Wine Education
Fast-track your understanding into the world of Spanish wine!
Whether wine professional, inquisitive wine enthusiast or energetic epicurean looking to enhance your experiences through food and wine; WSG Essentials provide students with a solid foundation on the wines of Spain.
About Spanish Wine Essentials
WSG Essentials programs present the often-complex world of Spanish wine in an accessible and engaging way; highlighting “need to know” regions, grape varieties and wine styles.
Students explore the culture, cuisine, history, viticulture and winemaking principles behind the most influential wine regions in the world while gaining industry-recognized certification.
Not just an introductory course, WSG Essentials are a launchpad to the highly respected WSG Wine Scholar® certifications, the vibrant WSG Community and the first step towards wine mastery.
Essentials are the perfect course to ignite a lifetime of learning and passion for wine.
Your wine Essentials journey begins here!
Study with Ivan Wines
Currently, no Spanish Wine Essentials course has been scheduled.
This program includes all the necessary support and tools to understand the region and wine styles of Spain.
Our sessions will include 10 hours of classroom instruction completed with tutored tasting of over 18 wines. This course is taught by WSG certified instructor Ivan Dekker who is a Spanish Wine Scholar (SWS) and WSET Level 3 Wines certified. Ivan is also a Dutch registered vinoloog (RV), holds the WSG Bordeaux Master level (BxMC) and currently is a WSET Diploma Course candidate.
Your registration fee includes:
- A detailed and comprehensive 95 pages course book rich with photographs, detailed and up-to-date maps, illustrations and infographics to optimize learning. The book is provided in print + e-book formats
- One-year access to WSG’s e-learning platform including online support modules and interactive activities related to your course
- Registration for the Spanish Wine Essentials Exam
- WSG Essentials certificate upon passing the exam
To bring each region to life, you will taste a total of over 18 different wines over the course of the program!
How much study time is required?
This certification has a minimum requirement of 25 hours of study time, including 10 hours of in-person classroom instruction.
In addition to classroom instruction, we recommend that you engage in an additional 13-15 hours of study before sitting the exam.
The number of total hours you spend will vary greatly based on your existing wine knowledge.
You are encouraged to expand your studying techniques beyond that of simply re-reading the course book. To assimilate knowledge and facilitate deeper understanding of key concepts try to engage in active learning techniques such as: note taking, completing the e-learning activities, explaining key concepts to others and of course wine tasting!
Who is the SWE program for?
- Hospitality, wholesale and/or retail wine professionals looking to enhance their knowledge of Spanish wine
- Aspiring wine professionals looking to start, transition to or advance their career in wine
- Inquisitive wine enthusiasts wanting to become more familiar with Spanish wine
- Enthusiastic home or professional chefs, energetic epicureans or “foodies”
- Avid travelers
- Anyone wishing to become more knowledgeable about Spain and its wine and food culture
Why choose WSG Essentials?
This course enables students to:
- Acquire fundamental wine knowledge in just weeks
- Learn about the most important “need to know”wines of Spain and how they relate to local landmarks, culture and cuisine
- Recall the essential grape varieties and major wine regions of Spain
- Navigate seemingly complicated Spanish wine classification systems
- Be perfectly poised to continue your studies with the prestigious Spanish Wine Scholar® (SWS) certification program
How is the curriculum presented?
To maximize learning and retention, each need-to-know wine is organized by:
- Place of Origin
- Grape Varieties
- Wine Profile
- Production Notes
- Notable Producers
Essentials curriculum is further enriched by update-to-date maps, regional landmarks, topics of interest and local signature cuisine.
Are there any prerequisites?
No. WSG Essentials Wine Programs require no prior wine knowledge, only a willingness to learn and expand your horizons through study. The program provides all the tools required to fully grasp the essentials of Spanish wine.
What does the program cover?
Spain is home to over 140 appellations. SWE introduces you to 23 of the most influential Spanish appellations. Place of origin, grape varieties, wine profile, production and pairing notes are all explored alongside notable producers and local signature cuisine. Appendices covering vine training systems, wine production methods, tasting descriptors and recommended wine lists enhance your working knowledge. Each wine is presented within a regional and cultural context while landmarks and traditional cuisine are highlighted to complete the curriculum.
Key Learning Objectives
Learning Objective 1: Understand the key environmental factors (including geography, topography, climate, and soils) and viticultural practices and how they impact the style and quality of each “need to know” wine.
Learning Objective 2: Understand the key vinification and winemaking practices that impact the style and quality of each “need to know” wine.
Learning Objective 3: Know the grape varieties, styles and quality levels of wines produced within the designated appellations.
Learning Objective 4: Understand the basic tenets of Spanish wine law and recall labeling terms.
Assessment Criteria
By the end of the course students will be able to:
- Describe the key factors that influence the growing environment and climate of each appellation
- Recall the main grape varieties (and their characteristics) associated with each wine covered in the session
- Identify the location of the profiled appellations on a map of Spain
- Recall viticultural, vinification and aging techniques that contribute to the style and quality of the wines
- Describe the meaning of key labeling terms
- Recall and describe the style of each of the wines covered in the session
What’s Included
Coursebook
Shipped to your address, the beautifully designed coursebook, rich with photographs, detailed maps, illustrations and infographics contains all the information you need to know.
Online Study Modules
1-year access to interactive e-learning activities designed to enrich the study manual and support different learning styles.
Expert Instruction
Learn from the WSG Approved Program Providers and certified educators.
Student Community
Network with the other students taking the Spanish Wine Essentials course, form a tasting group and build your wine network.
Final Exam
The exam is comprised of 50 multiple-choice questions. Students have 45 minutes to complete the exam. Passing score is 60%. There is no wine tasting component on the exam.
Students will take the written exam at the program provider’s location on the specified date.
Certificate
Upon receiving a passing score, you will receive your well-deserved WSG Essentials certificate, acknowledging you have gained proficiency in the wines of Spain. Add this reputed certification to your LinkedIn profile and résumé or CV.
About Wine Scholar Guild
Founded in 2005, Wine Scholar Guild is the only wine education provider to focus solely on the wine regions of France, Italy and Spain, instilling a deep understanding of these wines, winemakers and their culture.
Wine Scholar Guild offers immersive, region-specific wine education through online, in-person and study abroad certification programs. WSG certifications set the industry standard for up-to-date and in-depth information on the most influential wine regions of the world through three distinct levels of study: Essentials, Scholar and Masters.
In addition to certification programs, WSG membership provides live online events and hundreds of hours of recorded content produced by the world’s leading authorities in wine.