Best Wine Tasting Classes Near Me: Find In-Person & Virtual Training

Learn More About Wine Tasting Courses

What is Wine Tasting?

Winemaking is an ancient part of human culture, likely far older than its first recorded evidence from eight millennia ago. Tasting wine for appreciation and comparison is perhaps a more recent practice but still has a deep recorded history, almost as old as the first writing. When trade brought cultures together, foods like wines could be differentiated according to their region, ingredients, production methods, and growing year, identified by their resulting differences in taste and smell. As winemaking became more refined, wine tasting similarly progressed from simple evaluation to a specialized skill to a fine art. The ability to correctly identify wines, precisely describe their sensory qualities, and appreciate their subtle differences has long been regarded as a mark of culture. Despite its name, wine tasting is only minimally about the sense of taste. Instead, it is primarily about smell and also involves the tactile and visual qualities of a wine. Wine tasters have a specialized vocabulary to more accurately separate and identify the properties of wines, such as ‘in-glass’ aroma versus ‘finish’. Wine tasting also includes the ability to identify positive and negative qualities and to determine if a wine is of high quality or flawed.

Skillful wine tasting is a necessity for high-status entertaining, a crucial skill for hosts, caterers, and restaurant owners. Wine tasting is the essential job skill for a sommelier, who is sometimes the wine buyer for a hotel, restaurant, or bar. Winemakers themselves must be expert tasters, to evaluate and classify their product, adjust their methods, compare their results to competitors, and describe and promote their wine to buyers. However, wine tasting skills are not only a privilege and proof of wealth and status. Wine tasting ability is useful for anyone who drinks or works with wine, including casual drinkers, hobbyists, tourists, cooks, bartenders, and caterers.

Why Learn Wine Tasting?

Many people drink wine, but few enjoy it to its fullest extent. The first reason to study wine tasting is to appreciate wine more deeply, training one’s senses for better perception and understanding. Learning wine tasting also helps drinkers better describe which wines they enjoy and discern a good, well-made wine from a poorer one. The improved palate trained by a wine tasting class is created from both guided sensory experiences and expanded knowledge. Wine tasting classes address the history, creation, chemistry, and sensory properties of wine to improve drinkers’ understanding. Many wine classes also teach how to effectively pair wines with foods for greater enjoyment of both.

These discussions, along with practice tasting and comparing wines, teach students the common vocabulary used by wine experts so that they can communicate their knowledge and discoveries. Some students are interested in learning about wine as a subject of discussion in high society or a topic of professional interest. Those who plan to work with wine need this language, particularly those working in restaurants or the hospitality industry but also including grape growers, vintners, wine buyers, and travel writers. A wine tasting class is often an opportunity to meet and talk with other wine enthusiasts. Gathering with others to drink wine is also an enjoyable social activity!

Knowledge of how to describe, select, and appreciate wines is also useful when entertaining, traveling, or enjoying a drink at home or out. Alongside better tasting technique, discernment, and description, wine tasting classes teach students about the varieties of wine and their characteristics. Being able to identify a wine by taste is more than a party trick; a skilled wine taster can detect a substitution — accidental or intentional — when they buy wine by the glass. With their improved ability to taste and compare wines, students will also be better able to select wines for suitability, quality, and value. This skill helps both when stocking wines at home and when choosing wines for an event.

What Will You Learn in a Wine Tasting Class?

Any wine tasting class simultaneously teaches students information about wines and trains their habits and perceptions when tasting wine. Together, these lessons connect precise sensations to meaningful distinctions. The information presented in a wine tasting class starts with the broad distinctions that distinguish types of wines: types of grapes, growing regions, and winemaking techniques. Instructors often add other useful details about wine’s chemical composition, its differences depending on growing conditions, and changes during storage and aging, each of which affects a wine’s flavors.

An instructor then translates these traits into the various sensory properties that distinguish wines by type and quality. Students learn to separate, detect, quantify, and describe distinct properties of wines, such as color, aroma, sweetness, acidity, tannins, and body. They also learn about properties that combine and compare multiple sensory details, like complexity, balance, and typicity. Much of this sensory training is experiential, built through guided tasting of a range of wines. Part of it, though, is manual, as students learn the habits of properly pouring, smelling, and drinking wines to gather more and more accurate information. Another part is vocabulary, as students acquire and practice the terminology used by wine experts. An instructor will guide students through tasting practice with a variety of samples to check their ability to distinguish and describe each quality and to confirm their proper technique. The instructor may even present samples of poorer-quality or spoiled wines so that students experience and can recognize negative traits.

