The International Sommelier Guild offers wine certification classes at the San Diego Culinary Institute. The classes offered are:
WFCL1 Website Course Description**
Wine Fundamentals Certificate Level 1 is an introductory course designed
to help wine enthusiasts feel comfortable and confident in the sometimes
confusing world of wine. The course focuses on major international grape
varieties as well as on some of the primary themes related to wine in
the context of the hospitality industry. The course involves extensive
tasting of representative varietal wines from around the world.
In Wine Fundamentals Certificate Level 1 students develop an understanding
of the unique characteristics of the major grapes used for making wine.
Students will also learn about how grapes are grown, how red, white, sparkling
and fortified wines are made, and how different approaches to growing
grapes and making wine affect taste. In addition, students will be introduced
to basic wine terminology, service and storage techniques, how to read
labels, and the fundamentals of pairing food and wine.
Wine Fundamentals Certificate Level 1 meets once each week for a total
class time of 24 hours. The class provides an essential foundation for
hospitality professionals intent on pursuing Sommelier certification and
offers non-professionals a pleasurable, non-threatening introduction to
wine.
WFCL2 Website Course Description**
Wine Fundamentals Certificate Level 2 allows students to build on the
knowledge gained in Level 1 through an introduction to the regional study
of wine. The course involves extensive tasting of representative regional
wines, spirits and beer from all of the world’s major production
areas.
In Wine Fundamentals Certificate Level 2, students begin to develop an
understanding of the ways in which local landscapes and cultures affect
wine flavors. By studying variables such as climate, soil, grape variety,
topography, regional law and local approaches to grape growing and wine
making, students will understand some of the reasons for the extraordinary
diversity of the world of wine. Students will also continue to develop
knowledge in major themes of the hospitality industry, including regional
food and wine pairing theories, service techniques and wine management
practices.
Wine Fundamentals Certificate Level 2 meets once each week for a total
of 48 hours. Graduates of this course receive the title of Certified Wine
Steward, a prerequisite designation for pursuing the title of Certified
Sommelier.
SDP Course Description
The Sommelier Diploma Program offers students the opportunity to receive
certification as a Sommelier through direct instruction by some of the
world’s top Sommeliers. The course involves extensive tasting of
a wide variety of alcoholic beverages from around the world. By the end
of the program, students will be skilled tasters of alcoholic beverages
and should be able to identify specific products in blind situations.
Delivered by industry experts, the Sommelier Diploma Program
is designed to provide students with the skills they will need to be successful
Sommeliers in the hospitality industry. The curriculum is both broad and
challenging. In addition to continued regional study of wine, beer, spirits
and cuisine, students will receive instruction in the administrative and
managerial elements of the profession including wine service, cellaring
wines, investment strategies, menu design, inventory procedures, and staff
training.
To ensure that the learning experience is exceptional, the International
Sommelier Guild ensures that all Sommelier Diploma instructors attend
an annual conference designed to keep them up to date on the latest information,
research and development, new theories of food and wine pairing, teaching
strategies, and current trends in the market place.
The Sommelier Diploma Program is an intensive 24-session course which
meets once each week for eight hours. Graduates of this program are entitled
to the title of Certified Sommelier. The ISG’s Sommelier Diploma
has been designed to provide the benchmark for wine knowledge within the
hospitality industry. After meeting the ISG’s rigorous standards,
graduates of this program enter the workforce very much in demand.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I apply for International Sommelier Guild courses?
Application for all International Sommelier Guild courses is done through
the ISG's secure website. Prospective students should visit www.internationalsommelier.com
and follow the online application instructions.
2. What courses does the International Sommelier
Guild offer?
The International Sommelier Guild offers four courses: Wine Fundamentals
Certificate Levels 1 & 2, the Sommelier Diploma Program, and the International
Master Sommelier Certificate.
Wine Fundamental Certificate Level 1 is a 24 hour course designed to introduce students to the world's major grape varieties as well as the primary hospitality-related themes of the wine industry.
Wine Fundamental Certificate Level 2 is a 48 hour course designed to introduce students to the major wine producing regions. The course explores regional wine, beer, spirits, and food styles and builds on the foundation of major hospitality-related themes of the wine industry established in Wine Fundamentals Certificate Level 1.
The Sommelier Diploma Program is the ISG's 248 hour professional certification course. The course includes complete coverage of the world's major beverage alcohol producing regions and includes in-depth study of the professional responsibilities of the Sommelier. The Sommelier Diploma Program's global focus is designed to prepare students to assume the duties of a Sommelier at any property in the world.
The International Master Sommelier Certificate offers certified Sommeliers to develop areas of professional specialization. Using a guided learning approach coupled with hosted seminars, the program supports original research on the relationshipo between beverage alcohol industires and the Sommelier profession.
