communications – Personal Selling -Wine Consumption and Consumer behaviour – Researching your Customer – Demographics and how Consumers select wine-Building and Positioning a Premium Wine Brand -Wine Media and Public Relations – Advertising – Wine Tourism & Cellar Door sales – E-Marketing wine

In addition, the student has to submit:

A compulsory Essay
Compulsory wine tasting sessions of 60 wines
Do modular online exams, or if she/he prefers, just one final examination of the whole course, at the end of the course.

Optional:

Tutored workshops & wine tastings: where we discuss any possible problems, new developments or techniques, and taste at least 6 wines. This is obviously optional as it may not always be possible, (given that students may be following this course in various parts of the world,) to get sufficient numbers of students together to conduct such workshops and wine tastings. Details about this will be provided to students throughout the course via the platform. The course fees do not include any of these costs and it will always require a certain minimum number of participants.
Optional Field Trips: the intention being that during such Field Trip students get some hands-on, practical exposure to grapes, viticulture, wine- making or other related practical experience. This is usually of at least 4 days duration. Obviously, these Field Trips are also optional and will depend on how many students wish to attend such Field Trip.

This is a serious and academically strong course which should provide students with professional knowledge of wine.

If the student passes the online multiple-choice module examination(s) at the end of the course, also successfully completes all the wine tasting exercises and the Essay, she/he will receive the EWA’s “International Certificate in Wine & Spirits”

Associate Degree in International Wines & Spirits (120 lectures)
(no former experience or wine knowledge required)

This is a detailed e-learning course, which has recently been upgraded from 80 lectures to 120 lectures and it is designed for the student with no, or little wine knowledge or experience, who wishes to acquire a detailed and thorough wine education and, in more detail, than the Certificate course (above). This knowledge can enhance the knowledge of anyone intending a career in the wine industry.

It covers, in five modules, various important aspects of the wine world:

In Module I: some examples of the lectures: the question as to what wine is, it’s definitions, sensory wine evaluations and tasting, the various wine styles, the world of wine & consumption, wine labels, international and regional wine laws, appellations and classifications, sommeliership, wine in a restaurant, cellar management, wine and food pairing, the major Red & White wine varietals, Champagne & Sparkling wines, Fortified wines: Port, Sherry, Madeira & Tokaji; Spirits: Distillation & Tasting- Whisky, Cognac & Armagnac, Calvados, other Brandies and Fruit Brandies, Liqueurs

In Module II: we cover viticulture including topics such as climate, terroir, a year in the vineyard, Location & orientation of the region and vineyard, Soil science ,The Physiology of the Grapevine, The Grape Flower & Berry Set – Development and Composition of Grapes,Vineyard management: Canopy Management, Pruning & Trellising systems, Organic grapes, Biodynamic and Lutte raisoneé grape production and IPM, Harvesting, Business Planning, Costing and Economics

In Module III we will be studying various aspects of wine production such as Grape maturity and Quality, Winemaking equipment & materials. Juice Production: Destemming, Crushing, Maceration, Free Run and Press Juice, Must adjustments: Wine Microbiology & Yeasts, Sulphur-dioxide, enrichment, clarification, acidification; Fermentation, Cooling, Temp control, Malolactic fermentation, Racking, Role and effects of Oxygen, Stabilization: Fining & Filtering, Basic analysis of must and wine, Blending, Innovations, Packaging, Bottling & Labelling- Sustainable winery-Vinification of White Wines, Sweet & Botrytis wines, Sparkling Wine & Champagne, Red, Rosé & Beaujolais wines; Chemical additives, Wine Spoilage and Faults, Cooperage, Aging, Packaging, Labels & Bottling

In Module IV we cover all the major wine regions, both in the Old World (Europe) and the New World, but also including China, Japan and India.

In Module V some important aspects of wine marketing and wine business is covered.

Further compulsory requirements:

A compulsory Essay
Compulsory wine tasting sessions of 80 wines
A compulsory online final examination

Optional matters:

Tutored workshops & wine tastings: where we discuss any possible problems, new developments or techniques, and taste at least 6 wines. This is obviously optional as it may not always be possible, (given that students may be following this course in various parts of the world,) to get sufficient numbers of students together to conduct such workshops and wine tastings. Details about this will be provided to students throughout the course via the platform. The course fees do not include any of these costs and it will always require a certain minimum number of participants.

Optional Field Trips: the intention being that during such Field Trip students get some hands-on, practical exposure to grapes, viticulture, winemaking or other related practical experience. This is usually of at least 4 days duration. Obviously, these Field Trips are also optional and will depend on how many students wish to attend such Field Trip.

This is a serious and academically strong course which should provide students with professional knowledge of wine.

Certificate in Wine Producing Regions

(40 lectures with e-learning– no prior wine knowledge required)

In this detailed e-learning course, students will learn about various important aspects of the world’s major wine producing regions, divided into the Old World and New World wine regions.

This knowledge can enhance the knowledge of anyone intending a career in the wine industry.

The emphasis will be on a systematic analysis of the main interest points of these wine regions, in a curriculum of 40 lectures, and with a slight emphasis on France.

The following topics, of each region, are covered in these lectures: History and Introduction, Climate, Geography and Soils, Varietals, Viticultural practices, Vinification practices, Organization of trade, Wine law and Classifications.

The course is divided into two modules. In the first one we discuss the major wine regions of Europe, including less famous ones like Greece, Cyprus, Croatia, Serbia, Hungary, Russia & Georgia, Bulgaria, Czech and Slovakia, Romania, Moldavia & Slovenia, Switzerland, England and the Benelux.

