BORDEAUX

NIAGARA BOOTCAMP

Get your WSET Level 2 in Wines
over four days of immersive learning

Hosted by Nupur Gogia, Master of Wine Candidate

Come and explore Ontario’s premier wine region, with visits to six benchmark wineries, whilst doing your WSET Level 2 certification.

This four-day wine bootcamp combines classroom learning with winery visits. At the wineries, we are hosted by vineyard managers and winemakers, and enjoy extensive tastings of both international and Niagara wines side-by-side.

This bootcamp is the ideal way to learn about wine. The theory you learn in the classroom is brought to life during the winery visits. It’s lots of fun and we have a 97% pass rate at the WSET Level 2.

There are no prerequisites, but we do strongly recommend starting with the WSET Level 1 to ensure you have a solid foundation of knowledge.

NIAGARA

Spring 2025 Course Dates Coming Soon

Hosted by Nupur Gogia, MW Candidate

$1,999 CD per person

Click here to learn about our registration, payment, and cancellation policies.

COURSE OVERVIEW

You will spend four days in the beautiful Niagara Region discovering several of the leading local wineries and also learning about the major international regions. Our vineyard visits, winery tours, and presentations will take you on a vinous journey around the world. The classroom sessions take place at the Holiday Inn & Suites in St. Catherines. You can stay here, or anywhere you wish, be it at another hotel or at home.

You will learn about:

The art of tasting in detail
Growing grapes and the role of terroir
Making and maturing all types of wine
Classic and regionally important grape varieties
Major regions in France & Italy
Classic regions in Germany & Spain
New World wine regions
Sparkling and fortified wines
The art of food & wine pairing

TASTINGS & INSTRUCTION

Fine Vintage is well known for our expert instruction, high pass rates, and the exceptional quality of our tastings. Your instructor is Nupur Gogia, a Master of Wine candidate and winemaker in Niagara. She knows the region in-depth. You will taste over 45 different wines valued at over $2,000+. Fine Vintage is considered to be the Harvard of wine education.

CERTIFICATION

At 4:30pm on the last day of your bootcamp there is a 50 question multiple choice exam with a pass mark of 55%. Upon successful completion you will receive a WSET certificate which is a formal qualification in wine with international recognition. You can always re-sit the exam, if necessary, but we have a 97% pass rate.

ABOUT THE BOOTCAMP

Day 1 – Friday

Start your day in the classroom at the Holiday Inn & Suites. You will meet your fellow classmates and then learn how to taste and evaluate wine in-depth. The rest of the morning is focused on grape growing and vineyard management.

Lunch is on your own, and in the early afternoon we set off in our luxury bus to visit two leading Niagara wineries. The focus is on viticulture, with vineyard managers explaining their craft. We also enjoy extensive tastings, before heading to a gourmet food and wine pairing dinner to welcome you to this special experience.

Stainless Steel Tanks

Structured Tasting

Day 2 – Saturday

We start the day in the classroom learning all about the intricacies of winemaking, with more insightful tastings of beautiful wines. Lunch is on your own, and then we set off in the luxury bus to visit two more iconic wineries.

Your hosts, the winemakers, will walk you through the stages of the winemaking process in real-life, and you’ll sample from tank and barrel. It’s a rare experience. At each winery, we focus on a different grape variety, with tastings of international wines side-by-side with local signature wines.

We arrive back at the hotel around 6pm for a free evening.

Day 3 – Sunday

There is no classroom time this day. We head off at 9:30am for a whole day exploring wineries in the Niagara Region. The first winery visit is focused on how you make sparkling wine, with a tasting of Champagne and many more.

We move on to our second winery visit where you will enjoy a beautiful food and wine pairing lunch (included) that focuses on the Bordeaux varieties. Your exploration continues at a third winery, where the focus turns to Syrah and Viognier.

We return to the Holiday Inn & Suites in St. Catherines in the late afternoon for a free evening to relax or study.

Day 4 – Monday

The last day of the bootcamp is in the classroom. Get ready to dive into the world of wines from France, Spain, Australia, South America, and beyond. Naturally, we taste the classic wines. Lunch is on your own, with plenty of options nearby.

In the afternoon, there is a review session before the exam. The WSET Level 2 exam consists of 50 multiple choice questions (there is no tasting exam) and is scheduled for 4:30pm. You may depart once the exam is over, or stay for a glass of bubbly to celebrate the end of this incredible four-day wine experience.

MEET YOUR HOST

Our WSET Level 2 Niagara Bootcamp is guided by Nupur Gogia

NIAGARA

NUPUR GOGIA, MW CANDIDATE

Your host in the Niagara Region

MEET NUPUR

Nupur has a wealth of wine experience, including the WSET Diploma in Wine, a Spanish Wine Certificate from the Ocea Mae Institute, and is currently enrolled in the second stage of the Master of Wine program. She also has a Doctorate from the University of Toronto and has taught classes at both the university and community college level. She runs her own business, Island Vines, has recently released her own wine label, Khush Wines, and is one of the founding members of Vinequity – a non-profit organization that seeks to ensure equity and diversity in the wine community.