LEVEL 1
SOUTH AFRICAN WINE COURSE
This course takes you on a wine journey around South Africa showing you wine areas, the wine styles and the effect of wine on the taste of food. Explore vineyard and winemaking practices and learn how they contribute to making a quality wine. Get to know the various red and white grape varieties with guided tastings
LEVEL 2
CERTIFICATE COURSE
An in-depth course on South African wine, which covers viticulture, winemaking, distillation, fortification, sweet and sparkling wines. Understand the wine of origin regions of the Cape and learn how to assess what’s in your glass by tasting through the main South African grape varieties. All this knowledge comes together in theory and blind wine tasting exam.
LEVEL 3
DIPLOMA COURSE
Step into the international world of wine and broaden your global wine knowledge. This course details the wine regions of the Old and New World with relevant subject tastings in four modules. The certificate wine course is a pre-requisite to attend and involves regular assignments, written exams and blind tasting examinations.
Please get in contact to enquire about the Diploma Course if you are interested.
ADVANCED
CAPE WINE MASTERS
The ultimate pinnacle in South African wine education, a self-study program of a maximum of 5 years, with 4 tasting and 4 theory exams, a presentation and a dissertation. The pre-requisite to start this program is a minimum mark of 60% in all Diploma exams or similar Diploma in wine. The title of Cape Wine Master has been granted to just 102 successful candidates since 1983 and is endorsed and recognised by the South African Wine industry.
ENTHUSIAST
WINES OF THE WORLD
Explore the world’s wine regions and taste the interesting wines that they produce. From France to Australia and the Americas, you will compare international wines alongside our Cape Wines. This course is beneficial for individuals working in wine tourism, high-end hospitality or wine enthusiasts who want to understand foreign wines.
INTEREST
FAULTY WINE WORKSHOP
An industry expert will guide you through the most common wine faults and will teach you to identify the main characteristics of a spoilt wine. This knowledge will give you the confidence to recognise problems that may be present in faulty wines and help others understand what constitutes a ‘bad wine’. This is an invaluable course and a “must-do” to become a tasting professional.
APPRECIATION
SOUTH AFRICAN BRANDY
A great experience that focuses on brandy appreciation and understanding the subtleties of flavour and aroma in the spirit that originates from the very heart of the grape. It also covers areas of production, the making of base wine, the art of distillation as well as blending components. A tasting of various styles of South African brandies will round-up this journey.
ENTERTAINMENT
WINE AND FOOD WORKSHOP
A great fun and informative session that focuses on food and wine combinations and its effects on taste. Our host will guide you through the principles of pairing wine with food. You will walk away with an understanding of the cause and effect of wine on food, and an understanding of why specific dishes and specific wines make great pairings and why others do not.
GOURMAND
WINE AND CHEESE WORKSHOP
An uncomplicated, fun and informative workshop of horizontal and vertical combinations that explores likeness and contrast with a practical discussion and tasting of different types and styles of cheese and wine and their effect on each other.
WINE SERVICE
FRONT OF HOUSE
The Front of House Course is designed to set a basic standard in the wine industry for service and hospitality attitudes to tourists and potential customers in hotels and restaurants. On successful completion of this course, the candidate can advance to the the Certificate Wine Course.
WINE SERVICE SPECIALIST
CAPE SOMMELIER
The Cape Sommelier® programme was introduced in response to significant demand from the hospitality industry for a suitable professional qualification, and to ensure that South Africa’s service levels compete globally.
This course provides the training to enable the graduate to be able to specialise in all aspects of wine service with the aim of setting them up to work in fine dining establishments.