THIS IS AN HONOURS - MASTER CLASS


- Meaning: an 'Honours Brevet' or 'Brevet d'Honneur' is awarded to delegates

in recognition of their success in completing the respective master class in a specialised field of wine expertise.

The awarding of the Honours Brevet relies on the dedication of those enrolled.
 

 

"Honours Brevet"
 

master classes  via e-learning

 

9 lessons via distance learning

 

€ 140
 

The course fee does not include any possible expenses for the wines to be sampled.

 

This course provides an introduction to the sensory evaluation of wine, possible wine faults and flaws.

The ability to make a judgment on a wine's quality, and convey a message about its type and style, are essential skills for wine lovers and professionals.

This course will assist you in gaining much of the requisite knowledge and skills especially in respect of 'special wines'.

The course introduces a number of topics, including: major wine styles and the influence of winemaking variables; common wine faults, cask and bottle maturation and the oak factor.

As the tasting of wine and related solutions forms an essential part of wine evaluation, the theoretical elements will be complemented by a series of practical tasting tasks which the student can conduct alone at home or together with friends or colleagues.

Indirectly, this wine course will facilitate participants to improve their knowledge of viticulture and oenology.

This course allows persons with little wine knowledge or those with such wine knowledge, to become more conversed in the art of assessing different types and styles of wine methodically.

 

A. ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

Besides a fair knowledge of English and some basic computer skills, there are no other entrance requirements.

We recommend that prospective students take the readiness test to see if e-learning is for them. A trial class is also available as indicated on the school's website, which also features snapshots of the virtual classroom to show how it all works.

 

B. Who could benefit from the course
The course is of interest to all those who enjoy wine and wish to acquire in-depth knowledge about different types and styles of wines of origin and to assess wine methodically like professionals do.
The course is particularly beneficial to those involved in wholesales of beverages and the retailing of wines as well as chefs, restaurateurs, wine waiting staff and sommeliers.

 

C. certification
Students may opt to sit for an online examination at the end of the course, and successful candidates will be awarded the "Honours Brevet" by Wine Campus. Certification will help career enhancement.

 

D. REGISTRATION, PAYMENT AND REFUND POLICIES

To register online simply click the button 'Book Now' at the bottom of this page. You can settle the fee online by credit card or later via a bank transfer. Once you have registered you will receive a full welcome packet via email. For questions or more information, please contact us using the contact form.

Refund Policies

E. Honours Brevet - TOPICS and COURSE CONTENTS

Lessons and lectures have been tailored and carefully embedded into a well considered pedagogical framework. They have been distilled with kind permission from authors’ notes, peer reviewed journals, research data, and published works of wine experts at various University Departments of Viticulture and Oenology, in the USA and Europe. Master classes are taught by WINE CAMPUS and expert guest lecturers.

 

“This course is like learning how to think about and enjoy wine all over again.”

 

“This course is like Champagne; a bubbly blend of a wealth of online resources and master tutoring”

 

 

The programme consists of:

 

   Wine's Different Styles Wine Faults and Flaws Cask & Bottle Maturation
 Sherry Port Madeira and Marsala
 Champagne Region Making Champagne More Great Fizz

These 9 online lessons are supported by several online resources, video clips, blogs, podcasts, interactive wine maps, specialist glossaries, extra reading material, online access to a tutor and interaction with fellow students, obligatory written assignments, wine tasting tasks covering a list of wines (wine samples not included / students may be exempt for religious or other reasons), one short composition, one essay, quizzes and a test at  conclusion of the course.

In this series we will address some of the hottest topics under debate in the wine world today.

PROFESSIONAL TASTING TECHNIQUES
Learn professional tasting techniques and evaluation, including the key factors that make great wine great and, yes, not so great at all. Acquire a comprehensive wine vocabulary of professional tasting terms, and learn to put your sensory impressions and evaluation of a wine into words.

WINE STYLES
Learn about wine's different styles and examine the characters of the world’s top classic varieties, in particular Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon, and of several more of the world’s top classic grapes and explore their histories and food compatibilities, specifically, Zinfandel, the aromatic whites (Riesling, Viognier, Muscat and Gewürztraminer), and the leading Rhône varietals (Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Grenache).

