The Course
Whilst most of us have heard of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir, how many of us have heard of Tempranillo? Or know that it's the most important grape variety in Rioja blends?
This course builds on the 9 Key Grapes Fundamentals course (which has your key classic reds) and gets under the skin of the lesser known but still vitally important red grapes of the world.
The sip-size, easy to follow videos alongside downloadable cheat sheets will have you mastering your Malbecs, feeling confident in your Cabernet Francs, and better understanding that Barolos are actually made from a grape called Nebbiolo. All sound a bit complicated now? Well after this course, it won't be.
By the end of this course you'll be equipped to tackle the red section of a wine list and feel confident in your next red wine buy. You'll be armed with food and wine pairing ideas, key regions that give the best examples of each variety and top tips on how best to enjoy them.
How it Works
In your time, with your wines, your way
The courses all feature a mix of videos and PDFs bringing each of the topics to life. There’s no exams, no deadlines and no expiry date, so you can rewatch the content as many times as you would like.
The videos can be streamed via the website or the Teachable app meaning you can watch them on wherever you are and on any device.
Wine isn’t included in the course (on purpose), but a recommended ‘shopping list’ is. The lists come from an assortment of retailers and for a range of price points. That way, not only will you be learning about wine, you will also be exploring new bottles from your preferred shop, and maybe even finding your new favourite. And, in fact, you don’t even need to open a bottle at all if you’re just looking to learn the theory.
So whether you’re looking for a fun, bottle-filled evening activity with your other half, or to up-skill each morning on your commute, you can make the courses work for you!
What Will I Cover?
More About Anna
I’m Anna Spooner. I’m a Stage 2 Master of Wine student, holder of the WSET Diploma and certified WSET educator. I have over 10 years of experience in the drinks business working in wine tasting, journalism, communications and education.
I’ve been a wine educator at various levels, first at West London Wine School where I taught both casual and WSET classes and, most recently, The Wine Society, where I hosted tastings from beginner to very experienced and premium levels. I created the online wine tasting programme at The Wine Society where I won them the Decanter Virtual Wine Experience Award in both 2021 and 2022.
I knows that wine exams are not for everyone. After years of requests by people who want to learn but don't fancy lengthy textbooks or big exams I created Anna Spooner Wine.
I have hosted private tastings ranging from small intimate groups of friends at home to fine wine private members club events; from casual team building events for companies such as Facebook to more formal client relationship events for asset management companies.
In marketing and communication I’ve worked in-house for big wine brands and retailers. I have also written for magazines and newspapers such as The Financial Times Weekend Magazine, GQ and The Evening Standard as well as my own recently launched Substack. In 2022 I was runner up of the Jancis Robinson Writing Competition and I was also runner up for the IWSC Emerging Talent in Wine Communication in both 2022 and 2023.
I currently live in the Southern Rhône where I conduct local wine tours alongside my online wine education platform, private events and writing to reach a global audience.
