Course Content
01 — Taste Like You Mean It
Learn how to taste wine with purpose, identify the structural elements that shape a wine, and describe what’s in the glass with confidence. This section focuses on practical tasting skills you can use on the floor—not memorized tasting-note jargon.
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How to Taste Wine
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Sight, Aroma & Structure
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The Five Things That Matter Most
02 — Acid, Tannin, Body & Booze
For the topic summary, use:
Learn how the major structural elements of wine shape style, food pairing, and guest preference. This section turns technical wine language into practical service language.
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Acidity: The Engine of Freshness
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Tannin: Grip, Structure & Power
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Body: Light, Medium or Full?
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Alcohol: Warmth, Weight & Balance
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Balance: When Everything Works Together
03 — Old World / New World
Understand what “Old World” and “New World” really mean—and where those terms fall short. Learn how geography, climate, tradition, grape growing, and winemaking can influence style, then translate those differences into language that actually helps a guest choose a wine.
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What “Old World” and “New World” Actually Mean
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Climate Changes the Glass
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Place vs. Grape
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Tradition vs. Modern Style
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Reading a Wine Label Without Panic
04 — Know Your Grapes
Learn the major grape varieties guests ask for most often, what they typically taste like, how climate and winemaking change their style, and how to turn that knowledge into better recommendations at the table.
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Chardonnay: One Grape, Many Personalities.
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Sauvignon Blanc: Bright, Herbal & Fresh
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Riesling: Dry, Sweet & Seriously Misunderstood
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Pinot Noir: Light Body, Serious Complexity
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Cabernet Sauvignon: Structure, Power & Dark Fruit
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Merlot: Plush, Round & Underrated
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Syrah & Shiraz: Savory, Spicy & Powerful
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Sangiovese: Bright, Savory & Built for Food
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Nebbiolo: Pale Color, Serious Structure
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Tempranillo: Savory, Structured & Spanish
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Grenache: Ripe Fruit, Spice & Warmth
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Gamay: Light, Juicy & Seriously Fun
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Malbec: Dark, Plush & Powerful
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Pinot Grigio & Pinot Gris: Same Grape, Different Personality
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Chenin Blanc: From Bone Dry to Beautifully Sweet
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Gewürztraminer: Floral, Spicy & Aromatic
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Albariño: Salty, Citrusy & Built for Seafood
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Grüner Veltliner: Peppery, Fresh & Food-Friendly
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Viognier: Floral, Rich & Aromatic
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Vermentino: Bright, Herbal & Coastal
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Moscato & Muscat: Aromatic, Floral & Often Sweet
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Cabernet Franc: Fresh, Savory & Seriously Useful
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Zinfandel: Ripe, Spicy & Unapologetically Bold
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Mourvèdre: Dark, Savory & Wild
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Carménère: Dark Fruit, Herbs & Chilean Identity
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Pinotage: Smoky, Dark & South African
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Petit Verdot: Deep Color, Tannin & Spice
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Touriga Nacional: Floral, Powerful & Portuguese
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Aglianico: Dark, Tannic & Built to Age
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Nero d’Avola: Ripe, Spicy & Sicilian
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Corvina: Bright, Herbal & the Heart of Valpolicella
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Primitivo: Ripe, Spicy & Southern Italian
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Glera: Fresh, Floral & the Grape Behind Prosecco
05 — Know Your Map
Learn the major wine regions that come up most often in service, what makes them distinct, and how place helps predict style. The goal is not to memorize every appellation—it is to build a mental map you can actually use with guests.
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France: The Big Picture
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Italy: North to South
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Spain: Rioja, Ribera & Beyond
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Germany & Austria: More Than Sweet Wine
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United States: California, Oregon & Washington
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South America: Argentina & Chile
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Australia & New Zealand: Bold vs. Bright
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South Africa: Old World Meets New World
06 — Read the Guest
Learn how to listen for what a guest actually wants, translate vague preferences into useful wine language, and make confident recommendations without turning the conversation into an interrogation.
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What the Guest Says vs. What They Mean
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The Three Questions That Solve Most Wine Orders
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How to Recommend Without Showing Off
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How to Talk About Price Without Making It Weird
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When You Don’t Know the Answer
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Reading the Table: When to Step In and When to Back Off
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Recovering From a Bad Recommendation
07 — Service Like a Pro
Build the practical wine-service skills that create confidence at the table: presentation, opening, pouring, glassware, temperature, decanting, and handling bottles with care. The goal is polished service without unnecessary theater.
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Presenting the Bottle
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Opening Still Wine Cleanly
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The Taste: What It Is Actually For
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Pouring Without Making a Mess
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Glassware: Why Shape Matters
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Temperature: Too Warm, Too Cold, Just Right
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Decanting: When and Why
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Sparkling Wine: Opening Without the Cannon Shot
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Older Bottles: Slow Down
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Wine Faults: When Something Is Actually Wrong
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Closing the Bottle Service
08 — Final Pour
Bring everything together: tasting, structure, grapes, regions, guest preferences, pairing, and polished wine service. This final section is designed to reinforce the skills that matter most on the floor and prepare you for the course assessment.
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The Service Mindset
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Course Review: What Matters Most
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Final Pour — Wine Fundamentals Assessment