With the current environment, we can’t all head out to the wineries to enjoy wine and learn more about it! We are indoors more than ever, and although we could get sad about it, we could also look at it as an opportunity to learn more about wine. I mean if you are anything like me, you’re drinking more than ever because it certainly helps make the day a little brighter. So why not learn a little more about the delicious vino you are drinking with all this time indoors? To help, I thought I’d put together a bit of a list for you to learn more about wine in self-isolation.
As a caveat, this is only a guide. I don’t want to make you feel like you have to self-improve! Don’t feel like you have to be productive! If you want to learn on your couch sipping on wine, I 100% approve! Here are some resources if you feel like learning about wine while you are looking for something to do. Plus, all of these are free!
Wine Australia free courses
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Wine Australia is currently offering free courses online for anyone from beginners to advanced. So whether you want to learn more about a variety, a region or just the basics of wine, they have you covered. You can download all the resources you need free of charge, and just need to register for any videos.
If you are a beginner looking to learn more about wine, there’s a great ‘Introduction to Wine’ course, as well as a ‘Foundations of Australian wines’ if you want to learn more specifically about Australian wine. There are also some specific courses about Biodynamic and Organic wines and Australian Old Vines if you want to learn something more specific!
Some of these courses come with tasting mats and tasting recommendations as well, so you can do your very own wine tasting while you learn! Not to mention drink some great Aussie wine while you do!
Access these courses here.
The University of Adelaide free World of Wine Course
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When it comes to wanting to learn more about wine in self-isolation, you might want something with more format. For those looking for a full course to complete, the University of Adelaide has you covered. Their World of Wine: From Grape to Glass course is a really meaty, and free, look into wine. You learn about all aspects of wine, from growing the grapes to producing the labels on the bottles. They also have a module on tasting (my favourite part by far). For a free course, this is very robust and gives you a lot of great knowledge. I’ve done this course already and really enjoyed it. You can read more about it here.
You can access this course here.
Virtual wine classes
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With so many cellar doors closed at the moment, many are doing virtual wine tastings that you can log into. Most of these are free, or you simply pay for the wine to sip on! You can find a lot of these by following your favourite wineries on Instagram or signing up to their newsletters. This will help to support them too in these difficult times by showing your love!
You can also find a few of the wineries doing these on my Drink Aussie Wine page where I’ve shared just some of the wineries who need our support. Access the page here.
Vintage School free wine modules
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With more time on your hands, you might be wanting to learn about wine in self-isolation and do a big deep dive. Well, the Vintage School has you covered! They have made all their modules free and available on their site, where they will be adding more as they go.
This course is really suited to those who want to get into the nitty-gritty of wine. It’s focused on the science and goes into a lot of detail about why we taste certain things, as well as all the in’s and out’s of winemaking. It is text-based as well, so best suited to those who are looking for something to read.
Access the modules here.
Learn more about Champagne
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Who doesn’t want to learn more about this French Sparkling Wine? There is so much to learn about Champagne, and you’ll be surprised by how many rules there are that go into producing these bottles! At Champagne Campus, you can learn everything there is to know about Champagne for free! The great thing about this website is that they have a few qualifying questions at the start to answer. Once you answer them, it will recommend the course you should take based on your knowledge. What a great way to learn about wine in self-isolation at your level.
You can take the course here.
Rioja Wine Academy
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If you love Spanish wine or are just dreaming of a Spanish holiday, the Rioja Wine Academy is here to help you learn more about wine in self-isolation. All their courses are free of charge to enrol in.
There are a few different courses available depending on what you’re after. The Rioja Wine Diploma is mainly aimed at enthusiasts, while the Diploma in Rioja Wine for Trade and Distribution is for professionals. The Diploma in Rioja Wine Tourism focuses on the ‘implementation of experiences, activities, customer service, situation management, wine and tasting services’.
Access the courses here.
A 90-minute course on Burgundy
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If you love wines from Burgundy or would love to learn more about this French wine region, check out this 90-minute wine course. It helps you understand more about the wines and what makes the region so special through videos, 360° photos, downloadable files, and quizzes, covering four key themes.
Check it out here.
The final word on how to learn about wine in self-isolation
I hope these resources might help you to learn more about wine in self-isolation, and kill some time! When we’re drinking so much wine lately, it’s a great opportunity to learn more about what you’re sipping on! So the next time you’re looking for something to do and feel like learning, why not pop into one of these courses? There’s something for everyone, and you’ll be a pro in no time!
Do you have any other courses you recommend? I’d love to hear about them!