Wine Faults Course
for wine professionals and Sommeliers
Learn how to identify and recognise common wine faults in the glass, by smell and taste, always helped by contrasting with a control clean glass.
Experience and taste the boundaries between controlled levels of oxidation, volatile acidity and bretts, so you know when the limit is passed and the wine has become spoiled.
Method: Taste components that create each fault in isolation, without cross contamination, so you can develop and improve your faults aroma/flavour detection skill.
What are you tasting?
Cork Taint (TCA) - 12 glasses - 1 full bodied red - 1 light white - escalating TCA contamination on the glass. From minuscule amounts of TCA (no cardboard aromas yet but…!) to above sensory threshold. Test your individual sensory detection threshold. We are all different!
Brettanomyces - 8 glasses - 1 full bodied red - 1 light red - 3 components created by this yeast. Understand tolerance and balance btw positive Brett and faultiness.
VA - 6 glasses - 1 natural red - light white - 2 components. Understand the tolerance level to accept this characteristic as deviation or fault.
Oxidation - 4 glasses - 1 full flavoured white - 1 component. Recognise one of the most common faults when wines are served by the glass.
Reduction - 2 glasses - 1 aromatic white - 1 component. Discover how volatile sulphur compounds can create positive aromas in wine and when they become a fault.
Lightstrike - 2 glasses - 1 traditional method sparkling - 1 component. Discover how potent UV light can be in creating the wrong flavours in wines.
Heat Damage - 1 fortified wine. Discuss and taste the difference between oxidation and oxygenation.
Mousiness - 1 wine - learn and taste this newly talked-about wine fault associated with wines with low sulphite addition.
Text workbook
You will receive a Digital (pdf) and printed version of the “Wine Taints and Faults” course Workbook. A 74-page little encyclopedia with all you need to know about wine faults.
Learn how to detect wine faults systematically
We are developing the "Deductive Framework for Faults" (DFF) and you can help us put it to the test!
Language
Class in English and Workbook in English or in GER available.
EXAM
Multiple choice - 50 questions. - 1 wine to taste blind to put your knowledge to the test. “Discover the wine fault”
Digital Diploma of achievement
Best practices for cellaring, opened wines, temperatures
For experienced (who might forget) or young sommeliers, learn best practices so you are not the cause of wine spoilage during service.
Learn together
Share experiences to handle difficult situations with guests when wines are not showing as they should. How to deal with wine faults at the guest table.
Learn how to detect wine faults systematically
We are developing the "Deductive Framework for Faults" (DFF) and you can help us put it to the test!
“Brilliant tutor with excellent wine knowledge. As a wine professional with sound base knowledge already, I have learned heaps! The courses are fun, engaging and well structured.”