Tasting Essentials

Welcome to this 100% online and free tasting course!

The course includes the option to purchase a specially curated wine pack designed to accompany you throughout the course, turning the tastings into a truly immersive experience.

Buy your tasting pack here

Have you ever wondered how wine experts identify those unique aromas in a glass? Now’s your chance to find out!

This course is tailored for anyone eager to learn how to taste wine, without prior experience required. In a practical, dynamic and accessible way, it combines theory and practice to introduce you to the basics of wine tasting and explore the richness of Rioja styles.

In this course you will discover how to:

• Identify different aromas and flavors in wines
• Understand where the color of wine comes from
• Recognize acidity and tannins and their impact on flavor
• Learn about the impact of barrel aging
• Fill out a tasting sheet with key elements
• Judge the quality of a wine
• Identify the different wine styles of Rioja

You will begin with an introductory chapter and then progress through six practical tasting chapters, each dedicated to a different style of Rioja wine. You will discover aromas, flavors and the impact of winemaking techniques as you learn with clear theoretical foundations, tasting videos with experts, and practical exercises designed to develop your skills and hone your palate.

This course requires no previous knowledge and is completely independent from our other courses. However, if you have already completed courses such as Rioja Enthusiast or Rioja Wine Diploma, this will be an excellent complement to put your knowledge into practice. You can also choose to start with this course and later expand your knowledge with the other courses.

Step by step, you will develop skills, discover new flavors and learn to enjoy the diverse wines of Rioja even more. Perfect for both individual exploration or sharing the learning experience with friends.

Estimated duration: 6 hours.

Evaluation: There is no final exam, but self-evaluation questions are included throughout the course.

Upon successful completion of all activities, you will receive an official certificate issued by the Control Board.

Downloadable resources:

Wines and practical considerations for the tasting course

Tasting sheet