3. How are the courses related to each other?
The International Sommelier Guild courses are inter-related and progressive.
Each level of study builds on knowledge foundations laid in earlier courses.
4. How are students evaluated by the International
Sommelier Guild?
Students in International Sommelier Guild courses are evaluated through
examination in certificate-level courses and through a mixture of graded
assignments in the diploma-level courses.
Wine Fundamentals Certification Level 1 includes a 60-question multiply choice examination. One wine is offered in a blind tasting for bonus grades. Students are required to achieve a grade of 60% to pass the course.
Wine Fundamentals Certification Level 2 includes a 100 multiple choice examination, 6 essay questions, and a 4-wine blind tasting. Students are required to achieve a grade of 60% in each section to pass the course. Students who wish to enter the Sommelier Diploma Program are required to achieve a grade of 70% in each section.
The Sommelier Diploma Program includes five separate secitons and a major assignment. The examination includes 200 multiple choice questions, 10 essays, 2 essays on cellar management, food and wine pairing menus, a blind tasting of 22 products, and a service component. Students are also required to complete a major assignment which they are asked to design a beverage program for a restaurant. Elements of the assignement include designing staff training programs, wine lists, inventory documents, and food and wine pairing menus. Students are required to achieve a grade of 70% in each section in order to receive Sommelier certification.
Requirements for the International Master Sommelier Certificate courses are variable, but in most cases will involve the creation of original research on the Sommelier profession.
5. What if I fail some of the individual examination
sections? Do I have to retake the whole course? Do I have to rewrite the
whole examination?
Students who have failed to achieve passing grades in individual
sections do not have to retake the whole course, nor are they required
to retake the whole examination provided they rewrite their examinations
within three years of the date of their failed examination. Students are
only required to rewrite examinations sections in which they have failed
to achieve passing grades.
6. I already have some wine training. Do I have
to start my International Sommelier Guild education with Wine Fundamentals
Certificate Level 1?
Though the International Sommelier Guild permits students to
challenge examinations without sitting through the class, the practice
is strongly discouraged. International Sommelier Guild classes are inter-related
and progressive and knowledge foundations achieved with other training
organizations may not be consistent with International Sommelier Guild
standards.
7. Will we taste wine in class?
Absolutely. All International Sommelier Guild classes include a tasting
component at each meeting. Typically, we taste at the rate of about 6
wines/3 hours of class time.
8. Does the International Sommelier Guild supply
all necessary educational material?
To this question, we give a qualified, "Yes." The ISG has prepared
dedicated electronic textbooks for both of the certificate level courses.
The Beginning Sommelier (WFCL1) and This Place, That Wine
(WFCL2), both written by ISG Vice President Wayne Gotts are made available
to students once classes begin and fees have been paid.
9. Is the International Sommelier Guild curriculum
standardized? If I enroll in the Sommelier Diploma Program in Chicago
and my friend enrolls in Hong Kong, will we study the same things?
Yes and yes. The development of globally recognized standards
for the sommelier profession is one of the goals of the ISG and is reflected
in our standardized curriculum.
10. When do International Sommelier Guild classes
begin and where are they offered?
A complete list of host schools, application deadlines, and course start
dates can be found at www.internationalsommelier.com.
Typically, the certificate-level courses are offered three times per year
in each city, while the Sommelier Diploma Program is offered once per
year (starting in either fall or winter). International Master Sommelier
Certificate courses are offered once per year in the summer at the location
of the ISG's annual education conference, which changes each year.
11. What makes International Sommelier Guild courses
different from other national Sommelier programs?
Most national Sommelier organizations (French, Italian, etc.) strictly
teach students about their own country's wines. In contrast, the ISG takes
a global outlook and provides coverage of all of the world's wine producing
regions. We feel that our global focus better prepares our students for
the challenges of the profession and also allows our graduates significantly
greater professional mobility.
12. What makes this program different from the Court
of Master Sommeliers programs?
The Court of Master Sommeliers is a British-based organization which operates
in several countries and which provides several levels of examination
culminating in the Master Sommelier (MS) examinations (entry into which
is by invitation only). The Court of Master Sommeliers is not a Board
of Education certified entity, nor does it provide direct, classroom-based
instruction to its candidates for each level of study.
In contrast, the International Sommelier Guild provides students with a Board of Education certified curriculum in a direct classroom instruction format.
** Wine Fundamentals I & II is $1,500.00 which is inclusive of your tuition, textbooks, wines and examinations; interest free monthly payments are available. Please visit www.internationalsommelier.com for more details.
Instructor: Charrie Foglio