There is one skill that all professional winemakers and master sommeliers possess. Like a skeleton key, it opens many doors. Not only can this skill give you entry to the trade, but it also super-charges your appreciation of fine wine. This skill has a simple name with layers of meaning: blind tasting.
Here at the National Wine School, we bring you the skills typically only available to Advanced sommeliers. By the end of this program, you will be able to separate the layers of flavor of wine into its core components: primary fruit, winemaking techniques (including barrel aging), differences between regions, and varietal fingerprints.
The Level Two program features Keith Wallace, founder of the Wine School of Philadelphia. Professor Wallace uses a profoundly appealing combination of humor and brilliance to craft classes that bring out the best in his students. Keith is a founding member at the National Wine School and ranked as one of the best sommelier-instructors working in the United States.
Wine Course Curriculum
- Sensory Wine Tasting
- White Varietal Components
- Red Varietal Components
- Old World vs. New World
- Varietal Fingerprint Lab
- Winemaking Process
- Blind Tasting Lab
- Final Exam
Once enrolled, students have 180 days to complete the program.
Additional Costs
There are additional costs for this online wine program. You are required to supply wine and have a sommelier L2 tasting kit. Your wine costs can be kept at a negligible level if the student invests in a wine preservation device like the Coravin. Otherwise, the wine cost can exceed $500.
Prerequisites
The prerequisite for this program is the Level One Wine Course.
Printable Material
Week One Tasting Sheet: Intro to Sensory Wine Tasting
Week Two Tasting Sheet: Components of White Wines
Week Three Tasting Sheet: Components of Red Wines
Week Four: Old World vs. New World
Week Five Tasting Sheet: Varietal Components Lab for Online Students
Week Six Tasting Sheet: Winemaking Basics
Week Seven Tasting Sheet: Blind Tasting
Shopping List
Some of this information is also included under "Wine & Supply Recommendations"
- Wine tasting glasses
- Coravin
- L2 Wine Scent Kit
- High-quality jelly beans
- Tartaric acid
- Liquid tannin
- Masking Tape
- Sugar