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European Wine Academy

FAQ

 

Commitment to Quality
EWA upholds academic excellence, transparency, and student empowerment, aligning with the EU’s E-learning Principles for inclusive, learner-centered education. Certified ISO 9001 in 2005, we maintain rigorous standards, offering program transparency, pre-enrollment insights, and a cooling-off period to ensure informed decisions.

 

Certification
EWA employs a dual certification approach:

  • Self-certification: Based on transparent assessments and international learning outcomes, a model used by institutions like the Court of Master Sommeliers, Society of Wine Educators, and WSET (hybrid model).
  • External certification: Pursuing recognition from European and global wine/education bodies for broader credibility and portability.

 

Certificate vs. Associate Degree

  • Certificate: 40 lessons focused on shorter courses for foundational knowledge.
  • Diploma: 60 lessons- More comprehensive and detailed, can include foundational essentials module.
  • Associate Degree: 90-120 lessons. Comprehensive, in-depth lectures for advanced wine education and consultancy careers. Can include foundational essentials module if necessary.

 

Learning Formats

  • Face-to-Face (F2F): Sensory-rich courses with expert-led tastings, discussions, and networking. Includes exams, often with blind tastings.
  • E-Learning: Flexible online modules, webinars, and virtual classrooms.
  • Blended Learning: Combines online and F2F sessions for flexibility and interaction. Self-paced, cost-effective, accessible globally.

 

Course Structure

  • E-Learning: Weekly lectures (15–50 pages), mandatory assignments (2–3 hours/week), uploaded as PDFs. Inactivity for months without notice leads to deregistration (€100 reinstatement fee).
  • F2F: Usually 4 to 6 days on location. 3-hour sessions with guided tastings, typically requiring a minimum number of attendees.
  • Webinars: Occasional Zoom workshops (e.g., wine tasting).
  • Content: Blends academic rigor (textbooks, tutor insights) with practical skills, updated with current wine articles. Dyslexia-friendly formats available (e.g., beige backgrounds, accessible fonts).
  • Breaks: Materials accessible during summer (July–August) and December breaks; grading resumes post-break.

 

Wine Tasting

  • Tasting Room: Online platform with guides and evaluation sheets for wines, sparkling wines, and spirits. An initial (if requested) online wine tasting session with one of our tutors Simulated tastings (interactive, digital experiences that allow students to virtually engage with the processes)—and a non-compulsory field trip to a local vineyard.
  • Process: Students source wines locally, following a flexible list. Zoom tutorials available; adaptations offered for wine-restricted regions.
  • Webinar: Potential live tasting sessions based on interest.

 

Hands-On Experience

  • Some courses encourage industry exposure (e.g., winery, wine shop work). Optional for experienced students or those in areas without wine businesses.
  • Workshops/tastings organized if 12+ students register.

 

Exams

  • E-Learning: Online multiple-choice exams per module, invigilated via Zoom, plus oral assessments on one of 10 pre-shared topics.
  • F2F: Written exam and blind tasting at course end.
  • Exam fees: €35/module. (now include din the course fees)

 

EWA Corkscrew

  • Custom double-hinged sommelier corkscrew (€15 + ~€15 shipping). Features a non-slip rubber contour, Teflon spiral, and dual-lever mechanism.

 

Registration & Payments

  • Process: Complete the online Student Registration Form. Post-payment, receive an invoice, handbook, syllabus, and e-learning platform access.
  • Fees: Include course, registration (€85), and exam fees (€35/module).
  • Payment Options:
    • Credit/debit card via website.
    • Bank transfer (IBAN: DK03 6820 0001 9356 96, BIC: SYBKDK22; student covers bank fees, 1% currency conversion if not in DKK).
    • Wise/Revolut accepted.
  • Refunds: Limited once digital content usage begins, per EU Consumer Rights Directive. Course extracts provided pre-registration.

