Union Square | French Wine Essentials Course & Certification

Fast-track your understanding into the intricate world of French, Italian and 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 France, Italy and Spain.

About Wine Essentials:

WSG Essentials programs present the often-complex world of French, Italian and 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 Corkbuzz Wine Studio:

Our next French Essentials session is scheduled to start on 3/1/25 and will run two days

Class dates: March 1-2, 2025 (Saturday/Sunday)

Time: 9am – 5pm

Exam date: March 29, 2025 11 am (Saturday)

Location: 13 E. 13th St. New York, NY 10003

Educator: Amber Rill DipWset, SWS, FWS, CSS

Cost: $625

Manuals will be available for pickup two weeks prior to the session. 

This program includes all the necessary support and tools to understand the region and wine styles of France:

Our sessions will include 14 hours of classroom instruction completed with tutored tasting of over 20 wines. This course is taught by WSG certified Amber Rill DipWset, SWS, FWS, CSS. Your registration fee includes:

• A detailed and comprehensive 95-page 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 French Wine Essentials Exam

• WSG Essentials certificate upon passing the exam

• To bring each region to life, you will taste a total of over 20 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 12-15 hours of in-person classroom instruction.

In addition to classroom instruction, we recommend that you engage in an additional 10-13 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: notetaking, completing the e-learning activities, explaining key concepts to others and of course wine tasting! 

Class will be held on two consecutive weekend days. The exam will be held 3-4 weeks after the course days. 

The schedule of classes is designed to give students the necessary time to truly assimilate the extensive body of material presented. 

Who are/is the Essentials programs for? 

1. Hospitality, wholesale and/or retail wine professionals looking to enhance their knowledge of French, Italian or Spanish wine

2. Aspiring wine professionals looking to start, transition to or advance their career in wine

3. Inquisitive wine enthusiasts wanting to become more familiar with French, Italian or Spanish wine

4. Enthusiastic home or professional chefs, energetic epicureans or “foodies”

5. Avid travelers

6. Anyone wishing to become more knowledgeable about France, Italy or 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 France, Italy and Spain and how they relate to local landmarks, culture and cuisine 

•Recall the essential grape varieties and major wine regions of France, Italy and Spain

• Navigate seemingly complicated French, Italian and Spanish wine classification systems

• Be perfectly poised to continue your studies with the prestigious French Wine Scholar® (FWS), Italian Wine Scholar®(IWS) or 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 French, Italian or Spanishwine. 

What does the program cover? 

France is home to almost 400 wine appellations. FWE introduces you to the most important regions and styles of wine found across the country. 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 French, Italian or 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 France
• 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 or available for pickup, 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 French, Italian or 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 France, Italy or 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.

Cancellation Policy: A refund minus the book and materials can be accommodated 1 week prior to the course.