Wine Course Overview

Fine Vintage offers both the WSET courses and its own Fine Vintage Certification courses.  The WSET courses are professional qualifications in wine with international recognition, with an exam at the end of the course.  The Fine Vintage Certification courses appeal to wine lovers with a particular interest in a specific topic, and there are no exams.

The Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) was established in London in 1969 and currently offers their prestigious wine courses in over 55 countries and 16 languages. The UK-based WSET courses are considered to be the gold standard in wine education and the WSET certification is internationally recognized in the wine industry.

Fine Vintage offers a series of WSET courses for the beginner and the expert in Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, Victoria, Kelowna & Penticton. If you want to learn about wine, for business or pleasure, then these internationally recognized wine courses are perfect. The series includes the Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced.

• The Level 1 Foundation Certificate in Wine and Spirits course is ideal for the absolute beginner and those with a basic knowledge of wine.
• The Level 2 Intermediate Certificate in Wine and Spirits course is a step up, and goes into more depth about classic grape varieties and wine producing countries.
• The Level 3 Advanced Certificate in Wine and Spirits course is a more challenging course for the serious trade professional or passionate enthusiast.

Fine Vintage Certification Courses

The Fine Vintage Certification courses were created as fun and affordable courses (mostly $299) where you could taste some fantastic wines and learn about a specific topic that interests you.  The courses include:

Wines of France, Wines of Italy, Food and Wine Pairing, Become a Sommelier, and The Business of Wine.

The courses take place on a Saturday, and include an expert presentation on a specific topic, accompanied by a 1st class tasting of 12-14 wines.  Some of the courses (e.g. Italy, France, Food and Wine Pairing), include an extended multi-course catered lunch, so you have some food to pair with each wine.

At the end of each Fine Vintage courses you will receive a Certificate of completion.  This certificate represents specialist knowledge in a specific topic.  There are no exams in these courses.

 

Why take a  wine course from Fine Vintage? Our courses are for all  wine lovers and industry professionals.  Many people simply want to feel more confident when buying wine in a restaurant or retail store. Others want to learn more about food and wine matching. A large number of people want the WSET qualifications to further their career. Many Sommeliers take our courses to learn about service, cellaring, and building wine lists. And everybody takes the courses to taste some great wines, meet some new people, and have fun.

Our wine courses are so highly respected that they are offered in partnership with University of British Columbia. Our instructors are amongst the most qualified in the industry, and we are well known for our high quality wine tastings.  At each evening class you will taste a minimum of 8 wines averaging $40 per bottle. We spend considerably more on wine than most othere wine schools so you get to taste top quality wines, which is essential for learning, and makes the courses lots of fun.

What about the WSET exam?

At the end of each WSET wine course there is an exam. Upon successful completion you will be sent a Certificate from the WSET in the UK which represents a formal qualification in wine. We will prepare you for these exams and have a very high pass rate.  Our pass rate for the Foundation is 97%, for the Intermediate is 98%, and the Advanced is averaged at 84%.  Upon completion of the WSET Advanced students can use the title "WSET Certified".

Who takes our courses?

Our wine courses are appropriate for general interest wine enthusiasts as well as the trade. These typically include wine importers, agents, sales representatives, waiters, sommeliers, retail store staff, and even winemakers and grape growers.

Fine Vintage wine schools are available in Vancouver, Toronto, Victoria, Kelowna, Penticton and Calgary.

When is payment due?

When you register online, your credit card is charged a $100 deposit.  The remaining payment for all course and exam fees (less the $100 deposit) will be automatically processed 3 weeks prior to the course start date on the credit card provided at the time of registering.

All course tuitions are 100% non-refundable. Payments are, however, transferable to another course or another person. Should you wish to transfer your tuition payment to another person (for a future course provided by Fine Vintage Ltd.) or apply it as a credit towards a future course for yourself, this must be done three weeks prior to the 1st class. Transfer requests received after this time will not be accepted.  All transfer requests must be received by email.