What are virtual wine tastings? Online wine classes are nothing new. Highly respected wine institutions like Wine Spectator and the University of California at Davis have been offering online courses for years. Interest for such programs was high at the outset, with a peak in 2012. However, they were hindered by clunky technology and confusing systems. This type of online learning may not be new, but it has been transformed. What used to be a dry attempt to imitate a classroom experience is now a fun and engaging experience. There are many online wine course worth attending now, up from zero a year ago. The impetus for the sudden change came with our communal need for social connection and distraction during the COVID-19 shutdown. ![]() It was not just the pandemic that launched this new type of wine education. The phenomenon could not have happened without two pieces of ubiquitous business software: PowerPoint and Zoom. The near-universal acceptance of those apps reduced the friction of adaptation. Nearly every wine lover had the ability to adapt to the new online wine classroom experience. For the attendees, virtual wine tastings are a great way to learn about wine from the comfort of their sofa. They also get to socialize with people who share the same love of wine. These online classes are also great values. Pricing is usually a fraction of what a class at a brick-and-mortar classroom. For instance, a class on Bordeaux at the Wine School of Philadelphia typically costs around $80, but the online version only costs $10. Despite the savings, you still are taught by their top instructors. We found that students get more one-on-one time with instructors during online classes than the traditional ones.
Online Wine ClassesThe following are the best online wine schools currently offering virtual wine tastings. This list is specifically for live-streamed wine classes run by a certified wine instructor.
7. Wine For Normal Peoplehttps://www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes/ We like the programming, and the instructor is engaging, but there were some negatives that forced us to put it into the last-place spot on our list. First, is the complicated ordering system. Why are each ticket valid for two people, so if a singleton wants to sit in, they have to ask for a discount? The needless complexity detracted from an otherwise fine experience. The programming is also expensive. At $42/ticket, it’s much more expensive than most of the other classes on offer. On a positive note, these classes are taught by Elizabeth Schneider. She’s the host of the super-popular podcast Wine for Normal People. She’s also the author of the titular bestselling book, too.
6. Napa Valley Wine AcademyI am surprised these classes ended up this far down from the top of this list. This wine school is one of our top-rated schools. Their use of technology led us to believe these classes were going to blow everyone else out of the water. Sadly, the content and delivery were not up the level of their other offerings. At $49/ticket it’s also the most expensive virtual wine class on this list. That is not to say these programs are not worthwhile. Their speakers are engaging and a lot can be taken from these classes. However, there were a lot of technical and organizational issues around their programming. Once those issues have been addressed, we expect these classes to jump to the top of the list.
5. The Cellar Musehttps://www.cellarmuse.com/tanya-morning-star-darling Tanya Morningstar Darling is an excellent wine educator. She is on the teaching staff at the Northwest Wine Academy at South Seatle College. Her online wine classes are well-structured and dynamic. They do a touch of the professorial lecture vibe, but only a touch. The execution of the video and lecture was not smooth and felt a little amateurish on that front. We did find it nearly impossible to navigate here website. Online wine classes were listed under “Master Class and Webinar.” Plus the pricing was high, at $39/person. Like many of the offerings at the bottom of this list, pricing seem too high for the production values of the class.
4. Gastro Localhttps://www.gastro-tours.com/local Originally called NYC Food and Wine Trails, Gastro Local is the brainchild of Tatiana Gana. These classes are fun have hit the top three largely because they are comparable to other online wine classes on this list, but with one big difference: they are free.
3. Vino To Gohttps://sipwithvinotogo.ca/events/ There used to be a great wine school in Toronto called iYellow. One of their former instructors Tasha Taylor opened up a school/wine event company in 2018 called Vino To Go. Her classes are pure fun and pizzaz. Not the most in-depth of classes, but they are really great social events with plenty of wine education in the mix. Tickets are reasonably prices at $13/person. For someone who is looking form more in-depth education, though, I would suggest looking elsewhere.
2. Corkbuzzhttps://www.corkbuzz.com/store/events/ Anyone who is running an online wine class should look to Laura Maniec Fiorvanti and Corkbuzz. They have been knocking out homeruns since this NYC wine school-cum-wine bar hit the scene. While they never offered professional certification classes, many of Corkbuzz classes are geared toward the wine professional. These online classes are polished, organized, and offer plenty of social interaction. Priced at $10, these classes are hard to beat for the quality for value. A lot of respect for Laura for putting her students before her fame. Even when she’s not teaching, she is often in class offering commentary.
1. Online Wine School (WSoP)A relative newcomer to the online wine class experience, this project came out out of the gate on fire. These classes took the best parts of Corkbuzz and Napa Wine School’s programs and blended them together in way that is innovative and fun. Thankfully, they also took the cue from Laura and priced their classes at $10/person. This is a project by the Wine School of Philadelphia, one of our top-ranked wine schools. For this project, they brought in some new talent who work very well in this online format. Keith Wallace, the founder of the school is often in class, offering color commentary and responding to questions. It was a close call whether Corkbuzz or the Online Wine School were going to top this list, but the high quality and interactivity of the classes here put them over the top.
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