Embarking on a wine education journey can be a daunting task. With hundreds of books, movies, podcasts, websites, and more, where do you begin? On this page, we’ll cover some of the top resources available from the most respectable names in the business.
Online Wine Courses
Wine 101: World of Wine; From Grape to Glass, University of Adelaide
Learn about the principles and practices of how grapes are grown and wine is made. Whether you’re a wine novice or a seasoned oenophile, you’ll learn to confidently describe wine appearance, aroma, flavour and taste. Audit the course for FREE. Add a Verified Certificate for $199.
Wine Tasting: Sensory Techniques for Wine Analysis, UC Davis
For the learner who is just getting started in the study of wine, this course will help you take the first steps toward understanding the physiological process of wine tasting. Audit the course for FREE. $150-$250 USD for the materials (wines and glasses) used in this course, and $80 for certification.
Wine Books
Wine Folly: Magnum Edition: The Master Guide
For anyone eager to demystify the world of wine, Wine Folly: Magnum Edition – The Master Guide stands out as the ultimate companion. Bursting with vibrant, color-coded maps and detailed grape variety taste profile wheels, this updated edition is a visual learner’s dream. Reviewers consistently praise its stunning graphic design and the clarity of its infographics, noting how it transforms complex wine concepts into engaging, understandable information.
Tailored especially for beginners, the book breaks down the essentials of tasting, pairing, and wine service, making daunting concepts approachable for all. From explaining the basics of body, tannin, and acidity to providing a concise, visually-driven reference on over 100 grapes and wines, the book acts as both an educational tool and an elegant coffee table centerpiece. The expanded sections on food pairing and wine regions are celebrated for being both comprehensive and highly usable, inviting readers to explore new bottles and regions with confidence.
Wine Folly: Magnum Edition has become a sensation for its inventive, easy-to-digest approach. Whether you’re just starting your journey or aiming to take your wine knowledge to the next level, this guide delivers structure, style, and substance—making it a must-have for anyone passionate about wine. A #1 Best Seller, and James Beard Award Winner.
Kevin Zraly Windows on the World Complete Wine Course: Revised & Updated / 35th Edition
Podcasts
Guild of Sommeliers Podcast, GuildSomm
Wine Podcasts from GuildSomm with various guests. An Indispensable Resource for Wine Professionals, GuildSomm members enjoy exclusive access to educational content, classes, and a robust professional network
I’ll Drink to That! Wine Talk, Levi Dalton
A former sommelier interviews incredibly famous and knowledgeable wine personalities in his tiny apartment. He gets them to talk candidly about their lives and work, and then shares the conversations with you.
Wine Enthusiast Podcast, Wine Enthusiast Magazine
The Wine Enthusiast Podcast takes you on a tantalizing trip into the world of wine, beer and spirits. Drink up engaging, behind-the-scenes stories reported and recorded by Wine Enthusiast’s editors. In each episode, we explore emerging trends, provide educational tidbits, and introduce you to the passionate people who craft, shake, ferment, and pour their beverage of choice. Inside every bottle is a story.
Audiobooks on Wine
The Story of Wine: From Noah to Now
When first published in 1989, The Story of Wine won every wine award in the UK, and the USA. It is widely regarded as Hugh Johnson’s most ambitious and enthralling book. Writing it, according to Hugh, was like trying to get “a quart into a liqueur glass”. It is not just one story but a collection of many, scanning the wine world from Noah to Napa, from Pompeii to Pomerol, as illuminating to our understanding of civilization as it is to our appreciation of wine.
Wine and War: The French, the Nazis, and the Battle for France’s Greatest Treasure
This is the thrilling and harrowing story of the French wine producers who undertook ingenious, daring measures to save their cherished crops and bottles as the Germans closed in on them. Wine and War illuminates a compelling, little-known chapter of history, and stands as a tribute to those extraordinary individuals who waged a battle that, in a very real way, saved the spirit of France.
Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting
A history of the Napa Valley, up to the famed “Judgement of Paris” in 1976 when two American wines took the top honors among their French rivals from Bordeaux and Burgundy, and revolutionized an industry.
The Sommelier’s Atlas of Taste: A Field Guide to the Great Wines of Europe
Winner of the prestigious André Simon Drink Book Award. The first definitive reference book to describe, region-by-region, how the great wines of Europe should taste. This will be the go-to guide for aspiring sommeliers, wine aficionados who want to improve their blind tasting skills, and amateur enthusiasts looking for a straightforward and visceral way to understand and describe wine. In this seminal addition to the wine canon, noted experts Rajat Parr and Jordan Mackay share everything they’ve learned in their decades of tasting wine.
Wine Maps
World Wine Map Collection (108 Page PDF)
A PDF of all the major wine regions, curated from a number of online sources like Wine Folly and the Society of Wine Educators. Free for educational purposes.
De Long Wine Maps of The World
A complete set of twelve highly detailed wine maps. Each map is 24 by 36 inches, expertly printed on heavyweight acid-free archival paper. All of the maps are made using the latest mapping technology, current wine laws and regulations of each region, as well as consultation with wine industry professionals.
Wine Apps
Take a photo of a wine label and instantly get ratings and descriptions with Delectable, the critically-acclaimed free app that helps you get access to the world’s best wine. Keep track of your favorites and learn more about wine by following the world’s leading winemakers, sommeliers and wine critics. Buy wines you love from your phone. And all this works for beer and spirits too!
CellarTracker is the world’s largest collection of wine reviews, tasting notes and personal stories from people who love wine. Scan barcodes for reviews and manage your own wine collection, print wine lists, and more.
Crush your CMS & WSET exams with spaced repetition, 2500+ curated flashcards, 40+ maps, 30+ interactive map quizzes, practice tests and more. Proven techniques from cognitive science which adapt to your memory and knowledge level. Maximize fact retention with spaced repetition and interval-based active recall. Difficult flashcards appear more often, easy flashcards appear less often. You remember more with less effort.
Wine Aromas and Tasting Tools
Wine Aroma Wheel Duo (Table wine + Sparkling wine)
The Wine Aroma Wheel and the Sparkling Wine Aroma Wheel are the indispensable and complementary tools to step up your game in wine tasting. Created by Dr. Ann C. Noble (UC Davis), each wheel is designed to help you match sensory perceptions with specific and precise terms.
Le Nez du Vin: 54 Wine Aroma – Master Kit
For over 30 Years the 54 Aroma Master Kit has been the wine reference in the Industry. It is the choice of wineries, educators, merchants and true wine lovers the world over. Practice allows us to recognize and identify the 54 aromas most commonly present in wine; thus, improving our appreciation and enjoyment.
Wine Certification Programs
The Court of Master Sommeliers
The Court of Master Sommeliers sets the global standard of excellence for beverage service within the hospitality industry with integrity, exemplary knowledge, and humility.
The Wine & Spirit Education Trust provides globally recognized education and qualifications in wines, spirits and sake, for professionals and enthusiasts.
The Society of Wine Educators (SWE), founded in 1977, is a membership-based nonprofit organization (501c3) focused on providing wine and spirits education along with the conferral of several certifications. The Society is internationally recognized and its programs are highly regarded for both their quality and relevance to the industry.
The Institute of Masters of Wine
The Institute of Masters of Wine is a membership organisation whose mission is to promote excellence, interaction, and learning across all sectors of the global wine community.
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