Wine Industry Training Makes it to TTU at Jefferson

By Deidra Lundberg, Section Coordinator

Recently, the Office of Continuing & Professional Education was able to bring the increasingly popular Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) in-person course to the Texas Tech University at Jefferson (TTU at Jefferson) site.

Founded in 1969, WSET has over 45 years of experience in the design and delivery of education programs. With the goal of providing high-quality wine and spirit education classes to those looking to join the trade, the WSET courses cover product knowledge as well as tasting skills.

The WSET courses are a great fit for the city of Jefferson. Known as a popular tourist destination in East Texas, Jefferson is full of scenic attractions and deep historical roots. The local community is rich with upscale restaurants, quaint bed and breakfasts, and vineyards.

Several owners and employees from local restaurants, venues and hospitality establishments attended the first WSET level-one wine course last month in Jefferson.

In this course, students discover how wine is made, the main types of wine and the factors that influence the wine quality. They learn about common wine grapes and their characteristics, as well as how to store and serve wine, labeling terminology, and how to describe wine using a systematic approach to tasting.

While engaging and learning with the instructor, Stephanie Earthman-Baird, the attendees were able to sample 12 different wines and discover the principles of food and wine pairing ideas.

Even Joel-Bar, a manager from 1852 on Austin, who has been in the industry for more than a decade, confessed that this course taught him even more.

“I've been in in the food and beverage business as a bartender, chef and bar manager for over 15 years and already knew a lot,” he said. “But I learned a great deal more about Pinot Noir and other reds that will help me when I suggest wine to customers.”

The class was so well received that conversations are already taking place to schedule the WSET level-two wine course.

To learn more about what TTU at Jefferson has to offer please visit us at continuinged.ttu.edu/jefferson and remember to follow us on Facebook.