FAQs: Sunday School Wine Courses

We've been asked a few questions about our Sunday School wine courses & classes already - here's a few of the most common. Feel free to drop us a question on Facebook, Instagram, email or ask us at the bar if you've got something not answered here :)

When are the classes?

We don't have a set class schedule - you can book a module on any Sunday that suits you, subject to availability. The book now links up here ⬆️ and down there ⬇️ will let you find a slot, or you can ask us at the bar.

All our courses are designed to be flexible - we really wanted to get away from "you will do three Saturdays in a row" sorts of schedules which are great if you can do that... and not so great if you've got work responsibilities, childcare commitments etc that make that sort of rigidity impossible. Book the module you have next, when it suits you.

Can I study in a group of 2+?

Absolutely! Just book a slot when you'd like to do the course and in the booking notes, tell us how many people. We recommend a maximum of 4 people at once for modules 1, 2 and 3 of the Intro to Wine & Wine Theory course.

Do I have to study in a group, or can I go solo?

Absolutely! Book, turn up, enjoy!

What will I learn?

Our Introduction to Wine and Wine Theory course is 5 modules and will teach you the fundamentals of wine - the focus is on fun, enjoying the wine and learning as we go, but you will learn quite a bit too!

You'll cover everything from the basics of what we mean by "styles of wine" to the process of winemaking for reds, whites, rosés and orange wines, the choices winemakers can make and how that affects the wine, how to write a standardised tasting note (and why we use them) and how to have a much better idea of what'll be in the bottle when you're reading a label. You'll taste plenty of wines on the way through too. By the time you've completed the course you'll have a really good understanding of the world of wine.

Our Explorer courses then focus on specific regions or countries - for example French Wine Explorer - and build on those fundamentals to flesh it out with the detail of how each region makes, labels and markets their wines; what the major wine types from those regions are and why, and more.

I've seen WSET courses and Sommelier courses advertised - are yours the same?

No... both WSET and the CMS are "formal" qualifications - exams, homework, certificates, online and classroom modules, pass and fail grades. Ours aren't!

We cover similar topics, as you'd expect - but not in a formal, academic setting and without the exams, coursework etc. Ours are designed to be fun and entertaining as much as they are educational - you will learn a lot, but the focus is on tasting and enjoying wines and learning as you go.

If you do want to progress onto a WSET course, we would expect that if you've completed our Intro to Wine & Wine Theory and any of our Explorer courses, you'd be able to pass the entry exam for Level 3 (and with a second Explorer course under your belt, you should be able to ace the exam). For most people, who just want to learn a bit more about the wines they love and enjoy doing it, taking a WSET course should not be seen as the goal.

I already have my WSET 1 or 2 or have done another wine course - can I skip the Intro to Wine & Wine Theory? Should I?

You absolutely can, yes... whether you should or not depends a bit on how much of your WSET courses you remember, how much you actually learned (if you do it in a classroom setting at a wine school, for example, many of the instructors will flesh out the course syllabus with extra information) and how much you've used it since.

Have a chat with us at the bar. We'll talk you through the modules of the Intro course and make a suggestion as to whether to skip some or all, or indeed whether you'd be better off doing a quick recap of multiple modules in a single session as a custom revision session.

Do I have to complete the Explorer courses in a set order?

Not at all. We recommend taking the Intro to Wine & Wine Theory course (though see the question above!) before doing the Explorer ones, but then you can complete them in any order. Fancy Spain before France? Go for it! Want to do both at the same time - module 1 of France one weekend, module 1 of Spain the next, before moving back to France for module 2? That's absolutely fine.