AWS Level 2 in Wines – Certified Junior Sommelier™

Understand why every wine tastes the way it does, and gain the tasting, pairing and wine-list skills to work the floor like a professional. US$495 · about 24 hours · 12 months’ access · Certificate on passing

What you'll learn

✓ Inside the grape and the vineyard: sugars, acids, tannins, climate, soil and the grower’s choices ✓ In the winery: fermentation, extraction, oak, lees and blending ✓ Sparkling, sweet and fortified wines ✓ Reading the rules: PDO, AOC, DOCG, DOCa, Prädikat, AVA and more ✓ White and red grapes and their great regions ✓ Professional tasting, food pairing, wine lists, cellar and selling

Why wine tastes the way it does

Inside the grape, the vineyard and the winery: ripeness, climate, soil, oak, lees and the methods behind sparkling, sweet and fortified wines.

Grapes, regions and rules

15 white and 16 red grapes and their classic regions, with maps, plus the wine laws and label words of the main wine countries.

Taste, pair and sell

Professional tasting notes with the AWS BLIC quality method, food pairing for a real menu, and how to build, price and sell a profitable wine list.

Who it's for

Hospitality professionals who serve and sell wine (servers, bartenders, F&B supervisors and future sommeliers) and keen wine lovers. AWS Level 1 in Wines is recommended but not required. You must be of legal drinking age (18+ or the legal age where you live) to take part in the tastings.

Curriculum

14 Chapters · 47 Lessons

1. (Included in full purchase)
  Welcome to AWS Level 2 in Wines
2. (Included in full purchase)
  About your educator
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Wine through the ages
2. (Included in full purchase)
  The junior sommelier
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Unit 1 quick check
1. (Included in full purchase)
  The anatomy of a grape and how it ripens
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Aroma compounds and fermentation
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Unit 2 quick check
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Climate, weather and keeping cool
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Site and soil
3. (Included in full purchase)
  The grower's year and choices
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Unit 3 quick check
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Fermentation choices
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Vessels and oak
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Finishing touches: MLC, lees, blending and bottling
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Unit 4 quick check
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Sparkling wines
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Sweet wines
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Fortified wines
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Unit 5 quick check
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Europe's quality pyramid
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Burgundy, Bordeaux, Germany and Austria
3. (Included in full purchase)
  New World label rules
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Unit 6 quick check
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Chardonnay and Burgundy
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Sémillon
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Riesling and the aromatic whites
4. (Included in full purchase)
  More whites to know
5. (Included in full purchase)
  Unit 7 quick check
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Pinot Noir and Gamay
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Cabernet, Merlot and the Bordeaux family
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Syrah, Grenache and the warm-climate reds
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Italy and Spain
5. (Included in full purchase)
  Unit 8 quick check
1. (Included in full purchase)
  The professional tasting note
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Judging quality with BLIC
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Faults, style and blind tasting
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Unit 9 quick check
1. (Included in full purchase)
  What food does to wine
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Pairing strategy and a real menu
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Unit 10 quick check
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Building a wine list
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Pricing, profit and the cellar
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Selling with confidence
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Unit 11 quick check
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Final exam
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Congratulations and next steps

Your certificate: Certified Junior Sommelier™

Pass the final exam and you receive your Certified Junior Sommelier™ certificate, signed by Christian Esser, Director of Education, Academy of Wine & Spirits. Add it to your CV and LinkedIn profile and show guests and employers what you know.

Christian Esser, Director of Education, Academy of Wine & Spirits

Meet your educator: Christian Esser

Christian Esser is the founder and Director of Education of the Academy of Wine & Spirits, winner of two LUXlife Hospitality Awards 2026 (Caribbean & USA): Best Luxury Beverage Education Provider and Hospitality Training Excellence Award. A Wine, Spirits & Sake Educator with formal training in viticulture and winemaking, he brings 20+ years of experience across 43 countries. He founded The Rum Ambassador, the first international rum certification, with WIRSPA, and led wine programmes at Grand Old House, Ortanique and Cayman Spirits Co. Liquid Lively Fun

Award-winning education

LUXlife Hospitality Awards 2026 · Caribbean & USA ★ Best Luxury Beverage Education Provider 2026 ★ Hospitality Training Excellence Award 2026

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have access? Twelve months (365 days) from the day you enroll. Can I start anytime? Yes. The course is 100% online and self-paced: start the moment you enroll and study on any device, whenever it suits you. Study in short lessons, one at a time, and pick up where you left off. What language is it in? The course is taught online in English. What do I need? Any device with internet. To taste along: the suggested list of twelve easy-to-find wines, a wine glass and the 52-page AWS workbook included in the course. How does the exam work? A quick check per unit, a practice exam and a final exam. Score 70% or more to pass. Questions? Email [email protected] or call +1 (345) 938 0458. We are happy to help, including group bookings for teams.

Liquid Lively Fun

Eleven units, twelve wines, one certificate. Study at your own pace for twelve months. Questions? [email protected] · +1 (345) 938 0458

$495.00

Enroll now – US$495

AWS Level 2 in Wines – Certified Junior Sommelier™