Sommelier and Hospitality Management courses

Introduction to Sommelier and Hospitality courses

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

In this group, we offer courses, at the Certificate and Associate Degree levels, for those who are mainly interested in sommeliership, but also for those who wish to become sommeliers and who want to also acquire a broader knowledge in hospitality management.

 

Certificate Certified Sommelier (40x lectures- No prior experience required.) 

This new course is designed for anyone who wishes to acquire a professional wine career in the hospitality industry specifically as a Sommelier, caviste, food and beverage managers, wine bar owner/manager, or Restaurant Manager. We have designed it to make the course really more hands-on and practice-orientated and introduced a module on the major wine regions and their wines.

In this course we discuss:

• we strive to make the training and lecture offering as practical as possible,
• a wider range of topics than what would be investigated in a classic sommelier training, as sommeliers may find themselves, because of the economic situation of the establishment where they are employed, to take on more duties than is normal in sommeliership, even being expected perhaps to serve food. In other words, learning more about hospitality in the broader sense,
• such a broader range of topics include lectures which will prepare the student for a possible eventual role in hospitality management.

It is a modular course which allows persons with no or little wine knowledge to become certified sommeliers and wine professionals and to grow through into restaurant and hospitality managers. It includes modules on the basic Essentials of wine (including wine tasting skills – see explanation in the General courses section), on specialist topics relating to sommeliership, and on the major wine regions.

It consists of:

• 40 lectures and assignments, divided into 3 modules:
  • Module 1: (a few examples): sensory evaluations and tasting, wine styles, wine labels, regional classifications, viticulture, effect of climate, soils and terroir on wines, wine and food pairing, vinification and how it affects wines as well as lectures on fortified, sparkling wines, spirits, and liqueurs.
  • Module 2: (a few examples): The most important wine regions, including their varietals, and other relevant aspects
  • Module 3: (a few examples) Definitions of a sommelier, essentials, the history and Future of the Hospitality & Sommelier industry and profession, the Sommelier’s duties, serving and decanting wines, Selecting and Evaluating wines, purchasing wines, Beverage Control, Designing and Developing the Wine List, Serving with responsibility, Waiting & Wine Service Skills, Serving Spirits, Mixed Drinks, Cocktails & Cigars, Beer, water & other beverages, Communication with Customers, Working with Colleagues and Staff practices, Health and Safety Issues
• A portfolio of 60 wines that have to be tasted during the course.
• A compulsory Essay
• Compulsory on-site Training of 20 hours (this is a course which requires students to gain hands-on experience, so, it is expected that every student acquires at least 20 hours of practical experience by working at any local wine business in your area (this can be a wine shop, importer, supermarket or restaurant, – as long as it has to do with wine or spirits),
• A compulsory online test at the conclusion of the course.

 

Yacht Sommelier Certificate (40x lectures- No prior experience required.)

This online course takes into account students will mostly be working full-time on a yacht, so online learning is an excellent solution for anyone wishing to improve their serving skills and experience and so improve their employability profile.

It differs from our other Sommelier courses in that it covers the specific requirements of service on a Yacht or Superyacht, where you will be dealing with a different situation to that in a restaurant or hotel: not only are the conditions (think of storage conditions, or an unstable serving platform, for instance) on a yacht totally different to the environment of a restaurant, but your relationship to guests who may be on board of a yacht for a week or more, will naturally be different from serving guests for one meal in a restaurant.

How is our Yacht Sommelier course different from others being offered?

There are of course some Yacht Wine Sommelier courses available, but they are:

• mostly very limited in scope and duration, they are usually limited to 1  or 2 days only. But, when you look closely at what is apparently being covered in such a short course, and you know just how much study is required to cover the vast world of wine and serving wine, and other beverages, you have to wonder if students are getting any value for their investment, or
• otherwise they are high-quality general wine courses, such as those of WSET. The problem is that they do not also cover the service, the Sommelier, aspects.
• we also bring more focus on other beverages such as cocktails, mixed drinks, spirits, beer, water, tea and coffee than in the other courses.

This is what our course will do: cover the important essentials of wine and other beverages, plus the added module on Sommeliership. So, unlike similar courses available elsewhere, the EWA Yacht Sommelier course aims to be detailed, professional service course, and of a good standard.

A description by Louise Sydbeck MW, gives a good insight into the special situation on yachts:

“Given the luxury and prestige of yachting, you would think that having an impressive, carefully selected wine list on board would be standard. That’s rarely the case, however. Over the last 15 years of supplying and consulting in the industry, it is clear that finding a great wine selection on yachts is indeed rare.

This is very understandable though.