OENOLOGICAL PRACTICES
Understand the impact that key oenological decisions and techniques have on the flavours and style of sweet, fortified and sparkling wines.

AGING GRACEFULLY
Some like them young, some prefer them more mature. Now that even powerfully tannic wines are approachable at an early age, the question about when to enjoy a wine at its peak, needs to be re-evaluated. In this fascinating tasting we will look at world-class wines at different stages of evolution, from barrel samples to over three decades old reds.

THE OAK FACTOR
New oak or used oak? French or American? Barriques or big casks? Long barrel aging or shorter? Wine aficionados face these questions with increasing frequency.  We will discuss the impact of oak, its age and provenance, in the making of a wine. We will look at similar wines that get different oak treatment to allow us to extract informed conclusions.

QUEST FOR TERROIR
Terroir, that magical combination of soil, climate and grape varieties, is one of the most elusive terms in the wine world. But the wines that can fully express it, result in some of the most complex and minerally laden ones, transcending the impact of their varieties and human touch. With the return to a more traditional and non-interventionist viticulture in the last decade, the expression of unique terroirs has become the holy grail of winemakers around the world. We will investigate this concept.

 

F. PASS MARKS REQUIRED FOR CERTIFICATION

 

PP Pass grade (50-59%)

CR Credit Pass with Credit (60-69%)

DN Distinction Pass with Distinction (70-79%)

HD High Distinction Pass with High Distinction (80-100%)

UP Ungraded Pass awarded where the student can only pass or fail

NN Failure (0-49%)

NS Failure but supplementary examination awarded

 

 

G. FAQ

 

Q. Can the examination be retaken?

A. Yes, provided a period of 3 months has lapsed. During this extended period the student still has full access to all lectures and can prepare for the re-sit.

 

Q. Upon passing the examination, what does the graduate receive?

A. The candidate will receive the frame-quality Certificate  "Honours Brevet" endorsed by WINE CAMPUS.

 

Q. How much does the examination cost?

A. All examination fees are included in the tuition fee for all candidates that have enrolled in the programme. There is a postage fee for sending the Certificate.

 

Q. Is the examination confidential?

A. Yes. You will be assigned a candidate number. The examination will be identified by this number, not your name. The results will be emailed to you first, then your employer and only if you have been sponsored.

 

Q. Is there a mock examination I can take?

A. Not really, but there is an online quiz which will prepare you for your final examination.

 

Q. How long will it take before I'm ready to take the examination?

A. You will need to have taken all lectures and completed all assignments and tasting tasks . Usually students take between 2 to 6 months  to complete the course. There is no fixed schedule but the course is not completely self-paced either.

 

Q. How will I benefit from getting this certificate?
A. Making the personal investment in a certificate shows your (future) employer you are committed to your career. Achieving a certificate can give you a competitive edge in hiring and promoting situations. And, over the course of a certificate program, many students have opportunities to interact closely with instructors and fellow students, providing a valuable professional worldwide network for the future.

 

Q. How available will my instructor be?
A. Our instructors make every effort to respond quickly to students. In general, you can expect to get a response from an instructor within 48 hours on Monday-Friday. Each instructor will let you know his or her general availability when you enrol in the course. Also, remember that we are here to help you. If you have questions or are experiencing any difficulties, be sure to let us know immediately.

 

Q. What makes the certificate valuable apart from the reputation of the tutors and course contributors?

A. We adhere to the EU’s Principles on E-learning and our assessment is compliant with the Quality Standards in Open and Distance Learning as laid down by MECA-ODL (as carried out with the support of the European Community in the framework of the SOCRATES programme, in the MINERVA ODL action. The project reference number is: 87901-CP-1-2000-1-ES-MINERVA-ODL.)

Graduates from this course will be ideally placed for careers within the wine, spirits and hospitality trades.

Starting date: Immediate

Tick BOOK NOW to officially enrol.

 

 

 

Payments
We accept credit and debit cards, bank transfers, instalments, and direct cash payment via PayPal, in Euro and most other currencies. Online card payments go through one merchant account, one safe payment processing system. For bank transfers, click on money order when asked. We will send you our bank details in a separate document so you can affect the transfer later. Please view our user agreement for more details.