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Sommelier of the year 2023 Highres 335

Diploma in Professional Wine Management (Sommelier), Level 6

  • Full Time
  • 22 Weekends
  • TBC: 2025
  • NZ$9,025
  • NZQA Credits

Designed for winery, hospitality, hotel and tourism professionals, complete the WSET® Award in Wine Levels 2 & 3 in a single qualification along with modules sales, destination marketing and business management.

INTRODUCTION

This qualification will provide the winery, hospitality, hotel and tourism sectors with individuals who are able to apply a comprehensive knowledge of global wine, spirit and alcoholic beverages to enhance the customer service relationships, brand values and destination marketing initiatives. 

This programme consists of two semesters. Semester one covers the Certificate in Professional Wine Knowledge, Level 5 and Semester Two adds additional modules to form the Diploma in Professional Wine Management, Level 6

PURPOSE

The purpose of this qualification is to provide the winery, hospitality, hotel, and tourism sectors with individuals who are able to apply a comprehensive knowledge of global wine, spirit and alcoholic beverages to enhance the customer service relationships, brand values and destination marketing initiatives for these businesses.

Graduates will be able to work independently and lead, manage, train and mentor other staff.

COURSE CONTENT

MODULES

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Module 1

The business of Hospitality, Hotels, Wineries and Food and Wine Tourism

Through a series of wine and beverage tastings, you will learn how wine and food tourism experiences underpin the success of many wine regions around the world. We will also look at the market conditions required to build successful food and wine destinations that offer high-quality customer experiences through the distinctive wines they produce.

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Module 2

New Zealand wine styles, regions, innovation and influential producers

This module introduces the grape varieties that have established New Zealand's reputation as a country producing distinctive, quality wines. We will look at prominent wineries and winemakers who continue to enhance brand values and the stories behind their international success.
Module includes: Certificate in New Zealand Wine Micro-Credential

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Module 3

Customer service, sales, bartending and sommelier skills

The key to enhancing the customer experience is to develop communication skills that demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of wine, spirits, cocktails and other beverages as well as confidence in customer service. This module looks at the practical skills required to advise, sell and serve wine and other beverages. It includes a food and wine pairing workshop and participation in organizing and running a wine tasting event.

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Module 4

International wine styles, grape varieties, wine production and regions

Around the world, styles of wine are influenced by the climate and conditions of regions and the grape varieties that are grown. Through a series of tastings, this module explores important international grape varieties that dominate European and New World wine regions. We look at viticulture and the wine-making process for white, red, sparkling wine and sweet wines.
Module includes: WSET Level 2 Award in Wines and WSET Level 3 Award in Wines.

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Module 5

Spirits, liqueurs, fortified wines, cocktails & bartending

In this module, we will taste and evaluate principal spirits and liqueurs styles and develop an understanding of the major international brands. Included are practical sessions that explain how to set up a bar for service and make classic and premium cocktails.
Module includes: WSET Level 2 Award in Spirits

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Module 6

Sales management: Retail sales, Cellar door, Food & wine tourism

Technology can provide businesses with many helpful applications to structure the analysis of sales, costs, margins, inventory control as well as digital marketing. 

This module will help build practical skills, using a range of platforms and techniques, to manage sales and promotional activities starting with Google ads, Google analytics and Social media. It includes a research project to investigate the business case to establish a food and wine cellar door operation. 

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Module 7

Wine marketing management

This module looks at contemporary marketing strategies to build and enhance brands values and customer experience. It includes the opportunity for you to experience developing an online wine sales strategy using web and social media tools. 

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Module 8

Viticulture and Winemaking practices with sustainability focus

Understand the influence of soils and climate on viticulture, sustainability, organics and biodynamics. This module covers the technical knowledge about winemaking including the influence of oak, oxygen, yeasts and bacteria. You will also produce your own fruit wine and sourdough bread using natural yeasts and tour the Kumeu River Winery. 

In this module, we will use as the textbook, The Science of Wine (3rd. Ed) by Dr Jamie Goode.

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Module 9

Manage, train and mentor junior staff to enhance the customer experience

Career development and training of junior staff is the key to building an effective and customer-focused team. In this module, we look at strategies to ensure excellence in customer service standards along with how to develop hospitality training plans and Leadership management skills. 

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Module 10

Specialist International Wine regions & Sake

In this module, we study the wine regions of Australia, Toscana in Italy and Sake, the noble beverage from Japan. This is an opportunity to look in more depth at these important regions as they are enormously popular with consumers and offer interesting case studies for us to consider.


Optional: French Wine Scholar

Students wishing to complete the French Wine Scholar qualification my signup for this exam for an additional fee of NZ$750. 

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Graduates of this qualification will have the skills and knowledge to work across a wide range of winery, retail, hospitality, hotel and tourism businesses as wine and beverage professionals.  

Roles may include food and beverage supervisor, cellar door host/supervisor, and wine sales representative.

 

PATHWAYS TO FURTHER STUDY

Graduates can go on to study:

This programme is approved by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority under section 439 of the Education and Training Act 2020, and New Zealand School of Food and Wine Limited is accredited to provide it under section 441 of the Education and Training Act.

Page Updated: 09 Jan 2024

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PART TIME COURSE INFORMATION

Programme Intake:

Programme Hours

  • 16 Weeks full time Saturday & Sunday
  • 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Study Fees Free

Check your Fees Free eligibility.

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