 

Use of AI

As you can imagine some of our lessons go back 23 years. Over the years they have been updated or even been completely rewritten to keep up to date with the enormous developments in the wine world. For the past 2 years we have been using AI as a sort of “library assistant” to find relevant and up to date information. It is simply faster at it and can access sources we are not always able to, certainly not in such a short time frame.

However, we do not encourage students to use AI because the very point of having compulsory assignments is to ensure that students actually do the research themselves, read the texts and then formulate the assignment themselves. It is in this process that the learning happens. In any event, we can aanalyze the writing style and patterns of students, plus we use tools like Google Docs’ Version History and numerous AI Detection Tools and Apps to detect any obvious use of AI. We do not object if you use AI to obtain the raw information, and once you have worked through all the material (the lecture notes plus what information you got with AI) produce your own answer to the particular assignment question.

If you nevertheless use AI to write your assignments, and you manage to fool us into believing it is your own work, you have only cheated yourself.

Contact
For further questions, visit our website or contact us directly.

“ As a full supporter of the program, I would be thrilled to advocate for EWA. I am still working through the program and am dedicated to completing it this year.”
Doris Miculan Bradley, (Canada) 2022/4 -AD International Master Sommelier & Consultant

“The European Wine Academy provided me a good e-platform to continue my wine studies. The course was a great course. It enriched my knowledge in the essentials and business perspective of wine. My supervisor was supportive, and gave constructive comments on my course works. The administrative staff were helpful. However, to finish the course successfully, one has to be self-disciplined and manage one’s time well” 
(Nixon Chen, Thailand, 2017)

“As a wine enthusiast, I was looking for a course that would give me a solid and in depth understanding of the world of wine – how it is made, the different grapes and varietals, the impact of climate, soil, age, how to enjoy wine, what to look for when buying wine and reading a label so that I could be informed and expand my horizons to select and enjoy the huge choice available to the consumer. The course itself is ideally structured for me around the “e learning concept”, lectures can be simply downloaded, assignments submitted and these are returned promptly with expert tutoring. My thirst for learning has not yet finished and I can say that I have the foundation to proceed to deeper specialisation. The course is immense fun, I have learnt so much, tasted a lot and I can now hold intelligent conversations on the subject.”Alan Hustwick  2014), Australia

“Although my course only started in November, I found the course to be stimulating and very interesting. The Lessons are well-prepared and refreshing”. – Liesl Geyer -London 2004

“I think the website, content for the course, update material and the way everything is run is superb. It really fits the bill for me as I can only study when things are quiet work wise and it allows me the flexibility.”-Sarah Richards (AD Essentials, Viticulture & Wine Production, 2013-2014) United Kingdom

“I am happy to say that I really enjoyed my online learning experience with EWA. The platform is easy to use and whether I needed academic or technical support, my tutor or another staff member was there to help almost immediately. The course content was very thorough and the assignments were very effective exercises in applying the concepts learned in lectures. Taking the Certificate in Viticulture and Wine Production while working at a wine estate allowed me to get the most out of the course. EWA set a very high standard of excellence in e-learning and this course exceeded my expectations.”- Isabelle Theoret (Certificate Viticulture & Wine Production, 2010-2014) Canada & Germany

“I did my first tasting assignment alone and after a couple of hours sitting in front of the wine trying convulsive finding the aromas and flavours in it, turned out to be a very difficult task. So I asked for an online tasting, which was booked directly for the next day with Mr. Koch, and it helped me so much to develop my tasting kills, that I am feeling so much more confident to do the next tasting assignments by myself. He told me all the tips on how to smell the aromas and to taste the flavours, that the difference is surprisingly big. So, thank you very much to Mr. Koch for his patience and sharing his skills that it makes it in fact much more fun and motivates one to taste more.”  
Matthias Breitsameter (Stockholm, Sweden, 5 October 2012) (AD International Master Sommelier & Wine Consultant)

