Other online wine Classes & Courses international bodies
While the four organizations mentioned in my last blogs are the most popular certification bodies, they certainly don’t own wine education. There are lots of resources you can use to study independently and supplement your certification journey. The following are:
The online wine school from Wine Spectator offers students the option to start wine courses whenever they want. And download a variety of worksheets and study guides while connecting with a vast array of professional and practical resources.
Wine Scholar Guild is the leading provider of specialized certification programs on the wines of France, Italy and Spain with a school network spanning 30 countries and 5 continents.
Pioneers in online wine education; their distance-learning platform includes hundreds of educational webinars, interactive e-learning modules, online flashcards, pronunciation exercises, and learning games.
They are designed for advanced students of wine whether professionals or serious wine hobbyists. Individuals who follow these in-depth programs and pass the exam earn the French, Italian or Spanish Wine Scholar title and corresponding post-nominal, which may be incorporated into a professional signature (e.g. John Smith, FWS).
The Society is internationally recognized and its programs are highly regarded for both their quality and relevance to the industry.
SWE offers four professional credentials for those seeking to certify their wine and spirits knowledge, including the Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW), the Certified Specialist of Spirits (CSS), the Certified Wine Educator (CWE), and the Certified Spirits Educator (CSE). In addition, the Hospitality/Beverage Specialist Certificate is available, offered both as a self-study guide and an online class.
Hopefully this outlines these various programs in a way that’s useful to people out there so that they can get where they want to go a lot faster than I did. It’s a lengthy journey whichever path you choose, but if you love wine and working in it, it’s one that’s most definitely worth the effort.