Do you like to drink wine? Do you like to talk about wine? Do you want to learn more about wine? Congrats, you’re a wine-enthusiast!

For all my fellow lovers of wine, there is a place for you/us. You don’t have to work in the industry to learn more about the thing you love. The beauty of being a life-long learner means that you can pick up knowledge in your passion area and have fun while doing it.

If you’re thirst to learn, I’d highly consider taking a formal course to whet your intellectual wine palate!

4 Reasons Why You Should Consider a Wine Course

You’ll be familiar with wine basics. The world of wine is so vast. But at the same time, there are basic building blocks that make that wine-world much easier to navigate. Taking a beginner’s course in wine will introduce you to the principal white and black grapes, give an overview of how and where grapes are grown, explain how wine is made, teach you how to assess wine and offer basic food-pairing tips. Perhaps you know bits and pieces of each category, but a course led by a certified wine-expert will give you the building blocks to put it all together. You’ll walk away with loads of interesting new information and the ability to decipher common wine myths.

You’ll find wine-shopping much easier. Sometimes going inside a wine shop or big-box wine store can feel extremely overwhelming! Taking a course helps to become familiar with the types of wine sold in stores, how they are arranged into themes/categories, and basic information about price-points (i.e. mass production vs premium wines). You’ll walk away familiar with the different wine regions (Old World vs New World Wines), you’ll get better at reading wine labels, and you’ll have an idea of how general pricing works. You’ll be able to walk into a store with a lot more confidence!

You’ll be more comfortable ordering wine at restaurants. Have you ever looked at a ritzy wine menu and had no idea what you were even looking at? A basic wine course helps you to understand a wine list and make quicker decisions about what you want. For example, many wines are labeled by region instead of by grape. Having a fundamental idea of what a White Burgundy is or what grapes are blended into a Bordeaux will help you choose the type of wine you wish to drink and pair with food.

You can be confident when you discuss wine with peers. One of the most intimidating conversations is one with a group of know-it all “wine snobs,” as they affectionately call them in the industry. There is a hierarchical level of wine knowledge that people love to showcase and boast about. Having basic wine knowledge will help you to keep up in conversations and also offer your own perspectives without feeling left out. Furthermore, you’ll have a general understanding of wine terms like “terrior” and “tannins,” without having to google “define xyz” for every other word! Now you can keep up, participate, and have fun!

If you’re looking for a beginner’s wine course as wine-enthusiast, I recommend Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Award Level 1 which is taught by Napa Valley Wine Academy and other recognized institutions around the world. This is a great first step to venturing into the world of wine. As an enthusiast, Level 1 will get you all the basics you need to feel more confident about wine. It is also a great stepping stone to higher level courses, which will offer you an even deeper understanding of vino.

For those thirsty to learn, start your own wine journey! It’s never too late.

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Cheers!