Course Dates:

• Monday, February 16th 2026 6:00pm - 8:30pm

• Monday, February 23rd 2026 6:00pm - 8:30pm

• Monday, March 2nd 2026 6:00pm - 8:30pm

• Monday, March 9th 2026 6:00pm - 8:30pm

• Monday, March 16th 2026 6:00pm Review and Exam

Italian Wine Essentials makes the complex world of Italian wine accessible and engaging. Discover the culture, cuisine, history, viticulture, and winemaking principles behind Italy’s top wine regions to quickly grasp the intricacies of Italian wine.

Italy is home to over 400 appellations. Italian Wine Essentials (IWE) introduces you to 39 of the most well-known, divided into three vibrant modules—Wines of Northern Italy, Central Italy and Southern Italy.

$695 | 12.5 hours | 20 Wines

• What's Included

  Coursebook

  A 100+ page beautifully designed coursebook, rich with photographs, detailed maps, illustrations and infographics contains all the information you need to know.

  Online Study Modules

  1-year access to interactive e-learning activities designed to enrich the study manual and support different learning styles.

  Expert Instruction:

  Learn from the WSG Approved Program Providers and certified educators.

  Student Community

  Network with the other students taking the French, Italian or Spanish Wine Essentials course, form a tasting group and build your wine network.

  Final Exam

  The exam is comprised of 50 multiple-choice questions. Students have 45 minutes to complete the exam. Passing score is 60%. There is no wine tasting component on the exam.

  Certificate

  Upon receiving a passing score, you will receive your well-deserved WSG Essentials certificate, acknowledging you have gained proficiency in the wines of France, Italy or Spain. Add this reputed certification to your LinkedIn profile and résumé or CV.

• Who Should Take IWE

  Hospitality, wholesale and/or retail wine professionals looking to enhance their knowledge of Italian wine

  Aspiring wine professionals looking to start, transition to or advance their career in wine

  Inquisitive wine enthusiasts wanting to become more familiar with Italian wine

  Enthusiastic home or professional chefs, energetic epicureans or “foodies”

  Avid travelers

  Anyone wishing to become more knowledgeable about Italy and its wine and food culture

• What are the Learning Outcomes

  • Describe the key factors that influence the growing environment and climate of each appellation

  • Recall the main grape varieties (and their characteristics) associated with each wine covered in the session

  • Identify the location of the profiled appellations on a map of Italy

  • Recall viticultural, vinification and aging techniques that contribute to the style and quality of the wines

  • Describe the meaning of key labeling terms

  • Recall and describe the style of each

• Study Expectations

  In addition to classroom instruction or live review webinars, your instructors recommend that you engage in an additional 15 hours of study (approximately five hours per chapter) before taking the exam. 

  You are encouraged to expand your studying techniques beyond that of simply re-reading the course book. In order to assimilate knowledge and facilitate deeper understanding of key concepts try to engage in active learning techniques such as: note-taking, completing the online e-learning modules, explaining key concepts to others and of course tasting! 

Registration must be completed by February 1st 2026.

Deposits & Payment plans now available.

Please email admin@oenophile.institute for details.