Many wine tasting classes include further education on topics like wine storage, service, buying, tourism, or food pairings. Students can grasp these topics more easily and in more depth after acquiring new wine knowledge and perception. Specialized wine tasting classes may go into further detail about wine subtypes, like the distinctions between dry red wines, the wines of a particular region, or wines recommended for specific cuisines. Some wine tasting classes are particularly intended for cooks and address not only food pairings but dishes that incorporate wine, such as coq au vin or beef bourguignon. Finally, advanced wine tasting classes assume prior tasting experience and further train students’ palates to detect and identify finer distinctions, like precisely separating and quantifying aromas or distinguishing wines by year.

How Long Will It Take to Learn Wine Tasting?

Most wine tasting classes, including introductory, general, specialty, and advanced classes, last from one and a half to two hours. Within this span, an introductory or general wine tasting class can cover the major varieties of wines, their distinguishing traits, and the sensory qualities detected by wine tasting, then still have time to sample several wines and practice identifying and describing their flavors with an instructor’s guidance. A specialty wine class may include a shorter version of this introductory material; an advanced class may omit it entirely. These classes can then spend more time covering finer distinctions, such as the differences between wines of a particular region (e.g., Northern Italy) or type (e.g., dry red wines) or more precise discernment of a single property (e.g., distinguishing aromas). Certain wine tasting classes do run longer, up to two and a half or three hours. These longer classes are intended to give students a more diverse education and more precise discrimination skills. They may include a wider range of wines, more detailed information about wine subtypes, or additional lessons on related topics like wine service, purchasing, storage, and food pairings. Other longer classes allow more time for sampling and discussion.

What are the Advantages of Taking a Wine Tasting Class?

The primary advantage of a live wine tasting class is shared, guided, informed tasting. Any lesson on wine tasting can address the subject academically, but to use that knowledge effectively, students need to practice tasting multiple wines with an instructor’s guidance. No textbook or video, no matter how good its explanations, can reproduce a live class’ pairing of sensation with knowledge. An expert instructor will also precisely curate their class’ wine samples to highlight and contrast particular qualities. By sharing the same wines as their students, an instructor can point out these properties and ensure that students have appropriate examples. Students can then practice sensing each property in individual wines and comparing their impressions across different wines, all supported by the instructor’s feedback. A live instructor can also evaluate each student’s technique, accuracy, and improvement when tasting with unidentified samples, or ‘blind’. An in-person class is an ideal way to sample matching wines alongside one’s instructor, but most online wine tasting classes do include or sell a curated tasting kit to provide a similar parallel experience.

Live classes benefit in other ways from fast, detailed feedback. An instructor can repeat or rephrase unclear explanations, ensuring that their students understand each lesson before moving on. A class instructor who is knowledgeable throughout their field can answer students’ varied questions and provide insights beyond their class’ basic curriculum. In a wine tasting class, for example, students might want to know more about their favorite wines or might ask how to choose wines for cooking. Instructors may share interesting anecdotes from their professional work, such as a wine buyer’s travels or a restaurant host’s experiences with difficult or ill-informed customers. More formally, wine classes offered by professional schools might include lessons about related business operations, and some wine tasting classes include evaluations and certifications that provide credentials for those seeking work in related fields.

A wine tasting class is also an enjoyable social experience, whether shared with a group of friends or a class of new acquaintances. After all, sampling wine alone is only a little better than drinking alone! Wine tasting is better done in company, especially since other tasters can compare their impressions and help one another learn by practicing their wine vocabulary. Even better, some wine tasting classes are structured as a club or party and include snacks or a meal for an even more pleasurable outing.

Best Wine Tasting Classes

Wine CoPilot, an online wine seller, hosts wine tasting classes both online and in New York City. Their classes include specialty offerings covering particular regions and wine types, such as Big Bold Red Wines: Wine Tasting. New students, though, should start with Wine Tasting 101 | Exploring Great Wines from Around the Globe, an introduction to both wine tasting and the world’s numerous wine varieties. Wine Tasting 101 is hosted by Wine CoPilot’s Director of Wine Studies, who shares their expertise along with a sampling of the company’s wares. This 90-minute class addresses wine tasting methods and vocabulary, then covers a broad overview of wine types and regions to give participants an expansive introduction to wine illustrated with tasting samples.

