The Italian Wine Scholar ™ Study and Certification Program
provides up-to-date, extensive, and precise information concerning Italy’s 20 diverse wine regions. This specialized program is designed for wine professionals and serious wine enthusiasts. The program is divided into Unit 1(Northern Italy)
and Unit 2 (Central and Southern Italy.)
Click Here for more info

Bordeaux Classes and Seminars (some examples)
Bordeaux Basics
Left Bank versus Right Bank
Bordeaux Values

Napa Valley Classes and Seminars
"Napa Valley Rocks” is a Napa Valley educational program that digs into what makes Napa Valley Special. Explore geography, geology, climate, history, and a spirit of leadership and stewardship that make Napa Valley one of the premiere wine regions of the United States.

“Connect the Rocks” is a Cabernet Sauvignon Masterclass comparing Cabernet Sauvignon from different Napa Valley Appellations.

The Wine Jump-start (Wine Fundamentals):
The Wine Jump-start is a low-key voyage through the basics of winemaking, tasting, ordering, and enjoying wine. It is designed to be a fun, accessible, and informative as participants take a beginner's tour to the world of wine. Taste the 3 main red and 3 main white varietals and discuss wine and food pairing basics.


Wine and Music Pairing Classes
Jo-Ann Ross takes wine pairing to a new heights when the music provides the inspiration for the wine selection. Beethoven Sonatas are paired with bold German Rieslings. Italian love songs accompany Passito di Pantelleria, an Italian sweet wine. Spanish Flamenco music becomes more dazzling with an impressive and emphatic Rioja. These classes certainly end with bravissimos.


Wine Etiquette: Open, Pour, Serve, and Store
This session addresses all of the mechanics of wine drinking. We'll cover the proper way to open the bottle, corks versus screw caps, how and if you should decant, the proper glassware to use, and how to best store unfinished wine.


Of Labels and Lists: Navigating The Restaurant Wine List And The Local Wine Shop
Learn what to do when the wait staff person hands you the wine list. Quickly and confidently select a wine from your local shop for yourself or as a gift for someone else. Save time, money and disappointment by learning to pick wine that you know will be perfect. Class includes an exciting, comparative tasting.


Wine and Art Pairing Classes
Throughout the ages, famous artists, such as Picasso, DaVinci, and Renoir, have been inspired by wine as a symbol of joy, hospitality, and sociability. Now we, the wine tasters, are inspired by the art. During these unique Wine and Art Pairing Classes, Jo-Ann Ross and the students choose wines that they feel pair best with the selected paintings from current art exhibitions.


French Wine Scholar™ Program
The French Wine Scholar Program, sponsored by The French Wine Society and endorsed by Wines of France, is a serious program of French wine studies for trade, want-to-be trade, and serious French Wine Enthusiasts who want to "sink their teeth" into French Wine Study. Jo-Ann Ross, New England's first French Wine Scholar Licensed Instructor, provides the program covering 14 major regions of France followed by an examination. Upon passing the examination, the student is conferred the FWS post-nominal.


Napa Valley "Rocks"
Napa Valley - the premiere wine region in the United States! Let's get down and dirty. Let's really learn about Napa - the landscape, the sense of community, the pioneer spirit, and the respect for nature and the environment. Taste and discuss six stunning Napa Valley wines with Jo-Ann Ross, Wine Educator through the Napa Valley Vintners' Wine Educator Academy.


Affordable French Wine
Get your passport -- we're off on a wine adventure! Think French Wine is expensive, austere, and esoteric? Think again! Jo-Ann Ross, Wine Educator, will debunk the myths of delicious French Wine being too pricy while we comb the country to find wallet-friendly wines that are sure please any crowd. Come discover the bargains that abound in sparklers, whites, rosés, and reds.