Once thought of as a mere accompaniment to a meal, wine has edged its way to center stage in recent years. Now, more than ever, in the restaurant and hospitality business, the impact of a well-crafted wine list and knowledgeable in-house expertise cannot be overlooked. Intensive Sommelier Training, the first training series in the world to be approved by the Court of Master Sommeliers, provides aspiring and experienced industry professionals alike with the skills and certification they need to advance their careers in wine service.
Learn from the masters in as few as 10 weeks.
Intensive Sommelier Training takes students on an in-depth tasting tour of the world’s great winegrowing regions. Over 10 weeks (or 17 weeks of part-time study), students are immersed in the geography, winemaking styles, and terroir of these storied locales. Our faculty of experienced wine professionals combines lectures with tastings and food pairings, teaching students how to thoroughly taste, analyze, and evaluate wines from around the globe.
At the conclusion of the program, students may take the Court of Master Sommeliers' Certified Sommelier Examination on-site at The International Culinary Center. 87% of students pass the exam, giving Intensive Sommelier Training one of the consistently highest success rates among programs offering the exam.
Intensive Sommelier Training consists of eight units that cover the essentials of wine, from wine styles and winemaking to tasting and professional service techniques. On average, six to eight bottles are tasted per session. Here’s an overview of what you’ll learn.
You’ll learn the basics of grape growing and winemaking and get an overview of the major wine regions of the world. Explore the physiology of taste, and learn how to taste and blind-taste wines. Assess and discuss wines, learning how to evaluate flavor characteristics and identify flaws in a way that’s thorough and informational. Discuss proper cellar conditions and the effects of aging wine. You’ll practice basic service techniques, such as decanting red wines and presenting sparkling wines.
You’ll be introduced to the major wine regions of France: Alsace, Loire Valley, Burgundy, Rhone, Provence, Languedoc, Roussillon, Southwest, Jura, Savoie, Bordeaux, and Champagne. Discuss the unique climates, cuisine, wine customs, and wine styles of France. Understand French wine quality levels, regulations, and labeling.
Discover the history of production in the United States, as well as laws specific to American producers. Then, you’ll examine the major wine regions of California, Oregon, and Washington (and touch on the diverse offerings from the other 47 states). From there you’ll explore the rest of North, Central, and South America, from Canada to Mexico to Chile and Argentina. Finally, you’ll study the wines of Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
Become acclimated to the regions, climates, wine styles, and cuisines of Italy on this all-encompassing tasting tour. Explore Piedmont in northern Italy, Tuscany in the central region, and, finally, southern Italy and its surrounding islands. Along the way, you’ll learn all about the other regions of the country, their grapes, labeling, and more.
The Iberian Peninsula is home to the wines of Spain and Portugal. In this unit, students receive an overview of the quality levels of each country’s wines, along with more information about their regulatory systems, grapes, and characteristic styles. In Spain, you’ll explore Sherry, Rioja, Ribera Del Duero, Navarra, Priorat, Rueda, Rias, Baixas, and more. In Portugal, tastings will include Port, Madeira, Douro, Bairrada, Setubal, Vinho Verde, among others.
You’ll begin with an overview of the region’s geography. From there you’ll focus primarily on Germany, learning about the grapes of the various regions, laws, and wine styles. Conclude with an exploration of the wines of Austria, Hungary, and Greece.
Since sommeliers must also have a strong understanding of beers and spirits, this in-depth unit begins with an overview of the production methods, terms, and styles of beer. You’ll then learn about the distillation process, and discuss a variety of spirits, including whiskies, brandies, and liqueurs. The unit concludes with a sparkling wine service exam.
Learn to create a winning wine program, with special focus menu conception, wine list pricing, and variety, as well as creative marketing strategies. You will also learn management principles, including beverage cost control, vendor relations, cellar management, and beverage law. This unit concludes with a practical decanting wine service exam, and, finally, the on-site Certified Sommelier Examination, a test of the culmination of the skills and knowledge you’ve gained throughout the program.
