By Jessica Strelitz
Here are eight locations from retail to vineyard where you can study and taste your way to grape greatness.
Washington Wine Academy
Arlington
Typical Classes: One-hour Wine School is the program’s most popular class.
Attendee Knowledge Level: Beginner to advanced
Instructors: Experts in the wine, beer and spirits industries, including those with Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) certification
VA Wine Connection: Offers a one-hour class on Wines of Virginia. “We will always be proud to be a part of the Virginia wine movement and do everything in our power to support them,” says Washington Wine Academy President Jim Barker.
Price Range: $20 to $1,395 for a 10-week wine certification course
What’s next/unique: Planning to launch a wine server training program in 2016 offering tips for hospitality professionals
Little Washington Winery
Washington
Typical Classes: The winery’s three-hour Wine Bootcamp is offered four times a weekend; additional classes are focused on blending, home winemaking and Wines of the World.
Attendee Knowledge Level: Beginner to intermediate
Instructors: Carl Henrickson, Little Washington Winery’s winemaker, leads the weekend bootcamps.
VA Wine Connection: “Virginia Versus The World” utilizes blind tastings to compare Virginia wines to their global counterparts.
Price Range: $20 to $40; some classes reserved for wine club members
What’s next/unique: The winery is expanding its classroom space to accommodate more students in 2016.
George Mason University
Manassas
Typical Classes: Exploring the Business of Wine is a six-week program offered twice a year. It focuses on a range of issues from the history of wine, labeling and employment to the future of the business, both regionally and globally.
Attendee Knowledge Level: Enthusiasts to professionals
Instructors: Jeff Spencer, WSET III certified specialist of wine, has 25 years of experience in wine sales, marketing and distribution.
VA Wine Connection: Curriculum includes field trips to The Winery at Bull Run for lectures and tasting, as well as deep discussion of the state’s wine business.
Price Range: $495, with a 10 percent discount for GMU alumni
What’s next/unique: Darlene Sorge opened Center Street Gourmet Wine and Cheese Shop in Manassas after completing the course in 2015.
Virginia School of Wine
Purcellville
Typical Classes: The 10 options, all held on-site at Breaux Vineyards, include food pairings, varietal instruction, winemaking and harvest 101
Attendee Knowledge Level: Beginner
Instructors: Regional sommeliers including Neal Wavra, Andrew Stover and Lucinda Smith, as well as winemaker Heather Munden
VA Wine Connection: Classes held at one of the Virginia’s largest wineries. Varietal-focused-classes have included study of cabernet francs from Virginia and around the world.
Price Range: $25 to $95 per class
What’s next/unique: Looking to expand class offerings to higher education levels, including WSET certification.
Cheesetique
Del Ray & Shirlington
Typical Classes: Monthly classes include pairings with specific varieties of cheese, cheeses from certain global regions and the most popular cheeses and wines from around the world
Attendee Knowledge Level: Beginner
Instructors: Jill Erber, owner and cheese expert, leads most classes, but winemakers and cheesemakers also come in to teach.
VA Wine Connection: None
Price Range: $45 to $55 per class
What’s next/unique: Guests can host private wine and cheese events for groups of up to 50 people.
Piedmont Epicurean Arts Center and Virginia Wine Mason Enterprise Center
Leesburg
Typical Classes: Wine appreciation classes for beginners and hands-on viticulture and winemaking classes are held at area wineries and extend over three or four classes per course
Attendee Knowledge Level: Beginner to intermediate
Instructors: Wine buyer Katie Allen and Piedmont COO James Koennicke teach the recreation classes, while local winemakers lead the hands-on coursework.
VA Wine Connection: Kerem Baki of Hillsborough Vineyards in Purcellville and Doug Fabbioli of Fabbioli Cellars in Leesburg are instructors for the winemaking and viticulture program.
Price Range: $25 to $450 for the viticulture program
What’s next/unique: Instructors can lead classes in students’ homes for $200 per session plus the cost of wine.
Chain Bridge
Cellars
McLean
Typical Classes: A combination of monthly classes focus on wine basics, and a spotlight series offers a deeper dive on wine regions and varietals
Attendee Knowledge Level: Beginner to intermediate
Instructors: Owner Doug House and Diane McMartin, graduate of the Accelerated Wine Program at The Culinary Institute of America (Graystone), lead most classes, with an occasional industry guest.
VA Wine Connection: None
Price Range: $25 to $80 per class
What’s next/unique: The store’s most popular class is Wine Flaws and Faults, where students learn to tell if a wine is not up to par or damaged in any way, as well as the impact of incorrect serving temperature or bad glassware on their tasting experience.
Screwtop Wine Bar
Arlington
Typical Classes: Monthly classes range from wine basics to themes such as eco-friendly wines and emerging regions
Attendee Knowledge Level: Beginner to expert
Instructors: Wine educator Amanda Page, DWS, teaches all classes.
VA Wine Connection: In 2015, Screwtop offered an all-day bus tour of several Virginia wineries, including a tasting with legendary winemaker Claude Thibaut, and other events to mark Virginia Wine Month in October.
Price Range: $50 per class
What’s next/unique: Owner Wendy Buckley took an extended trip to South Africa in 2015 and plans to dedicate a class to that country’s wines in early 2016.
(December 2015)