In the second module, we deal with the so-called New World wine regions. All the obvious ones are discussed, but it also includes some newer regions such as Canada, Mexico, and Uruguay, Brazil and rest of South America, Japan, China, India and Thailand, Israel, Lebanon, Morocco and rest of N. Africa.

The course, therefore, consists of:

Compulsory:

 40 lectures with compulsory Assignments, in 2 modules,

 Compulsory Wine Tasting Exercises of 60 wines,

 A compulsory Essay

 A compulsory final examination (online multiple choice),

Optional:

alto adige

 Tutored workshops & wine tastings: where we discuss any possible problems, new developments or techniques, and taste at least 6 wines. This is obviously optional as it may not always be possible, (given that students may be following this course in various parts of the world,) to get sufficient numbers of students together to conduct such workshops and wine tastings. Details about this will be provided to students throughout the course via the platform. The course fees do not include any of these costs and it will always require a certain minimum number of participants.

 Field Trips: the intention being that during such Field Trip students get some hands-on, practical exposure to grapes, viticulture, winemaking or other related practical experience. Obviously, these Field Trips are also optional and will depend on how many students wish to attend such Field Trip.

(60 lectures with e-learning – no prior wine knowledge or experience required)

A wine consultant is a professional who helps people or corporations to select what wines to purchase or stock. They work for different organizations such as liquor companies, hotels, restaurants, vineyards, liquor stores and more. Their job duties may be related to assessing sales goals and strategies and helping businesses improve their stock or sales. They are wine tasting experts who provide their expert guidance to sell the wine simply because they know all about wine, its taste, age, quality and have experience of some great wine. The current (2023) average annual income for a Wine Consultant ranges between 48 000 to 58 000 USD.

We believe we have created a course which incorporates all the important aspects of wine so that you can kick-start your progress towards becoming a Consultant (of course you will still require experience) . In the various modules a very wide range of topics are discussed, ranging from a series of detailed lectures teaching you how to taste and evaluate wine, to those topics in viticulture and wine production that are relevant to a full understanding of your industry. Because a wine Consultant normally becomes a wine Consultant to a corporation, we have included quite a number of courses on wine marketing (we have designed this course to be flexible so that should you wish to expand this course to also include lectures on wine business for instance, or more on wine marketing, we could arrange that for you).

We think this is going to become our most popular course, also as it enables you to also work in a winery as an assistant wine maker or in the hospitality industry. Each lecture in this course has been selected so that you can use this Diploma in various ways.

This is a detailed e-learning course of 60 lectures (with compulsory assignments) aimed at the student with no, or little wine knowledge or experience, who wishes to acquire a professional and thorough wine education. It covers all of the Essential elements of wine, some examples:
Topics such as the question as to what wine is, it’s definitions, lectures on how to taste and evaluate wine, the various wine styles, the world of wine & consumption, wine labels, international and regional wine laws, appellations and classifications, sommeliership and how to serve wine, cellar management, wine and food pairing, how Spirits are distilled, lectures on Champagne, sweet & fortified wines like Port & Sherry, spirits like Whisky, Cognacs, other brandies and liqueurs.

In this module on wine production we cover all the essential matters including the Essentials of Vinification – Winery equipment & Presses – The Principal Constituents of wine -Wine Microbiology-Juice Production: De-stemming, Crushing, Maceration, Free Run and Press Juice -Must adjustments – Fermentation, Wine Microbiology- Yeast, Micro-organisms, Cooling, Temp control, Malolactic fermentation – Stabilization – Fining & Filtering, Basic analysis of must and wine – Blending and Maintenance.

This module also offers an introduction to the basics of wine marketing Pricing – Marketing Communications – Personal Selling -Wine Consumption and Consumer behaviour – Researching your Customer – Demographics -Building and Positioning a Premium Wine Brand -Wine Media and Public Relations – Advertising – Cellar Door sales – E-Marketing wine

In addition, the student has to submit:

A compulsory Essay
Compulsory wine tasting sessions of 60 wines
Do modular online exams, or if she/he prefers, just one final examination of the whole course, at the end of the course.

Optional:

Tutored workshops & wine tastings: where we discuss any possible problems, new developments or techniques, and taste at least 6 wines. This is obviously optional as it may not always be possible, (given that students may be following this course in various parts of the world,) to get sufficient numbers of students together to conduct such workshops and wine tastings. Details about this will be provided to students throughout the course via the platform. The course fees do not include any of these costs and it will always require a certain minimum number of participants.
Optional Field Trips: the intention being that during such Field Trip students get some hands-on, practical exposure to grapes, viticulture, wine- making or other related practical experience. This is usually of at least 4 days duration. Obviously, these Field Trips are also optional and will depend on how many students wish to attend such Field Trip.

Consultant (Wine & Spirits)
(60 lectures with e-learning – no prior wine knowledge or experience required)

In addition, the student has to submit:

A compulsory Essay
Compulsory wine tasting sessions of 60 wines
Do modular online exams, or if she/he prefers, just one final examination of the whole course, at the end of the course.

Optional:

Tutored workshops & wine tastings: where we discuss any possible problems, new developments or techniques, and taste at least 6 wines. This is obviously optional as it may not always be possible, (given that students may be following this course in various parts of the world,) to get sufficient numbers of students together to conduct such workshops and wine tastings. Details about this will be provided to students throughout the course via the platform. The course fees do not include any of these costs and it will always require a certain minimum number of participants.
Optional Field Trips: the intention being that during such Field Trip students get some hands-on, practical exposure to grapes, viticulture, wine- making or other related practical experience. This is usually of at least 4 days duration. Obviously, these Field Trips are also optional and will depend on how many students wish to attend such Field Trip.