About

Whether you want to become a certified sommelier or you just want to learn how to properly choose and serve wine at your dinner parties, the IOA Wine Appreciation course is the best way for you to prepare yourself.

The sheer number of wine varieties and rules surrounding wine service and tasting, understanding wine appreciation can be a mammoth task.

Get on track to become a sommelier or just learn helpful information about wine. Knowing how to choose the proper wine for any situation will serve you well in your life. 

Requirements

International Open Academy courses are designed for anyone with an interest in learning. No formal qualifications are required to study with us. Our courses are suitable if you want to learn new skills, start a new career, or if you’re already working in a particular industry and wish to upgrade your talents and enhance your resume.

Lessons

Module 1: Grape Varieties

• White grapes
• Black grapes
• Red grapes
• Hybrid grapes

Module 2: Winemaking

• Planting
• Harvesting
• Crushing
• Primary fermentation
• Pressing
• Secondary fermentation
• Blending
• Filtration

Module 3: Wine Varieties

• Red wine
• White wine
• Blends
• Rose
• Sparkling wine

Module 4: Why Are There So Many Wine Varieties?

• Factors that influence style
• Factors that influence quality
• Factors that influence price

Module 5: Wine Regions

• USA
• France
• Italy
• Spain
• South America
• Other regions

Module 6: Wine Tasting Process

• Vertical vs. horizontal tastings
• Sight
• Smell
• Taste
• Wine tasting etiquette
• Scoring wine

Module 7: What To Look For In Your Wine

• Balance
• Complexity and character
• Concentration
• Finish
• Faults

Module 8: Wine Pairings: Wine & Food

• Purpose of wine pairings
• Classic pairings
• Effect of poor pairing

Module 9: How To Serve Wine

• Opening a bottle of wine
• Saving a bottle from a broken cork
• Proper pouring
• Using the right glass

Module 10: Proper Wine Storage

• How external variables affect wine
• Light whites and sparkling wines
• Medium-bodied whites and light-bodied reds
• Full-bodies whites and medium-bodies reds
• Full-bodied reds

Career

Who is this course for

Anyone with an interest in wine! From the amateur wine-lover to the aspiring sommelier, this course is a must for those who enjoy wine and would like to know more about this fascinating beverage.

Career path

After completing this course, you could:

• Explore the fascinating Sommelier career
• Be a better bartender or server
• Be a better chef, with a finer understanding of food pairings
• Wow your friends and family with your advanced understanding of wine

Certification

You will be required to complete each lesson in full, and answer exams at the end of each course module. If your pass rate exceeds 55% on each exam then you will receive a certificate of completion, to recognize your achievement. You can immediately download your PDF course certificate from IOA.

Most of our courses will earn you credits through Continuing Education (CE) / Continuing Professional Development (CPD). CE/CPD points are accepted and recognized by professional member bodies and academic institutions across the US and internationally.

All courses are accredited by the International Council for Online Educational Standards (www.icoes.org).  When successfully completing a course, students can choose to purchase an ICOES certificate that recognizes the achievement, from this third-party institution

Creator

Matthew Kimmel

Matt Kimmel is a professional educator and writer who specializes in writing about education, travel, personal health, business, and job training.

He lives in Danbury, CT with his wife, Catherine, with whom he loves to travel, read, and watch movies. As an English teacher, Matt enjoys introducing new material to his students, making it entertaining and accessible to all. It is this love of connecting with people that makes his writing unique and effective.

His experiences with his students, including a high population of ELL students, has prepared to adjust his instruction to engage students of all age-levels, skill-levels, and levels of English language acquisition. Matt brings all of these experiences to his writing to give it richness, depth, and authenticity.