Wine Course: Week 1 — The Global Wine Landscape

Vineyard panorama Photo by Trent Erwin on Unsplash

A self-study course for wine enthusiasts who want to go beyond “I like red” and actually understand what they’re drinking — and sound impressive doing it.

Course Overview

This 6-week course takes you from “I know what I like” to “let me tell you why you’d like this.” Each week covers a different theme with:

  • Concise reading material (20-30 min per section)
  • Practical tasting activities with real wines
  • Knowledge review and quizzes
  • Conversation-ready facts you can actually use

Who Is This For?

  • Wine drinkers who want to level up from casual to knowledgeable
  • People who want to confidently order wine at restaurants
  • Self-learners who’d rather study at home than sit through a class
  • Anyone who wants to impress their friends (no judgment)

What You Need

  • Basic wine glasses (tulip-shaped is fine — you don’t need Riedel)
  • Access to a wine shop (budget: ~$10-20 per bottle)
  • Something to take notes with
  • A willingness to try wines you wouldn’t normally pick

Week 1 Content

Reading Sections

  1. Week Overview — Schedule and learning objectives
  2. Old World Regions — France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Portugal, England
  3. New World Regions — Americas, Australia, NZ, South Africa
  4. Climate & Terroir — How climate and soil shape wine
  5. Tasting Activities — Practical tastings and challenges
  6. Wrap-Up & Quiz — Summary, quiz, and resources

Time Commitment

  • Reading: ~2 hours total (flexible — spread across several days)
  • Tasting: 1-2 hours across 4 days (buying and drinking wine is homework)
  • Total: ~4-5 hours for the week

Suggested Schedule

Day Activity
Day 1 Read Old World regions + tasting exercise (same grape, different worlds)
Day 2 Read New World regions + regional blind tasting
Day 3 Read Climate & Terroir + climate comparison tasting
Day 4 Tasting challenges (grape game + blend vs. single variety)
Day 5 Wrap-up, quiz, and World Tour challenge

Tasting Tips

  • Start with 2-3 wines per session: More than that and your palate fatigues
  • Take notes: Even a few words per wine — you’ll forget otherwise
  • Compare side by side: This is how you learn; tasting in isolation teaches very little
  • Don’t overthink it: If it smells like “something fruity” to you, write that down. Your vocabulary will develop.
  • Budget-friendly is fine: You can learn more from a $12 Chilean Cabernet vs. a $15 Bordeaux than from a single $100 bottle

Upcoming Weeks

  • Week 2: Sparkling Wines & Fortified Wines
  • Week 3: White & Rosé Wines Deep Dive
  • Week 4: Red Wine Mastery
  • Week 5: Dessert & Sweet Wines
  • Week 6: Advanced Topics & Final Project