Capstone Level 3

The Advanced Level 3 course builds on Levels 1 and 2 with 50 hours of curriculum, consisting of more rigorous tasting requirements and theory covering additional detail about the topics introduced in previous levels as well as introducing new concepts. 

About the Course

Regular price: 300€
Industry price: 150€

Online course
Learning time: 50 hours

Minimum participants 6 students needed for the tasting to be held

Tasting: 24/11/2025

Instructor: Tom Murray Willis, Thirsty Bear Wine Agency

Included: Access to the online course and exam plus a 3 hour guided tasting of 20 wines

Subjects:

• California’s wine history: establishment of missions, introduction of vitis vinifera in California, the Gold Rush, late nineteenth-century expansion, Prohibition, post-WWII, the 1960s boom, the return of phylloxera and the age of the wine critic.

• The Winkler index: U.C. Davis degree day system and its pros and cons.

• Soil types commonly found in California; soil balance and health; sustainable and organic farming; organic certifications.

• Viticulture and clonal selection of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Zinfandel.

• Sparkling and rosé wines.

• Advanced viticultural concepts of rootstocks (vigor and disease resistance), grafting, phylloxera and other vineyard pests, dry farming vs. irrigation.

• In-depth exploration of AVAs/wine regions, including: Lake County, Solano County, San Benito County, Santa Clara County, Amador County, El Dorado County, San Joaquin Valley, Sacramento Valley, Madera County and Temecula Valley.