Is a wine tasting class the same as a wine education course? At SDSU, our wine classes combine wine tasting and wine education. The wine certification program is a combination of lecture, reading, and tasting – a holistic approach to wine. If you're considering taking sommelier classes, our Professional Certificate in the Business of Wine program prepares you for the Sommelier certification exam and helps you train for success in wine-related occupations. Learn about the wine business in a series of informative and engaging wine education classes.
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Want to build your career in one of California’s most popular industries? Earning your Professional Certificate in the Business of Wine from SDSU Global Campus can help.
About the Program
According to the Wine Institute, wines produced in California lead to more than 750,000 employed Americans, generate more than $114 billion in annual economic activity, and pay nearly $35 billion in annual wages. In California alone, there are more than 325,000 Californians working throughout our state’s wine industry. Wine is a booming industry in California, and it’s not going away anytime soon.
Designed with the help of career wine professionals from all over California, SDSU’s Professional Certificate in the Business of Wine can help you prepare for a career in many different areas of the wine industry. Our wine classes combine wine tasting and wine education, with courses on history, varietals, wine making, hospitality, marketing, and more.
$3,481
Estimated Cost
1 Year
Min. Completion Time
Hybrid
Course Format
Textbooks not included
Meet Your Instructors
Luke Bramon
Intensive: French Wines
Founder of his own international brand, Luke's Leap Wines
Molly Brooks
Business Opportunities in the Wine Industry
Advanced Sommelier, Certified Cicerone BarWeThereYet Beverage Consulting
Stefano Butto
Intensive: Italian Wines
Certified Italian Wine Specialist / Owner at Sipiens Wine Brokerage, Founder of B.T.W. (Blind Taste Wine)
Maurice David DiMarino
Sensory Evaluation, Intensive: South American Wines
Cohn Restaurant Group Beverage Director
Ben Probe
Beer and Wine: Service and Selling
Certified Sommelier, Cicerone, and Specialist of Spirits
Lisa Redwine
Exploring Wine
Past president and co-founder of the San Diego Women's Wine Alliance
Pam Schwartz
Dynamic Wine and Food Pairing
General Manager, Ranch 45
Jesse Rodriguez
Intensive: Pacific Northwest Wines
Partner of Kaizen Wine Group
Gus Vizgirda
The Character of Wine, Wine Flaws and Faults
Winemaker, Wilson Creek Winery
Theresa Carlson
Chemistry of Beer & Wine
Chemistry Instructor
Whether you’re an aspiring wine business owner, Sommelier, or hospitality professional, earning your wine certificate from SDSU Global Campus can build your network, teach you essential business skills, and move forward without putting your career on hold.
Meet Our Alumni
While stationed in Oceanside, I began searching online for wine courses near me. The program at SDSU appealed to me because of the topics and scheduling. It was ideal for working people like me, so I could attend when it was convenient for me. Plus, I could take the classes that were most applicable to me, which helped build my business plan once I started down that path."
— Melani Harding, Owner, Bon Niche Cellars
Is This Program Right for Me?
SDSU Alumni Lifetime Member Discount
Are you an SDSU Alumni Lifetime Member? Click here to learn more about how you can receive 20% off registration for this program.
Program Alumni Discount
If you’ve already completed your Certificate in the Business of Wine, you’re eligible to enroll in additional courses at a 10% discount. Please email registration at enrollment.global@sdsu.edu or call to apply a program alumni discount for 10% off the registration fee.
Discounts are not retroactive and cannot be combined. Only one discount can be applied.
These comprehensive wine education classes are geared for professionals and entrepreneurs in the wine, food, and hospitality fields who want to quickly expand their knowledge of wine topics. Our current and past students include:
- Restaurant owners and staff
- Winery employees
- Event planners
- Distribution and retail sales employees
- Wine bar owners and staff
- Anyone interested in a career in wine or hospitality
- Wine enthusiasts who want to learn in an academic setting
The courses in the wine certification program can also prepare you for the Introductory Sommelier Certificate Exam. Graduates of the wine certification program include owners of local wine bars and bottle shops, wine import/export business owners, buyers for upscale grocery stores, and vintners at local wine vineyards.
What Can I Learn?
Whether you’re interested in launching your career in the wine or hospitality industry, or you just want to learn more about the drink we all love to enjoy, our wine courses can help. Our program can help you:
- Learn skills necessary to enter the budding wine industry
- Experience interactive, hands-on learning with tastings and more
- Engage with top leaders and industry experts in the classroom
- Uncover an overall appreciation of wine outside of brewing
- Explore wine’s past and present while looking towards the future
- Boost your wine literacy and become an ambassador for wine
- Build industry connections and network within San Diego’s growing wine community
Meet Our Alumni
Exploring Wine with Lisa Redwine was a highlight for me. In just eight weeks, my knowledge increased tenfold and gave me a great base to learn more in-depth about different regions."
— Veronica Rodriguez, Master's Student, Bordeaux
You’ll have up to two years from starting the program to complete your certificate.
You must be at least 21 years of age to register for courses in the wine certificate program.
Career Outcomes
Labor Analysis
Wine Industry — Nationwide
499,400
10-Year outlook total current jobs
12%
Projected job growth over 10 years
$88,310
Average salary
Why Should You Choose Us?
Location
Home to dozens of wineries and within a few hours drive of many of the best vineyards in the world, San Diego and the surrounding region is a historic and rapidly-growing wine hotspot. SDSU Global Campus is well-positioned to tap into the booming local wine industry and provide access to leaders in the business of wine.
Expertise
Your teachers are a real who’s who of the wine industry and provide real-world examples and tips on how to succeed in the wine industry. You’ll also have the opportunity to network with and learn alongside local wine professionals.
Diverse Curriculum
Build your own certificate to meet your needs as a wine industry professional. In addition to four core courses, you’ll be able to choose from more than a dozen unique elective and intensive courses that cover a wide range of wine industry topics, from vineyard management and marketing wine to importing and distribution and wine list creation. You can also take online wine courses individually as needed.
The program is fun, the instructors are passionate … and it’s wonderful to see new courses being added as the program continues to grow and evolve. I also believe the program is a great networking vehicle for wine enthusiasts and industry professionals.
The program far exceeded my expectations. It would have been impossible to get these results out of a book on my own. I wouldn’t have known where to start. Each class takes you beyond the surface and really helps develop an understanding of cultures, geography, and history of the region of study. The instructors bring so much passion and personal experience into their teachings that I walk out of class feeling like I was just in France.
The program is great for building a foundation of knowledge if you’re looking for a career change. Or if you’re looking at this more as a hobby, it’s educational and fun!
My company specializes in wine education programs on cruise ships, and SDSU’s program has given me an outstanding background of knowledge about the wine industry, wine making, and wine regions of the world. The courses are educational, entertaining and interactive; and the professors are, without exception, top leaders in the Southern California wine industry.
The biggest strength of the Business of Wine certificate program was the breadth of the courses. If someone like me who’s already an industry professional has gaps to fill, there’s a course for them. The program is absolutely worth it and you can get out of it as much as you put into it.Want to Learn More?
Submit this web form and we’ll be in touch to answer all your questions and explain the next steps in the process. Or, you can reach a program recruiter by emailing recruiter.global@sdsu.edu or by calling (619) 594-7700.