Best Online Wine Classes

Champagne lovers and curious students can immerse themselves in a brief but in-depth learning experience on the history of making this revered sparkling beverage.

If you’re looking to learn the ins and outs of Champagne, there are two courses offered by the CIVC that allow you the perfect opportunity to do so. The Classic version (free) covers the winemaking process as well as the Champagne region’s terroir, history, and economy, along with a diversity and tasting module. The Premium version (roughly $58) builds upon the Classic version’s curriculum, adding extra videos, testing, and a statement of completion at the end. Both courses are offered in English and French, with subtitles available in seven additional languages.

In this course created by famed Master Sommelier Tim Gaiser, students will be able to take an award-winning, self-led approach to learning while honing their skills for future sommelier exams. 

Developed by master sommelier Tim Gaiser for Napa Valley Wine Academy, SommDay is a two-phase wine course consisting of a seven-hour Service Workshop ($69) and a Deductive Tasting ($149) portion. This course duo is for hospitality professionals looking to hone their service and tasting skills, as well as individuals hoping to become sommeliers. Through these intensive workshops, students can learn what it is like to be a sommelier by developing skills such as improving their tableside manner and sensory perception.

For those seeking a more specialized experience, Napa Valley Wine Academy’s one-on-one online coaching sessions put its panel of experts at your fingertips. To take the course, choose a mentor and book a time slot to begin your personalized 30- or 60-minute session based on holes that need filling in your knowledge or your general future career goals. 

Led by expert winemaker John Buechsenstein, participants learn the components of tasting wine and how to set up wine flights, with a peer review at the end of the course. 

UC Davis and Coursera have teamed up for this free sensory wine course designed for beginners looking to get a full-spectrum understanding of how the senses interpret wines. Winemaker John Buechsenstein takes students through wine-tasting techniques, sensory vocabulary, wines of the world, flight building, pairings, and common faults and defects found in wines, concluding with a final peer review. Students complete the course on their preferred timeline; four to six weeks is the goal.

Studying at WSET comes with award-winning, international recognition, alongside highly regarded knowledge into wine, spirits, and sake. 

Founded in 1969, the Wine & Spirit Education Trust’s Award and Diploma programs are among the most widely recognized accreditations in the wine industry. On its website, there are more than 800 providers for its various wine, spirits, and sake courses, across over 70 countries and in numerous languages, and many of these providers offer online options.

Now that these providers have had to adapt more than ever to digital demand, WSET is stepping up its game accordingly to enhance the online learning experience for students and educators, making its remote opportunities even more accessible than before. Students can enroll virtually to take the Level 1–3 Awards and the Level 4 Diploma through approved providers. The courses themselves consist of rigorous hands-on foundational curricula surrounding grape varieties, geography, tasting technique, service, pairing, appellations, commercial principles, and more.

WSET’s Level 1 Award is an excellent option for beginners but can be skipped by those who already hold a basic understanding of wine principles, in which case Level 2 would serve as an introductory course. Level 3’s sharper focus deepens product knowledge and prepares students for upper management, while Level 4 preps students for the prestigious Master of Wine Program. Each level concludes with an exam.