Courses in Wine Studies

Meets Tuesday evenings, 6–8:45 pm, starting September 8, 2026
Prerequisite: none, but some prior wine knowledge or Fundamentals of Wine recommended
Noncredit or 4 credits

Ideal for wine enthusiasts or those in the industry who are interested in honing their expertise, this intensive course offers detailed knowledge of the wine regions of Europe through tastings, lectures, and assigned readings. Discover wine from a historical, cultural, viticultural, ecological, and market perspective, while refining your tasting abilities. Upon successful completion of this comprehensive survey course, you will be able to exhibit detailed knowledge of European wine regions, grape varieties, and wine styles.

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Next Course Dates: Spring 2027
Prerequisite: none, but some prior wine knowledge or Fundamentals of Wine recommended
Noncredit or 4 credits

This intensive course offers detailed knowledge of Eastern Europe, the Americas, Oceania, and South African wine regions through tastings, lectures, and assigned readings. Whether you are a wine enthusiast or an industry professional seeking to further your knowledge, you will discover global wines from a historical, cultural, viticultural, enological, and market perspective—gaining an understanding of the evolution of vine varieties and the effects of and climatic conditions influencing character—while refining your sensorial and annotation skills. By successfully completing this comprehensive survey course, you will be able to exhibit detailed knowledge of these diverse wine regions, grape varieties, and wine styles.

Registration TBD

Next Course Dates: Spring 2027
Prerequisite: none
Noncredit or 4 credits

Wine has played a significant role throughout history as a beverage, sometimes highly valued and other times condemned, and has evolved alongside local cuisines, spreading as an agricultural product worldwide. This course traces the evolution of wine from ancient times to the present, examining how culture, religion, politics, and trade have shaped its development. Along the way, we’ll consider how science, health debates, and globalization continue to reshape the way we experience wine today.

Registration TBD

Meets Monday evenings, 6–8:45 pm, starting on September 14, 2026, and ending on December 07, 2026.
Prerequisite: none
Noncredit or 4 credits

Suitable for students without previous knowledge of wine, this introductory survey explores the world of wine through tastings, discussion, and food and wine pairings. We will taste more than eighty wines from classic and up-and-coming, lesser-known wine regions and styles. Learn to decipher labels, understand how winemaking affects wine style, and generally build confidence and enjoyment when it comes to understanding and discussing wine. Multiple food and wine pairing sessions during the semester—with foods prepared on-site by students in our Culinary Arts programs—will help you develop familiarity with the flavors of wine and effective pairing techniques, a unique opportunity not found in other programs.

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Next Course Dates: Spring 2027
Prerequisites: a passing grade in Comprehensive Survey of Wine: Europe and Comprehensive Survey of Wine: The World, or equivalent demonstrated knowledge through other classwork or work experience
Noncredit or 4 credits

This course will develop blind tasting expertise through weekly focused tastings. As you taste many categories of wines side by side, you will develop the skills to calibrate your tasting acumen and relate your wine theory knowledge to your tasting methodology. Focus areas for the tastings include identifying different origins for the same grape varieties, ascertaining quality levels, developing an understanding of how methods of wine production affect wine style, and focusing on grape and region laterals that are commonly difficult to differentiate. By the end of the course, you will have a superior understanding of all the relevant tasting skills required to function at higher levels in the wine trade, wine journalism, and other relevant areas.

Registration TBD

Meets Thursday evenings 6–8:45 pm, starting September 03, 2026, until December 10, 2026.
Prerequisites: a passing grade in Comprehensive Survey of Wine: Europe and Comprehensive Survey of Wine: The World, or equivalent experience
Noncredit or 4 credits

Discover how to navigate the unpredictable and fascinating world of winemaking. Learn all stages of vinification from harvest to bottle through discussions and hands-on experience at BU and City Winery in Boston. Along the way, you will be able to document the progression of wine maturation and develop an understanding of the art and science of winemaking.

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Prerequisites: a passing grade in Comprehensive Survey of Wine: Europe and Comprehensive Survey of Wine: The World
Noncredit or 4 credits

Current Topics in Wine Studies is designed for wine professionals and advanced enthusiasts. Continue to develop mastery of the global wine industry through in-depth discussions and forums, research of current issues in the wine industry, interaction with experts in the field, and tasting wines of exceptional quality.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Use your wine-tasting skills to deconstruct and understand wine quality and origins
• Refine your wine vocabulary and comprehensive observations
• Effectively communicate about wine
• Speak and write confidently about current issues in the wine industry

Meets Tuesday and Thursday evenings, from 6:00 – 9:30 pm, starting May 19 through June 25, 2026.
Noncredit or 4 credits

Through a combination of readings, student projects, and tastings, students will develop an in-depth understanding of the wine industry. Topics include the current state of the wine industry, sales and marketing strategies, costs and logistics, tasting wines to assess style, quality, and commercial potential, as well as sourcing and selecting wines for shops and restaurants. The course includes tastings.

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