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California Wine Appellation Specialist CWAS Online®

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    Sun, March 15, 2020 (8:30am - 8:30pm)

San Francisco Wine School
415 Grand Ave #301
South San Francisco, CA 94080
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Cost: $995 (Installment Plan Available)

LEARN THE NUANCES OF CALIFORNIA WINE: A 9-week program to help students master the increasingly complex AVA landscape in California.
 
 California Wine Appellation Specialist® (CWAS) is the first and only in-depth professional credential dedicated to California wine. CWAS® was pioneered by Master Sommelier and Certified Wine Educator, David Glancy, in 2012 and has since earned the support of Wine Institute and grower associations throughout the state.


This one-of-a-kind program offers students a comprehensive, up-to-date, formal education on all the California wine regions, featuring material that is literally impossible to find from other resources. The topics will deeply enrich enthusiasts' knowledge and are critical to the success of today's wine professionals.

  • Learn the language of California wine labeling
  • Discuss the history and impact of California's American Viticultural Areas
  • Understand California's wine production
  • Analyze the distinctive climates, soils, grapes and wineries of each region that make up the California wine landscape

The program is part of the Glancy eWine School and includes university style curriculum with personalized online instruction, engaging student interaction and creative weekly tasting assignments expertly designed to bring the classroom to you!  Each week, students will tackle a new subject in our virtual classroom with an industry leading instructor, engage in discussion with their peers, and complete weekly in-depth tasting assignments.

San Francisco Wine School is an official external education provider for Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits, having certified many staff members with our proprietary California Wine Appellation Specialist® Program!  Read about our partnership and our Corporate Training!

2020 SESSION DATES 

Session 1

Orientation Mar 15 - 21
Class Mar 22 - May 16

Exam May 17 - 23 Session 2

Orientation Aug 2 - 8
Class Aug 9 - Oct 3
Exam Oct 4 - 10

 

Also check out our weekly and intensive in-person CWAS formats taking place at our gorgeous Wine Education & Event Center!

HOW DO OUR ONLINE CLASSES WORK?

Each week students will tackle a new subject in our virtual classroom, read materials at their own pace, engage in discussions with their instructor and peers, and complete weekly tasting assignments receiving instructor feedback to hone their skills. In addition, students will have access to Virtual Lectures by Master Sommelier David Glancy. 

Want to see how our online classes work?  Email us at help@sfwineschool.com and we'll give you a tour of the virtual classroom!


Personalized Online Instruction
Your industry leading instructor will personally connect with you and your classmates in the virtual classroom, guiding you through the curriculum, answering your questions, providing feedback and taking an active role in the class discussions.

Self-paced learning
Our virtual class materials are designed to accommodate all different learning styles and schedules. Read the slides and articles, listen to lectures, watch the videos, view the maps - pause, skip ahead, go back, jump to a different section – all with the click of a mouse.

  
Student Interaction
Our online programs are designed to promote engagement with the other members of the class. Students gain a new network of wine professionals and serious enthusiasts from all over the world. In many ways, our online students are more connected than those who meet in a traditional program. Weekly discussions are known to get very lively and because there are no set classroom hours, students engage much more than they would during a traditional class. Some classes even decide to come together from far and wide just to meet in person at the end of the program.

Wine Tasting Assignments 
Each tasting assignment is designed to impart the learning objectives for each region of study and has flexible parameters to allow for differences in wine availability in your area. Get to know your local wine shop, tasting bar, your own cellar, or hit the road to see the region in person! Locating wines that meet the assignment criteria is half the fun and enriches the learning experience. Read the Wine Requirements.
 

SYLLABUS OVERVIEW
California Wine Appellation Specialist® ONLINE consist of an orientation and 9 learning modules over a ten week period. Modules cover the following areas:

  • Virtual Classroom Orientation
  • California Wine Overview & Mendocino
  • Napa Valley
  • Lake & The Sierra
  • Sonoma
  • Santa Cruz, Livermore & Lodi
  • Monterey & San Benito
  • Paso Robles & the Rest of San Luis Obispo
  • Santa Barbara & Beyond
  • CWAS Credential Exam

Want to learn more about California wine now? Watch Master Sommelier David Glancy in our educational videos filmed for Wine Institute and Discover California Wine. 

ABOUT THE CERTIFICATION & EXAM
Students who score of 80% or higher in the program will be awarded a CWAS certificate and can proudly display the initials CWAS after their name. Program grading is weighted as follows: 85% exam, 5% weekly discussion, 5% weekly tasting assignments, 5% weekly quizzes.

Earning this credential will set you apart in the increasingly competitive wine industry and help you guide your customers through the complex and rapidly changing California wine scene.

ENROLLMENT INCLUDES

  • Exam Fees & Registration
  • 9 weeks of access to our CWAS Online Classroom
  • Certificate upon successful completion


REQUIREMENTS

All attendees must be 21+ years

Our online classroom and the resources within it are not completely compatible with all smartphones and tablets.  We recommend having access to a computer to ensure all of the online resources will be available.

WHY IS CWAS IMPORTANT?
"Italy and France both have internationally recognized certification programs in place to drive interest and celebrate the nuances of their wine regions. If wine students don't have the resources or formal channels to specialize in California wine, it sends the wrong message about California's diverse range of meso-climates, grape varieties, and wine styles", warns Glancy. "To compete with old world imports and fully tap into growing demand for wine, we need to put educational channels in place to properly engage the industry. Competition is only getting more intense."

Tags

  • Event
  • wine
  • San Francisco Wine School
  • South San Francisco
  • Things to do in South San Francisco, CA
  • California Wine & Food Events
  • South San Francisco Wine & Food Events

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