“I recently joined the student team of European Wine EWA, and really enjoy it. A lot of informations in the same time. If you have a question about anything, they answer so quickly and give you a really constructive feedback. You have to do your best with every assignment. The platform is useful and easy to understand (you need to be curious at the beginning). Courses, vidéos, power point, tasting room, everything about the wine actuality, book references, we have all in our hand to make a good job. I have also found the concept of the essay an effective way to keep you immersed in the subject and learning. To conclude, the European Wine EWA is the school for passionate of wine , full of informations with interesting platform student and competent staff, if you have love for wine, join us”- Caroline BOUTRY, France & Hamburg – AD Wine Essentials, Business & Marketing – 30 January 2012

“I recently did a tasting session with Mr. Koch from the European Wine EWA through Skype. As I just started my course I am unexperienced in wine tasting, I therefor asked for a guided tasting that will help me with future tastings. It was very helpful to do this. He showed me what is involved in a tasting, how to approach it step by step and gave me useful tips and advice. There is no need to be skeptical about an online tasting session and not tasting the same wine at that moment when the tutor is so experienced as Mr. Koch. I tasted a Bordeaux and with his knowledge he knows what to look for and could thus talk me through the tasting with the help of the WIne Analysis Guide. I will certainly benefit from this experience for all the coming tastings and could recommend it to everyone!” –Marijn Buurma – Gassino Torinese, Italy, “Certificate Wine Essentials Business & Marketing” Oct 2011

“The assignments are graded objectively and feedback from the professor is always constructive which is motivating and drives you to work harder and do better with every assignment. Staff is supportive and respond swiftly to queries and concerns. I have also found the format of the lectures i.e. one per week is an effective way to always keep you immersed in the subject and an equally effective way of learning.”-Kelly O’ Connor, Dubai- AD Wine Essentials, Business & Marketing 2011

“Here are my comments on the exam I just went through:It is definitely challenging because the multiple choice set-up requires to exactly interpret each word of a question. This may also create some confusion (and in (my) this case it is very easy to get confused). However, it is an easy and efficient way to do the exam from a remote place which I certainly appreciate. Efficient, fair and convenient. Works for me.”-
Bernard Bukovic-Brussels, November 2011, commenting on his first on-line exam in the ‘Associate Degree Viticulture, Wine production & Business’ course he is following.)

“Studying Wine Business and Marketing (at EWA) has given me lots of complementary insights. Especially as there is no such particular field of study in the Netherlands. Feedback was always given in a friendly constructive way, which has stimulated me enormously. Most appealing part of the course was writing an essay based on the course material; this has given me tremendous intellectual pleasure. And as I already have noticed, specialization in wine marketing aroused quite an interest in the Dutch professional wine business”.- Rob Blijleven -The Hague (Certificate Wine Business and Marketing, 2011)

“The workshop was really educational and also good fun. Everybody participated, was given individual attention and we had the chance to ask any questions. It was a great success.”– Sonja van der Hoven, London 2004

” I’ve been thoroughly impressed with the content of each lecture, the assignment standard is high ensuring the student fully comprehends the covered material. Tutors are constructive and fair, and always available to answer questions or concerns. The student platform is set up in a user friendly, easy to follow format. Overall I’d say this is a great course and I have truly enjoyed pursuing it! – Lauren Tracey (Canada) ‘Certificate Viticulture & Wine Production’ – 2010

“The field trip we went on to Northern Spain and Portugal was brilliant. It was so helpful to see the wine-making practices that we had learnt about be used in real wineries and vineyards. Seeing this for ourselves, and hearing the winemakers talk about their techniques (while sampling their delicious wines!) was a fantastic experience. Thank you to all who organised it for us -a definite highlight of the course!” –
Romy Pearse, Australia, 2006

“I never actually knew what I was going to do with the rest of career/life, but after studying this wine course, I think I have actually found my calling. What’s not to like, wine, travel and a truly great experience with all the fellow students.” –
Alicia Harris (London) 2005

“I like the flexibility and variety of the class work and the workshops available to us. The workload is challenging and invaluable, and has given me a greater understanding of wine which I can take home and use practically”. –
Clint Heine, New Zealand