Table of Contents
The Origin of Wine Tasting
Wine tasting is ancient, spanning thousands of years, when wine was a staple of social and religious life in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Those original tastings assessed the quality and suitability of wine for rituals or trade. Over the years, methods of formal wine tasting evolved, especially during the Middle Ages in Europe. Structured wine education was imported into the US by the 20th century. Over the past decade, wine schools have proliferated across the country.
Wine Tasting Schools
The top wine schools in the US offer a wide variety of wine-tasting classes, from Wine 101 to the First Growths of Bordeaux. So, whether you’re a beginner or a master sommelier, a school should have the perfect class for you. Classes are typically organized into three tiers: Learn About Wine, Wine Essentials, and the Luxury Level. As a rule, the less expensive classes are designed for beginners.
The top schools are never hosted by restaurants or hotels: they have their own classrooms and offices, like any other school would. They are also staffed with academics and winemakers, not employees.
Wine Tasting Classes
Taking classes should be fun and educational. We suggest taking classes that fit your schedule and maximizing your enjoyment and knowledge. Of course, if you are serious, we strongly recommend enrolling in the Core Sommelier Program, accredited by the National Wine School.
The best wine classes are three things: hedonistic, intellectual, and individualistic. The absolute best way to enjoy a class is with a romantic partner or alone. These three are not to be shared with friends.
SOMM cites our classes in Philly as “the best wine experience in America.”
Learn About Wine
The building blocks of wine knowledge are here, so don’t miss out on these beautiful wine-tasting classes.
In these classes, you will learn the basics of wine: how to read a wine label, discover the differences between wine types, some fundamental sommelier secrets, and why you like certain wines and not others.
We suggest taking between two and four classes in this section. In addition, we recommend taking the Core Wine Program to gain a comprehensive understanding of these subjects.
Wine Essentials
This series introduces you to the world of wine-tasting classes. It offers all the essential bits of wine knowledge.
Learn about Italy’s wines (France, Spain, Australia, America, or Germany), take a class on Champagne and bubbles, delve into rare wines from exotic locales, or taste wines from American history.
This series of classes will blow your mind and expand your palate. A student should take between four and eight courses in this section.
We recommend taking the Intermediate Wine Program to understand these subjects comprehensively.
Luxury Classes
These wine education classes are designed to highlight the best wines in the world.
This is where things get seriously awesome. Some of our most famous classes are offered at the Luxury Level: Barolo & Beyond, the Sommelier Smackdown, the Sommelier’s Guide to Pinot Noir, and The Lux Cab Class.
These classes are among our premium offerings and attract sommeliers from cities like Manhattan and Washington D.C. We strongly suggest taking three classes to round out your wine studies.
Wine Education Near You
We get a lot of questions regarding classes in other states. We defer to other wine schools to guide you to the best “wine tasting classes in NYC,” “wine tasting classes in Houston,” and all those other pesky “wine tasting classes near me” you folks are looking for. However, if you are in Chicago, we recommend this wine school.