TorontoWine.Com

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Wine Education in Toronto 

This page has three sections:

• Consumer Courses
• On-Line Education
• Sommelier Courses

For unstructured education, visit the Books page.

Consumer Courses

George Brown College has a variety of evening courses available depending on your needs.  There is a five week beginners course (HOST 9084), various region specific courses, and food and wine matching course.

The most rigorous program is put on by The Independent Wine Education Guild which is an accredited centre for the The Wine & Spirit Education Trust  ,a UK based organization, whose certification program is recognized world-wide.  The program was developed for workers in the wine and spirits trade however it is also available to the keen amateur.  There are three levels - Intermediate, Advanced and Diploma.  The Intermediate is well worth taking if you are a keener.  It's an eight week course and costs $650 - a bit pricey on the face of it but remember it's tax deductible.  If interested, contact Mary Vari at 416-534-2570 or by email.

Each month, Steve Thurlow, veteran wine educator, explores selected country's most important wine regions.  All sessions are hosted at The Fine Wine Reserve's tasting room at 439 King St. West (King and Spadina) Lower Level. For additional details, follow the  Global Wine Tour link. 

The Centre for Vine Affairs, under the direction of master sommelier John Szabo, offer a variety of events including introductory wine courses, "expert" series wine tastings and winery or regional profile tastings.  Most courses take place at The Fine Wine Reserve's  tasting room at 439 King St. West ( King and Spadina), Lower Level.

The LCBO runs one hour tutored tastings and two hour wine appreciation courses at selected locations.  They also put on cooking classes and a number of special events such as food and drink pairing.  Find  the Learn / Events & Courses section on their site if the direct link provided doesn't work.

If you are interested in starting up your own agency or you want to have a better understanding of the mechanics of buying wine and the interplay between agents and the LCBO, you should sign up for Steven Trenholme's one day course "Importing Wine For Pleasure & Profit".  Steven is a  25-year veteran of the beverage alcohol industry.  The cost of the seminar is in the $300 range.  Contact Steven by email or phone him at 416-883-3580 to find out when the next seminar will be.

On-Line Education

There are four interrelated UK sites coordinated by Vine UK which between them contain a monstrous amount of information:

History of Wine has sections on historic impact, science and wine, the wine timeline and geography.

Tasting Wine has sections on wine and taste, tasting techniques, serving techniques, and the science of wine.

Vine UK has sections on types of wine, wine and food, winemaking and storage.

Wine Regions of the World has sections on individual wine regions, wine and climate, sample vineyard tours, and vineyard seasons.

As alternatives to the above, Professional Friends of Wine and Lisa Shea's Wine Intro both include a free online wine education course.

Finally, if you are a port lover, The Port Wine Institute is a useful reference source, and their Port Wine site is worth a visit too.

 Sommelier Courses

The International Sommelier Guild provides a accreditation program for would-be sommeliers.  The program is offered at over 30 locations across North America including Toronto.  The program has three levels - Wine Fundamentals Level Certificate 1(WFLC1); Wine Fundamentals Level Certificate 2 (WFLC2) and Sommelier Diploma Program (SDP).  Toronto courses are offered at Centennial College , Liaison College Downtown at 205 Richmond St. West and Liaison College West at 2974 Lakeshore Blvd. W.

You can also try the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS).  The Ontario chapter offers a Toronto course at George Brown College 

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