Leary's Global Wineology

Book excerpt: This is the only complete guide to wine education programs, classes, and scholarship. Those wishing to increase their understanding and appreciation of wine for personal enjoyment or social know-how, and those who desire to pursue or advance a professional career in the wine industry now confront a plethora of wine education options with a confusing array of titles, degrees, certificates, and specializations. Some wine education is free and short, while other programs can cost dearly in time and money. Some courses of study take a few hours and others a few years. Institutions offering wine education vary from state colleges and universities to non-profit organizations and many profit-seeking companies. Sommeliers require training that may be mostly useless to vintners. Someone who wants to deftly handle ordering wine in a restaurant probably doesn’t want to learn about wine chemistry or Integrated Pest Management. Which program is right for you? What’s the difference between an MS and an MW or an MS in viticulture? Is the education for a CWE the same as that for a WSET Diploma? Are some schools better for learning about wine journalism than the wine business? This book will help answer such questions. There are chapters on wine studies programs and credentials, including for sommeliers and those working in the wine trade; university viticulture and enology programs; wine business study programs; free online wine education courses; wine studies scholarships; and wine mentorship programs. Advance Praise for Leary's Global Wineology: "This groundbreaking book on wine education will be useful to business owners as well as wine enthusiasts. When I bought my wine business, I looked far and wide for guidance on classes or programs to strengthen my wine knowledge. Nothing existed. It was an arduous task to figure out which course to take amongst the so many offered! Charlie Leary has now filled that gap. It will be useful to me not only in assessing candidates for employment, but also as a resource in training my staff. This guide is indispensable for anyone in the wine trade, writ large, and has lots of information of use to the general wine-drinking public who want to learn more." Sajive Jain, Owner of Bottle Barn, Sonoma, California