CocuSocial Cooking Classes teaches cooking skills to groups at public and private events all around New York City. Their in-person introductory wine tasting class, Intro to Wine Tasting, is a 90-minute exploration of wine culture and appreciation. Students first learn about wine production, handling, and service, then discuss the properties of wines, their main varieties, and the roles of each type of wine in fine dining. The instructor, an expert sommelier, then guides participants through a tasting of six selected wines: a sparkling wine, an unoaked white, an oaked white, and three different styles of red wine. The course’s primary goal is to improve students’ enjoyment of wine by heightening their abilities to discern wine qualities and differences and recognize the meaning of those distinctions.

A “wine education and event website” based in Los Angeles, Learn About Wine hosts a series of events in Beverly Hills called Wine Camp. Their introductory course, Wine Camp - An Introduction to Wine, is a two-hour evening gathering where a host teaches lessons about wine while guiding participants through educated tastings of six featured wines. The class first covers wine production, varieties, tasting methods and vocabulary, storage, handling, and serving, plus tips on wine buying. The instructor then guides students through tastings of the featured wines, which include regional specialties from Sonoma County and Napa Valley. The class also includes a cheese sampler and demonstrates the flavor-boosting benefit of smart wine and cheese pairings.

As an addition to its degree programs, Mt. San Antonio College, a community college located near Los Angeles in Walnut, California, offers community education classes on diverse topics. Wine 101: How to Taste & Evaluate Wine is a two-hour introductory class on wine tasting and appreciation that will improve a student’s ability to identify wines based on their sensory qualities. The instructor addresses wine production, varieties, and distinctions based on quality, including potential faults. At the same time, they link these characteristics to their resulting sights, scents, textures, and tastes. After explaining these properties, their terminology, and effective tasting methods, the instructor will guide students through tastings of six wines including both reds and whites. This course has a particular focus on distinguishing the varietals, styles, and origins of Bordeaux wines.

Located in downtown Chicago, The Chopping Block Lincoln Square offers public cooking classes, private events, and retail sales of kitchen and gourmet products. Their two introductory wine tasting classes are casual gatherings but are still led by an expert sommelier. A one-and-a-half-hour class, How to Bluff Your Way Through Wine, starts with a detailed introduction to wine, discussing its history, chemistry, and variations. The instructor addresses the characteristics that affect wine’s flavors and the sensations they produce then guides students through effective tasting techniques. Finally, students practice identifying and discussing flavors with a set of five international wines. The class also includes snacks that complement its discussion of wine and food pairings. The Chopping Block’s series of wine tasting “mini classes”, Raise a Glass, are each one hour long and feature a different set of three wines. Using each class’ featured wines, the instructor discusses their distinguishing characteristics, flavor profiles, and best food pairings. This class also provides snacks to illustrate their pairings with each wine, and bottles of all three featured wines are available for purchase at a discount.

Chicago’s Discovery Center is an independent adult education program teaching a broad array of hobby and professional skills. Wine Tasting: Becoming a Wine Connoisseur is their two-hour introductory workshop for wine enthusiasts seeking to improve their palate and learn the methods and vocabulary of wine tasting. In addition to lessons on tasting technique, discrimination, and terminology, the class addresses wine’s production methods, varieties, buying, storage, service, and food pairings, plus additional topics as requested by students. Students then practice their tasting techniques and descriptive abilities with a selection of international and domestic wines. Note that the class’ initial cost is its registration fee, with an additional materials fee collected on-site.

Live Online Wine Tasting Classes

Groups seeking team-building activities alongside practical and hobby skill training can book online classes with CourseHorse, a virtual workshop provider. In addition to building teamwork and providing social bonding activities, CourseHorse workshops feature an array of useful skills including culinary arts like wine tasting. Each class is taught online via Zoom by a live instructor. CourseHorse’s Virtual Wine Tasting Workshop is an introduction to wine tasting taught by a professional wine expert. This workshop can run for up to one and a half hours, or shorter if preferred, and covers wine varieties, history, regions, and tasting techniques. Participants then taste a selection of wines along with the instructor, sharing their impressions and discussing any questions that arise. Groups must book this workshop at a base rate covering up to 10 students but can expand it up to 500 attendees with an additional per-person cost. This class fee includes a set of three wines shipped to each participant. A fourth wine, a sparkling wine, is available for an additional cost.

