Wine Sommelier Course

Training Delivered On-site in All Areas

Wine Sommelier Training Course

Good food and wine go hand in hand. Dining has become more and more demanding and fiercely competitive. The chances of your losing customers to the restaurant next though are very high when your staff is not properly trained. One of the important aspects is for your front-of-house staff to understand that dining is an experience!

Gone are the days when waitrons were taught that pairing wine and food is a matter of red meat with red wine, white meat with white wine. Food and wine pairing go deeper than that. For your front-of-house team to deliver excellent customer service, product knowledge is very important. They must have intimate knowledge of the menu and wine served in your establishment. 

We present the most practical wine sommelier course. This amazing short course is suitable for hospitality establishments including fine dining restaurants, formal restaurants, hotels, game lodge lodges, villas, boutique hotels, and all tourism & hospitality businesses. It is also suitable for hospitality professionals who want to enter into and gain knowledge in wine service, including waiters, butlers, bartenders, etc. We deliver training on-site in all provinces of South Africa.

What does a Wine Sommelier do?

A wine sommelier (sometimes called a wine steward) is a person who is knowledgeable about wines. A wine sommelier or wine steward is a well-trained and knowledgeable wine professional, normally working in fine dining restaurants, hotels, boutique hotels, cruise ships, and other formal hospitality establishments.

A wine sommelier/ wine steward specializes in all aspects of wine service as well as wine and food pairing. The role of a wine sommelier in fine dining today is much more specialized and informed than that of a wine waiter.

Wine Sommelier Course Content

Our wine sommelier course is rich with topics that will give you a better understanding of the topic of wines. After taking this course, you will be able to confidently guide your guests to the best food & wine pairing. 

Here are the topics that our wine sommelier course contains:

• South Africa's wine regions
• Winemaking procedure
• South African red wine grape cultivars
• South Africa white wine grape cultivars
• Sparkling wine – Champagne and MCC
• South African wine styles
• South African wine producers
• Storage of wine and glasses
• Wine serving temperatures
• Wine tasting terms
• Wine service procedure
• Wine and food pairing guidelines
• Spirits 

South African Wine Regions

This topic focuses on South Africa's wine regions including the terroir. 

Wine Making Procedure

This topic takes you through all the stages of the winemaking process, including:

• Choosing the right period to harvest
• Picking the grapes from the vineyard
• Destalking
• Crushing the grapes
• Fermentation (adding yeast)
• Removing the skins
• Maturation in wooden barrels
• Racking
• Blending
• Stabilizing
• Fining
• Filtration
• Bottling, etc.

Red Wine Grape Cultivars

This topic discusses the significant grape cultivars used in red winemaking, including:

• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Merlot
• Shiraz / Syrah
• Pinot Noir
• Pinotage
• Tinta barocca
• Cabernet Franc

And many more. You will learn in detail about each varietal as well as how it is served and which food goes well with each varietal.

White Wine Grape Cultivars

This topic discusses the significant grape cultivars used in white winemaking, including:

• Chenin Blanc
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Chardonnay
• Semillon
• Riesling
• Gewürztraminer
• Viognier

And many more. You will learn in detail about each varietal as well as how it is served, correct serving temperatures as well as which food goes well with each varietal.

Sparkling Wines – Champagne & MCC

You’ve been told that every bubbly wine is “Champagne”, right? That’s wrong. Champagne is reserved for sparkling wine that comes from a certain region in France. This topic discusses in detail about Champagnes, where they come from and the popular Champagne served in South Africa, including Veuve Clicquot, Moet & Chandon, Taittinger, etc.

Methode Cap Classique (MCC) is the South African version of Champagne. This topic will teach you the popular MCCs, including TOKARA, Plaisir De Merle, Klein Zalze, Krone, and many more.

You will also learn how Champagne is made, how to serve Champagne as well as food that goes well with Champagne.

South African Wine Styles

This topic discusses in detail, the different South African wine styles, both natural and fortified. We look at the following styles:

• Blanc de blanc
• Blanc fume / fume blanc
• Blanc de noir
• Brut
• Cuvee
• Carbonated sparkling wines
• Cape blends
• Muscadel
• Dessert wines
• Estate wines
• Noble late harvest
• Vintage, etc

Wine Storage and Glasses

This topic focuses on proper wine storage and the glasses used in serving wines. 

Wine Service Procedure

This topic will teach the learners proper wine service procedures, from presenting the wine list,  presenting the wine to the host, opening wine with a cork, screwcap, and sparkling wine, pouring for taste, and serving to the guests. It also focuses on the different procedures for serving red wine, white/ rose wines, and champagne. sparkling wines.

Food and Wine Pairing Guidelines

This module teaches the learner basic food and wine pairing guidelines. We will provide guidelines based on your existing menu. 

Suggestive Selling and Upselling

Suggestive selling and upselling is one way to increase revenue and improve customer experience. This topic will teach your staff the skills to be able to suggest and upsell with finesse and savoir-faire. 

Spirits

This topic will equip the learner with the different spirits found in the restaurant/ bar industry, including whiskies, brandy, vodka, cane, gin, rum, tequila, and more. 

If you have 8 or more staff, we will come to your establishment and provide the training on-site/in-house.  Contact us now for a reasonable quote by filling in the form below.

© 2022 Sam Hospitality  • More Than a Decade Experience in Consulting & Training for Safari Lodges, Hotels, Resorts and Restaurants • Creating Success Stories!