First, yachts do not have sommeliers on board. There is generally nobody on the crew with the time, expertise and knowledge needed to craft a well-planned list, as there would be in any top restaurant. This is not to downplay the great wine knowledge of many crew members, but rather to highlight that the role of sommelier simply does not exist here. Instead, this work tends to fall to somebody like the Chief Steward or Chief Stewardess, who will have many other duties and from whom it would be unfair to expect the sort of in-depth wine knowledge you’d expect of a sommelier or other wine professional.

There is also the issue of crew turnover. Yachts frequently change crew, and so wine selections tend to be incomplete or scattered. New crew members may want to add their preferences to the list, which may not necessarily be in tune with the existing list.

Another consideration is the preference of the yacht’s owner. Some owners have very strict guidelines on which wines to keep on board, leaving the person in charge with no choice but to follow instructions. Owners’ requests are often heavily label-focused, with choices made on perceptions of prestige as opposed to any particular wine knowledge or insight.

That’s not all. Yachts that are for charter may have separate selections for the owner and charter guests. Space and storage are also a major concern. With respect to these and many other issues, it would be impossible to suggest a one-size-fits-all wine list solution. Each yacht has its own combination of variables in play and will need its own approach to wine selection.”

It is a modular course which allows persons with no or little wine knowledge to become certified Yacht Sommeliers and wine professionals and eventually, if they wish, to grow through into restaurant and hospitality managers. It includes modules on the basic Essentials of wine (including wine tasting skills – see explanation in the General courses section), on specialist topics relating to sommeliership, and on the major wine regions and their wines.

(This course can also be offered on a f2f basis, provided the group has at least 10 participants)

The course consists of:

• 40 lectures and assignments, divided into 3 modules:
  • Module 1: (a few examples): sensory evaluations and tasting, wine styles, wine labels, regional classifications, viticulture, effect of climate, soils and terroir on wines, wine and food pairing, vinification and how it effects wines as well as lectures on fortified, sparkling wines, spirits, and liqueurs.
  • Module 2: (a few examples): The most important wine regions, including their varietals, and other relevant aspects.
  • Module 3: (a few examples) Definitions of a Yacht sommelier, essentials, the history and Future of the Sommelier industry and profession, Wine Storage on Yachts, Reading a Wine Label, Faulty Wines, the Sommelier’s duties, Serving and decanting wines, Selecting and Evaluating wines, purchasing wines, Beverage Control, Designing and Developing the Wine List, Serving with responsibility, Waiting & Wine Service Skills, Serving Spirits, Mixed Drinks, Cocktails & Cigars, Beer, water & other beverages, Communication with Customers, Working with Colleagues and Staff practices, Health and Safety Issues.
• A portfolio of 60 wines that have to be tasted during the course.
• A compulsory Essay
• A compulsory on-line test at the conclusion of the course.

 

International Certificate in Sommeliership & Hospitality Management

(40x lectures- No prior experience required.) 

This course is designed for anyone who wishes to acquire a professional wine career in the hospitality industry as a sommelier, caviste, food and beverage managers, wine bar owner/manager, food caterer or Restaurant Manager, by the addition of a business-related module.

It is a modular course which allows persons with no or little wine knowledge to become qualified wine professionals and to grow through into restaurant and hospitality managers. It includes modules on the basic Essentials of wine (including wine tasting skills – see explanation in the General courses section), on specialist topics relating to sommeliership, and unlike the Certified Sommelier course above, it focuses more on business topics of restaurant management than on the wine regions.

In this course, there is less focus on the wine regions and more on the business and management topics.

In addition to the required 20 hours of hands-on training we recommend that if a short f2f course, as explained above, is offered, students of this course should also follow it.

Please note: The course fees for this course do not include these practicum costs, students will be advised of these in due course.

It consists of:

• 40 lectures and assignments, divided into 3 modules:

  Module 1: covers specialist topics, (a few examples): sensory evaluations and tasting, wine styles, wine labels, regional classifications, sommelier techniques, cellar management, wine and food pairing, climate effects, viticulture and wine production. This module also offers a basic understanding of the major grapes used for making wine and their discerning characteristics, the influence of climate and viticulture, as well as lectures on fortified, sparkling wines, spirits, and liqueurs.
  

  Module 2: (a few examples): History and Future of the Hospitality & Sommelier industry and profession, New Wine Consumer Attitudes and Preferences, Selecting and Evaluating wines, Purchasing wines, Beverage Control, Designing and Developing the Wine List, Waiting & Wine Service Skills, Serving Spirits, Mixed Drinks, Cocktails & Cigars, Merchandising and
  Selling your Wines, Design and Lay-out of a Restaurant and a Wine Bar, Preparation and Maintenance of Bar and Cellar.

