Spanish Wine Specialist
Spanish wine is too diverse to understand as a single subject.
The Spanish Wine Specialist program approaches Iberia regionally, examining the wines alongside the geography, climate, culture, and history that created them.
The course moves through eight sections, beginning in the cool Atlantic Northwest and finishing in Portugal. Along the way, students examine established benchmarks alongside regions, varieties, and producers that have reshaped modern Spanish wine.
Course Curriculum
1. Green Spain
Galicia, Asturias and Cantabria
The program begins in Atlantic Spain.
Major grapes and subjects include:
- Albariño
- Godello
- Mencía
- Sousón
- Brancellao
- Atlantic growing conditions
- Regional identity of northwestern Spain
2. The Basque Frontier
País Vasco and Navarra
Study northern Spain as the Atlantic climate begins to meet the warmer interior.
Topics include:
- Txakoli
- Garnacha
- Graciano
- Cabernet-based blends
- Basque wine culture
- Navarra
3. The Duero River
Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Toro
The Duero section examines how one river system produces very different wines.
Topics include:
- Tempranillo
- Ribera del Duero
- Elevation and Tempranillo style
- Toro
- Verdejo
- Rueda
4. La Rioja: Tradition & Revolution
Rioja receives its own section.
Students examine:
- Traditional and modern Rioja
- Rioja Alta
- Rioja Alavesa
- Tempranillo
- Viura
- White Rioja
- The evolution of Rioja winemaking
5. Aragón & Catalonia
This section follows Garnacha through two of its most important territories.
Topics include:
- Campo de Borja
- Calatayud
- Montsant
- Priorat
- Cava
- Xarel·lo
- Sumoll
- Garnacha
6. Meseta to Mediterranean
Madrid, La Mancha, Murcia and Valencia
The course moves from Spain’s central plateau toward the Mediterranean.
Topics include:
- Madrid
- La Mancha
- Murcia
- Valencia
- Bobal
- Garnacha Tintorera
- Monastrell
- Mandó
7. Southern Spain & The Islands
Andalucía, Canary Islands and Balearic Islands
This section expands well beyond Sherry.
Topics include:
- Sherry
- Andalucía
- Tintilla de Rota
- Canary Islands
- Listán Negro
- Balearic Islands
- Callet
8. Portugal: The Iberian Finale
Portugal is intentionally part of the Spanish Wine Specialist.
- Douro
- Dão
- Bairrada
- Alentejo
- Baga
- Touriga Nacional
- Regional blends
- Port
- Madeira
Learning Outcomes
The existing LearnDash outcomes are useful. I would retain their substance without expanding them into marketing language.
By the end of the program, students should be able to:
- Identify Spain’s major wine regions and important grape varieties.
- Explain how geography, climate, and winemaking affect wine style and quality.
- Evaluate wines using advanced sensory and comparative methods.
- Explain the historical, cultural, and economic forces behind modern Spanish wine.
- Communicate the identity of a Spanish or Portuguese wine region to consumers, buyers, or students.
Final Project
Communicating a Wine Region’s Identity
Students select a lesser-known wine region from Spain or Portugal and explain what makes it matter.
- The region’s grapes, wines, and cultural identity
- Why the region struggles for recognition
- What makes the region worthy of greater attention
- A concise message that captures its identity
- A way to communicate the region to a beginner
- One supporting visual
The central purpose of the assignment is sound and should stay visible on the sales page: wine professionals need to be able to translate complicated information about place, culture and wine into something other people can understand.
Recommended Wines
National Wine School provides recommended wines to accompany the regional coursework. Wine purchases are optional and are not required for course completion. Students can choose which recommendations they want to taste while working through the program.
Program Information
Price: $499
Format: Recorded and self-paced
Access: 180 days beginning with first login
Clock hours: 135
Credential: Spanish Wine Specialist
Prerequisite: Core Sommelier certification
Final assessment: Final project
Recommended wines: Optional
Prerequisite
Core Sommelier certification is required before enrolling in Spanish Wine Specialist.
Spanish Wine Specialist Certification
Successful completion earns the Spanish Wine Specialist certification.
Spanish Wine Specialist is also one of the approved Advanced courses toward Advanced Sommelier Certification. For detailed information, please refer to the Sommelier Certification Pathway guide.
