There’s nothing like a tall glass of wine to accompany the right meal or right moment, so why not understand what it is exactly you’re tasting?
To truly appreciate a good wine, you need to know how and where it was made, at what time and using what particular variety of grapes and methods. Plus, a little wine knowledge never hurts when you’re taking out that special someone for some fine dining.
Below are a few possibilities to take your wine degustation to the next level:
1. For wine lovers who just want an easy introduction to wine or a quick touch-up their knowledge a bit, the LCBO offers a convenient Wine Appreciation Series. Each series is split into three, four-night sessions, which include Introduction to Wine Appreciation, Wines of the Old World and Wines of the New World. Sessions look at all aspects of wine, including different grape varieties, wine regions of the world and good wine matches for various foods. Courses are available at 13 LCBO locations throughout southern Ontario and pre-registration is required. Visit lcbo.com/learn/wines/courses.shtml for more information.
2. If you want to take your wine appreciation to a higher level, the Independent Wine Education Guild offers internationally recognized certificate courses in wines and spirits prepared and graded by the renowned Wine and Spirit Education Trust in England. Five courses of certification are offered, from basic knowledge for front-line serving staff to advanced knowledge required by career wine professionals. Courses run downtown or online and registration must be done in advance. IWEG is fully recognized as an educational institution by Employment and Immigration Canada. For more information, visit iweg.org.
3. For the ultimate schooling in wine, George Brown College offers a one-year Advanced Wines and Beverage Management Program as well as a continuing education Wine Specialist Certificate program for people who want to turn their love of wine into a career. The former deals with the business side of dealing with wines and other beverages while the latter focuses on the specific skills related to knowledge and understanding of wines themselves.
For people who already have some experience and schooling in wine, George Brown also offers a Certified Sommelier Certificate in conjunction with the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS). To get in though, you’ll need to either pass a practical exam that includes a blind tasting or show that you’ve taken an appropriate course of wine study beforehand.
Visit coned.georgebrown.ca for more info.
