Years ago, I took a pre-certification wine class. (Actually, I loved it so much, I took the same one twice!). But I never followed through with taking the requisite test.
For the past 13 years, Denise Mueller-Peterson—a 20-year industry veteran, founding member of the Mid-American School of Wine, and director of operations at Sasha’s Wine Bar Group—has taught the PreSomm Wine Course, which offers a foundational deep dive into wine theory and fine beverage service. Held in person this fall, the eight-week, $595 program includes weekly wine tastings, lectures, exam credentials, PreSomm Course Book, and the PreSomm Maps & Graphics book. The course is designed to boost hospitality careers, build toward future certifications such as Introductory Sommelier (Court of Master Sommeliers) or Certified Specialist of Wine (Society of Wine Educators), and deepen students’ overall wine knowledge.
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The sponsoring venue is Third Degree Glass Factory (5200 Delmar), and classes are held on Monday evenings beginning September 14. Mueller says the course empowers students not only professionally but also personally: “It’s like building a little library in your head, so when you walk into a wine store or wine bar, you’re not intimidated anymore.” She’s amazed at how much wine enthusiasts—not just industry people—enjoy the class.
Students must attend all sessions and pass a final exam in wine theory and service to graduate. The pass rate? There have been 340 PreSomm students over 18 semesters in 13 years, with a 100 percent pass rate, Mueller-Peterson says. She adds that anyone who ever took a subsequent exam–such as the Court of Master Sommeliers’ Introductory Exam (referred to as Level 1) has also passed, claiming PreSomm as their foundational prep tool.
Partner, trade, and group pricing options are available. The promo code (INDUSTRY25) for industry members is 25 percent off, or two friends or a couple can receive 20 percent off when they register using the promo code STUDYBUDDY20. Sign up for classes here.
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