AWS Level 3 in Wines – Certified Sommelier™

Our advanced professional wine course: blind tasting, viticulture, winemaking, every major wine region, sparkling, sweet and fortified wines and the business of the sommelier. US$995 · about 100 hours · 12 months’ access · Certificate on passing

What you'll learn

✓ Tasting for quality and blind deduction ✓ Viticulture and winemaking in depth ✓ France: Bordeaux, Burgundy, Loire, Alsace, Rhône and the south ✓ Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Hungary and Greece ✓ The Americas, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa ✓ Sparkling, sweet and fortified wines, and the business of wine and the sommelier

Taste blind, with evidence

Professional tasting notes where every conclusion has a reason, quality and readiness with BLIC, price brackets, and the deduction ladder from the glass to grape, region and price.

The world's great wine regions

Thirteen units with 25 maps: Bordeaux to Burgundy, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, the Americas, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, plus Champagne, Port, Sherry and Madeira.

Lead the wine business

The supply chain, landed cost, beverage cost and gross profit, inventory turnover, menu engineering, service at the top level, team training and ethics.

Who it's for

Sommeliers, F&B and beverage managers, wine buyers and experienced servers who want to taste, advise and buy with real authority. AWS Level 2 in Wines (or equivalent knowledge) is recommended. You must be of legal drinking age (18+ or the legal age where you live) to take part in the tastings.

Curriculum

16 Chapters · 61 Lessons

1. (Included in full purchase)
  Welcome to AWS Level 3 in Wines
2. (Included in full purchase)
  About your educator
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Book your 1:1 Zoom sessions
1. (Included in full purchase)
  The Level 3 tasting note: evidence and reasons
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Quality, readiness and price with BLIC
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Blind deduction and calibration
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Unit 1 quick check
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Site, climate and the vine
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Training, canopy, water and yield
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Threats, farming choices and the cost of a bottle
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Unit 2 quick check
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Harvest, sorting and adjustments
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Extraction and fermentation choices
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Stability, closures and ageing
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Unit 3 quick check
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Bordeaux: rivers, soils and blends
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Classifications, vintages and the Bordeaux market
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Sauternes and the South-West
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Unit 4 quick check
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Burgundy: climats and the four quality levels
2. (Included in full purchase)
  From Chablis to the Mâconnais
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Beaujolais and selling Burgundy
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Unit 5 quick check
1. (Included in full purchase)
  The Loire Valley
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Alsace
3. (Included in full purchase)
  The Rhône Valley
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence
5. (Included in full purchase)
  Unit 6 quick check
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Northern Italy
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Tuscany and central Italy
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Southern Italy and the islands
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Unit 7 quick check
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Spain: the plateau and the north
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Spain: Catalonia, the centre and the south
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Portugal
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Unit 8 quick check
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Germany
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Austria and Tokaj
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Greece
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Unit 9 quick check
1. (Included in full purchase)
  California
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Oregon, Washington, New York and Canada
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Chile and Argentina
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Unit 10 quick check
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Australia
2. (Included in full purchase)
  New Zealand
3. (Included in full purchase)
  South Africa
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Unit 11 quick check
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Champagne and the world's sparkling wines
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Five routes to sweetness
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Port, Sherry and Madeira
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Unit 12 quick check
1. (Included in full purchase)
  From vineyard to table: the wine trade
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Running the numbers
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Service, leadership and ethics
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Unit 13 quick check
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Your final assessment
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Paper 1 – Multiple-choice exam
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Paper 2 – Written answers
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Paper 3 – Blind tasting on Zoom
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Congratulations and next steps

Your certificate: Certified Sommelier™

Pass the final exam and you receive your Certified 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, wine glasses and the wines on the course tasting list (the list is in the welcome chapter). How does the exam work? A quick check per unit 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

Thirteen units to professional mastery. Study at your own pace for twelve months. Questions? [email protected] · +1 (345) 938 0458

$995.00

Enroll now – US$995

AWS Level 3 in Wines – Certified Sommelier™