The largest wine school in the United States, San Fransisco Wine School offers an expansive list of virtual classes in addition to their in-person professional education programs. There are over 50 different classes in their online catalog, ranging from introductions to wine and wine tasting to advanced wine tasting seminars and classes on specific wine regions and varieties and professional skills related to wine and other beverages. Of these classes, Wine 101 assumes minimal experience with wine and no prior training in wine tasting. In two hours, this class covers the basics of wine, starting with grape farming and wine production, structure, styles, labeling, storage, and service. The instructor then demonstrates wine tasting technique and details the elements of wine’s flavor, the terms used to describe these elements, and the characteristics that produce each sensation. They then guide students through tasting practice with six selected wines. Online students can either collect this wine selection at the school’s site or arrange its delivery for an additional fee. Wine 101 is also the initial class in the school’s “Introduction to Wine” series, a set of eight two-hour classes plus an optional certification exam. Students who choose to continue with the full series can apply their fee for Wine 101 to the set’s combined, discounted cost.

The Wine Education Institute, a professional wine and spirits education center in Colorado, offers individual classes and full certification courses in the appreciation, service, manufacture, and sale of wine and spirits. Their online courses, which meet the standards of the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET), are primarily self-paced but include several virtual sessions with a live instructor. Their introductory wine course, WSET Level 1 Award in Wines: Introduction to Wine (Self-Paced), is designed for both new professionals in the restaurant and wine retail industries and wine consumers seeking greater knowledge. The course first teaches the fundamentals of wine: grape varieties and wine production, styles, service, and food pairings. The next section of the course covers wine tasting technique per the “WSET Systemic Approach,” training students in tasting methods, terminology, and identification of flavors and wine qualities. The course also addresses wine’s business aspects including legal, health, and safety concerns. The full course takes about six hours of work, which must be completed within a four-week window, and concludes with a certification exam. Students seeking further wine education, certification, and a WSET diploma can continue with additional courses in this series: WSET Level 2 Award in Wines (Self-Paced) and WSET Level 3 Award in Wines (Self-Paced).

Wine Tasting Courses by School

Here are some of the top schools offering Wine Tasting training, including San Francisco Wine School (63 courses), The Chopping Block Lincoln Square (6 courses), and Wine Education Institute (4 courses).

Wine Education Institute

Denver location: 5498 E 144th Place, Thornton, Colorado

The Wine Education Institute (WEI) is a wine education organization based in Denver, Colorado. WEI offers a variety of wine courses and workshops for all levels, from beginners to experienced wine enthusiasts. Classes cover a wide range of topics, including wine tasting, winemaking, and wine pairing.
- WSET Level 2 Award in Wines: Looking Behind the Label
  - 6 Weeks, 3 hr/wk
  - $750
- WSET Level 1 Award in Wines: Introduction to Wine
  - 7 Hours
  - $350
San Francisco Wine School
Locations:
- San Francisco
- Live Online
San Francisco Wine School is a wine education institution located in South San Francisco. The school offers a variety of wine classes and workshops for all levels, from beginners to experienced wine enthusiasts. Classes cover a wide range of topics, including wine tasting, winemaking, and wine pairing.
- Intro to French Wines
  - 2 Hours
  - $125
- Intro to Italian Wines
  - 2 Hours
  - $125
- Intro to Spanish Wines
  - 2 Hours
  - $125
- Blind Wine Tasting: Aromas
  - See provider
  - $160
Craftsman Ave

NYC location: 117 11th Street, Brooklyn, New York

Craftsman Ave is a hands-on workshop in Brooklyn that offers a variety of classes and workshops in woodworking, metalworking, jewelry making, leather crafting, and stained glass. Their classes are taught by experienced makers and designers in a supportive environment where students can learn new skills and create beautiful handmade objects.
- Barrel Age your own Whiskey and Craft Cocktails
  - 4 Hours
  - $395
- Date Night: Barrel Age your own Whiskey
  - 4 Hours
  - $480
Discovery Center

Chicago location: 4318 N Elston Ave, Chicago, Illinios

Discovery Center is a Lifelong Learning Center in Chicago that offers a variety of classes and workshops on a wide range of topics, including art, cooking, writing, and more. Their classes are taught by experienced and knowledgeable instructors who create a fun and supportive environment where students can learn new skills and explore their interests. Discovery Center is a great way to learn about new things or to improve your skills in a particular area.
- Mixology 102: Sophisticated and Complex Cocktails
  - 4 Hours
  - $39
- Wine Tasting: Becoming a Wine Connoisseur
  - 2 Hours
  - $39
The Chopping Block Lincoln Square

Chicago location: 4747 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, Illinios

