Know Thy Wine: Classes and Courses in the Bay Area
Across Silicon Valley, wine lovers are a savvy bunch. We support local wineries and know the difference between handcrafted and mass-produced wine. Our quest is born of passion and a desire to learn about what we imbibe.
You don’t have to study for years, travel the globe or fork out a fortune in pursuit of wine knowledge, especially in our corner of the world. There are many ways to get schooled in wine, and classes often take place outside of a traditional classroom setting. Learning about wine surrounded by wine barrels? Sign us up! Whether you’re a novice or pro, here’s where you can up your wine game.
Wine School
Founded in South San Francisco in 2011 by master sommelier and certified wine educator David Glancy, the San Francisco Wine School’s (SFWS) approach is that a one-size wine education does not fit all. At SFWS he’s established a program with workshops and classes people can dip in and out of, or enroll in series that are building blocks towards 16 professional-level wine programs, including Certified Specialist of Wine and Wine Scholar Guild. Classes also help students with independent study needed for taking the Wine & Spirits Educational Trust (WSET) and Court of Master Sommelier exams.
Not all students plan to work in wine professionally, though. “There are some serious enthusiasts in the Bay Area,” say COO Kristin Campbell, “who want to learn what is in their glass in a more structured, formal way.”
Attendees taste anywhere from six to 14 wines in a flight. That’s one advantage to wine classes—you don’t have to go out and buy a bottle of every wine. SFWS’s cellar boasts more than 900 world-class wines. In-demand topics include Wine 101, blind tasting, and food and wine pairing workshops. Guided online courses are available too. Expect to pay $85–$125 for workshops and $995–$1,595 for programs.
Wine Classes at Wineries
Instead of heading to your favorite winery just to taste, why not go there to learn too? Several Santa Cruz Mountains and Santa Clara Valley wineries have fun and educational classes.
Testarossa University at Testarossa Winery, Los Gatos
On Tuesday nights wine lovers gather at the historic winery above Los Gatos, nibbling on small bites before taking their places in a cool cellar. Testarossa Winery wine educator Bob Zamora has been leading Testarossa University classes since 2015 on topics ranging from wine basics, to deep dives comparing vintages of single-vineyard Testarossa Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, to a comparison of Burgundy, California and Oregon Pinots.
Testarossa University’s new season is now underway. The winery recently beefed up its class roster. Tuesday night classes sell out quickly; new Friday through Sunday sessions include wine and cheese pairings and specialty classes such as a Niclaire vertical tasting of the winery’s limited-production Pinot Noir. Look for innovative food and wine pairing classes this year, thanks to new winery Chef de Cuisine Nadiv Geiger.
“We make it approachable,” Bob says. “People are interested in learning, even if it is only one tidbit. And they keep coming back for more.”
Classes ($35–$75) are limited to 20 people, with five to six wines per session. While the Wine 101 series is designed for novices, Bob finds that the class sparks interest and people end up attending three to four other classes.
Coterie, San Jose
Tucked away in The Alameda district of San Jose, you’ll find wine fans attending classes at Coterie, led by winemaker Kyle Loudon and wine educator David Sanchez, a certified wine appellation specialist. Surrounded by barrels full of Coterie wine, students sip as they learn about single wine varietals over a range of vintages or all about barrel tasting.
“Classes often include sold-out aged wines or other special items not generally available at the winery,” says Kyle.
Monthly classes ($75) include a bottle of wine to take home.
La Vie Dansante Wines, Gilroy
Blended, A Winemaker’s Studio, is the brainchild of La Vie Dansante winemaker Jeff Fadness, who brought together two other Santa Clara Valley wineries—Medeiros Family Wines and TASS Vineyards & Winery—plus his own under one tasting room roof at La Vie Dansante winery.
Fadness is also a certified specialist of wine and leads a wine symposia series, including wine appreciation, education and specialty classes on specific grape varieties, growing regions, winemaking techniques or how to taste and evaluate wine.
There’s an interactive lecture and at least two glasses of wine. Once a month classes ($45) are on Thursdays at the tasting room. Jeff says the Boutique Winemaking class is so popular he offers it twice.
Byington Vineyard & Winery, Los Altos
You don’t have to trek up into the Santa Cruz Mountains to experience Byington wines. Instead, visit their Los Altos Tasting Room, where wine classes are led by certified sommelier Vince Robledo. Join him for First Thursdays, sommelier-led tasting flights ($12) exploring that month’s wine menu of five whites and reds. You can even add a cheese pairing ($8 extra).
Wine Education at Wine Bars and Shops
Enoteca La Storia, San Jose
Wine classes have been on the menu ever since Enoteca La Storia’s Los Gatos location opened in 2010. With their new downtown San Jose wine bar and restaurant, there’s room for more wine education experiences. In fact, “Enoteca La Storia” means history or wine stories.
“We are big on [the idea that] education leads to appreciation,” says co-owner and certified sommelier Mike Guerra. “We tell the stories of the wine: where it comes from, who made it, what grapes are in it, why did they make it the way they did and is it just a classic example or are they doing something different.”
In 2018, Enoteca and the San Francisco Wine School (SFWS) launched a partnership to bring SFWS classes to the San Jose locations. The recent Wine 101 series was successful and this year there are many more SFWS classes, including Wine 101, World Wines and a Wines with Style series (rosé, sparkling wine and sweet and fortified wines).
Expect to pay $85–$125 for single classes and $225–$1,595 for series courses.
Vino Locale, Palo Alto
In a charming bungalow tucked into downtown Palo Alto, you’ll find lots of ways to learn about wine. Each month Vino Locale offers classes that explore a different theme, such as French wines on Bastille Day, rosé in the summer and Italian wines for sheer pleasure.
Start with Wine 101, then sip your way through a Flight Night or an in-depth wine session. Or, try Meet the Winemaker and taste with the person who made what is in your glass.