  Module 3: Restaurant Management practices, Communication with Customers, Working with Colleagues and Staff practices, Health and Safety Issues, Financial Aspects and Basic Book-keeping.
  

• A portfolio of 60 wines that have to be tasted during the course.

• A compulsory Essay

• Compulsory on-site Training of 20 hours (this is a course which requires students to gain hands-on experience, so, it is expected that every student acquires at least 20 hours of practical experience by working at any local wine business in your area (this can be a wine shop, importer, supermarket or restaurant, – as long as it has to do with wine or spirits),

• A compulsory on-line test at the conclusion of each module
  

• Optional 2-day practicum to be held at the end of the course

• Optional tutored workshops

• Optional Field Trip to a wine region

Associate Degree Master Sommelier & Consultant

(100 lectures with e-learning – no prior experience required) 

This prestigious e-learning course is designed for students with no previous wine experience or knowledge, who want to combine a serious and in-depth training in Sommeliership with the Business and Marketing skills of a Wine Consultant (what is sometimes termed a Sommellier Conseil in France), and at an advanced level. This course is designed for anyone who wishes to acquire a professional wine career in hospitality, marketing/business management or general wine industry, not only as a Sommelier or restaurant/hotel manager but, because of the wide range of its topics,including a separate section of 6 lectures focusing on how to evaluate and taste wines, studying the major wine regions and their wines, International Master Sommeliers and Wine Consultants can also work as professional Wine Consultants providing their clients with professional advice on wines & spirits and business advice on the wine industry. 

It is a course which allows persons with no wine knowledge or those with limited wine knowledge, to become qualified wine professionals. 

Whilst many of the topics covered are similar to that of the Certificate above, there are far more depth and a wider range of lectures. In addition, in the 4th module, there are also lectures on Wine Marketing, as well as on Wine Business, and this is an important difference because it is in those modules that the basis is laid for a possible future in the wider wine industry. 

Module 1: covers specialist topics, (a few examples): sensory evaluations and tasting, wine styles, wine labels, regional classifications, cellar management, wine and food pairing, climate effects, terroir and climate change and its effects on wine production, viticulture, varietals and wine production. This module also offers a basic understanding of the major grapes used for making wine and their discerning characteristics, the influence of climate and terroir, a number of lectures on viticulture, as well as on winemaking, fortified, sparkling wines, spirits, and liqueurs.

Module 2: We cover most of the major wine regions of Europe and the New World, investigating each one’s history, geographical aspects, terroir & climate, sub-regions, varietals, viticultural practices, oenological practices, and wines. 

Module 3: (a few examples) New Wine Consumer Attitudes and Preferences, Selecting and Evaluating wines, Purchasing wines, Glassware, Beverage Control, Designing and Developing the Wine List, Waiting & Wine Service Skills, Merchandising and Selling your Wines; Design and Layout of a Restaurant and a Wine Bar, Preparation and Maintenance of Bar and Cellar, Communication with Customers, Working with Colleagues and Staff practices, Health and Safety Issues, Financial Aspects and Basic Book-keeping.

Module 4: (a few examples) External Micro-environment and the Marketing Process, The Market and Product Development, Marketing Planning, Distribution and Place, Pricing, Marketing Communications, The Global Wine Trading Environments, Key Trends and Strategies, Balancing growth in the wine market, 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, Direct Wine sales, e-Marketing wine, Organizational design change, Principles of Business Management (leadership, communications, TQM), Human resources, Business planning, financial accounting, Financial Management of Wine, Credit control, Sales and Distribution Management, Management of SME’s and Family-Owned Enterprises, Managing a Retail or Wholesale Outlet, Managing a winery, Supply chain management, Stock management.

Because this is a course which requires students to gain hands-on experience it is expected that every student (unless the student already has some experience) acquires at least 40 hours of practical experience by working at any local wine business in your area (this can be a wine shop, importer, supermarket or restaurant, – as long as it has to do with wine or spirits, but working in a restaurant offering wine, is preferable). Obviously, in certain regions, it may be impossible to find such wine-related businesses that deal in wine and in such cases EWA may allow such a student to follow this course without having to do this 40 hour of practical work, but it is obviously always in the student’s best interests to get such practical exposure.

 This course consists of:

Compulsory: 

 100 lectures and assignments, divided into 4 modules (see content descriptions above, but bear in mind that here the course is in more depth and wider in range)

 A portfolio of 120 wines that have to be tasted during the course

 A compulsory Essay

 On-site Training of 40 hours

 

 Online examination at the conclusion of each module

 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.

 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.

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 “Associate Degree: International Master Sommelier & Consultant “.

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