The Chopping Block Lincoln Square is a cooking school in Chicago that offers a variety of hands-on cooking classes for all levels. They are known for their interactive and engaging classes led by experienced chefs. The Chopping Block Lincoln Square also offers a variety of online classes that can be taken from anywhere in the world.
- Raise a Glass
  - 1 Hour
  - $28.75
- War and Wine: Grand Cru of Wine
  - 2 Hours
  - $132.25
CocuSocial Cooking Classes
Locations:
- NYC
- Live Online
- Atlanta
- Houston
- Los Angeles
- San Diego
- San Francisco
+ 2 more
CocuSocial Cooking Classes is a company that offers social cooking classes in New York City. They partner with local restaurants and hotels to provide easy accessibility for their customers. Their classes are designed to be fun and interactive, and they offer a variety of topics including pasta making, sushi rolling, and dumpling cooking.
- Wine Tasting 101
  - 2 Hours
  - $63
- Intro to Wine Tasting
  - 2 Hours
  - $64
Kings County Distillery

NYC location: 299 Sands St, New York, New York

Kings County Distillery is a renowned distillery based in Brooklyn, New York, offering a range of courses to suit all levels. From beginner introductory courses covering the basics of distilling whiskey to advanced classes exploring techniques and blending, the distillery provides students with hands-on experience with modern and industry-standard equipment. Sessions with the experienced team of distillers are also available to offer a greater insight into the art and science of craft distilling.
- Whiskey Tasting Class
  - 1 Hour
  - $40.21
Rhine Hall Distillery

Chicago location: 2010 W Fulton St, Chicago, Illinois

Rhine Hall Distillery, situated in Chicago, is a well-renowned distillery that provides premium classes for those interested in learning about distilling. Along with distilled spirits, Rhine Hall Distillery specializes in artisanal brandy utilizing the perfect combination of apples, cherries, and plums. Classes at Rhine Hall Distillery include professional bottling lessons, distillation classes, and a variety of other courses dedicated to perfecting the art of crafting spirits.
- Distillery Tour
  - See provider
  - $10
Mt. San Antonio College

Los Angeles location: 1100 N. Grand Ave, Walnut, California

Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) is a two-year community college located in Walnut, California. They offer a wide range of courses, from career certificates and associate degrees to transfer programs for students looking to pursue a bachelor's degree. Students at Mt. SAC have access to dozens of academic programs, including agriculture, business and computer sciences, health, stage and production arts, and automotive technology.
- The Wines of Tuscany
  - 2 Hours
  - $70
LearnAboutWine/ wineLA

Los Angeles location: 584 Mateo St, Los Angeles, California

LearnAboutWine/wineLA offers a wide range of wine-related courses in Los Angeles. Courses range from introductory classes such as Wine 101 and Wine by the Glass to advanced topics such as wine tasting and food & wine pairing. Students can learn about different types of wine, how to order wine in a restaurant, and more.
- Wine Camp - An Introduction to Wine
  - 2 Hours
  - $95

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Learn Wine Tasting

Learn More About Wine Tasting Courses

What is Wine Tasting?

Why Learn Wine Tasting?

What Will You Learn in a Wine Tasting Class?

How Long Will It Take to Learn Wine Tasting?

What are the Advantages of Taking a Wine Tasting Class?

Best Wine Tasting Classes

Live Online Wine Tasting Classes

Wine Tasting Courses by School

Wine Education Institute

WSET Level 2 Award in Wines: Looking Behind the Label

WSET Level 1 Award in Wines: Introduction to Wine

San Francisco Wine School

Intro to French Wines

Intro to Italian Wines

Intro to Spanish Wines

Blind Wine Tasting: Aromas

Craftsman Ave

Barrel Age your own Whiskey and Craft Cocktails

Date Night: Barrel Age your own Whiskey

Discovery Center

Mixology 102: Sophisticated and Complex Cocktails

Wine Tasting: Becoming a Wine Connoisseur

The Chopping Block Lincoln Square

Raise a Glass

War and Wine: Grand Cru of Wine

CocuSocial Cooking Classes

Wine Tasting 101

Intro to Wine Tasting

Kings County Distillery

Whiskey Tasting Class

Rhine Hall Distillery

Distillery Tour

Mt. San Antonio College

The Wines of Tuscany

LearnAboutWine/ wineLA

Wine Camp - An Introduction to Wine

Wine Tasting Corporate & Onsite Training Noble Desktop

Wine Tasting Training Map & Top Locations

8 Courses Available in NYC

Wine Tasting
Corporate & Onsite Training