Yvonne Lorkin: Study to become a wine enthusiast

Winemakers are ready to teach you how to go about it.

Schools of all shapes, sizes, makes and models are back in action now and, as I sit in that clog of morning traffic, I've been doing a lot of thinking about the education options out there for today's earnest, young - or not so young as the case may be - wine enthusiast.

Whether you're wanting to embark on a professional career in the wine industry or simply upskill enough to be the envy of your friends at your next wine and cheese night, there are options out there for you.

School of Wines and SpiritsIf you have your eyes on becoming a Master of Wine (MW) one day, then your official course of study must begin with the internationally recognised WSET programme. Founded in 1969 as a means to provide top quality wine education to the British wine trade, it is now the world's largest provider of wine and spirits qualifications for the trade and enthusiastic consumers alike.

Established in New Zealand in 2006, the courses run in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch and through distance learning. There are four levels of certification, level four being the Diploma in Wines and Spirits. These classroom-based courses are supervised by fully accredited tutors such as Jane Skilton MW, Emma Jenkins MW, Jo Burzynska and Fiona Paul AIWS. For information visit www.nzsws.co.nz

School of Food and WineBased in Auckland's Viaduct precinct, the school was founded by Celia Hay in 1995 and has been pouring out wine and food professionals ever since.

They offer three courses of wine study. The first is a popular two-week course which aims to have you walking away with the Certificate in Wine and the WSET Level 1 Award (Foundation) in Wines. You'll study wine, viticulture, winemaking, and wine and food matching, plus have a day out visiting vineyards to see how it's done at the coalface.

Once you've completed that, you could enroll in the more advanced WSET Level 2 (Intermediate) Award, or why not go the whole hog, really test yourself and enroll in their 12-week Professional Wine Knowledge (Sommelier) course. This in-depth course will give you Levels 1, 2 & 3 WSET Awards, plus your NZSFW Certificate in Professional Wine Knowledge (Sommelier) certificate, plus your Certificate in Food Safety and your Licence Controller Qualification (LQC) - so you will be fully kitted-out to work in the wine hospitality sphere. For info visit www.foodandwine.co.nz
Glengarry Wine AcademyFor almost 25 years the Glengarry Wine Academy has cemented itself as one of the top wine education providers in the country.

Initially the concept was to train Glengarry staff, but the academy soon became a hothouse for breeding wine talent for the hospitality industry and attracted many wine enthusiasts.

The courses are fun, casual, yet expertly conducted and you don't need anything except an interest in wine to get started. Stage 1 runs over four weeks and focuses on getting your wine mojo by breaking down the intimidation factor and providing a good grounding in wine tasting and analysis. Stage 2 boosts your wine knowledge and focuses on tasting eight major grape varieties and wine styles from here and overseas.

While they have a schedule of academy sessions, if you had a group of mates or wanted to do a corporate bonding activity at the office, they can tailor it to whatever suits you.

Visit www.glengarrywines.co.nz and click on "tastings", then "wine academy".

Lincoln UniversityLocated on the outskirts of Christchurch, this is one of New Zealand's leading providers of the Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology. Viticulture is the science of growing grapes and oenology is the science of making wine.

The core of the three-year degree covers basic sciences such as biology, microbiology, chemistry, plant and soil sciences, horticultural production and management, through to advanced viticulture and wine science, pest and disease management, biometrics and wine chemistry.

If you feel so inclined you can then customise the rest of your degree to fit your interests and future career aims with specialist subjects like marketing, business management, ecology, global sustainable futures, soil science and entomology.

For info visit www.lincoln.ac.nz

Eastern Institute of TechnologyLocated in Hawke's Bay, EIT is considered one of the top wine training establishments in the world.

They offer two viticulture and wine science degrees (which you can combine) and a smorgasbord of other wine-related qualifications ranging from cadetships to certificates in grape-growing and winemaking, diplomas in wine marketing and graduate diplomas in viticulture, oenology and business.

Plus you can pretty much do it all fulltime, part-time or by distance learning.

Attracting students from all over the globe, and boasting graduates who are working in high-flying wine jobs around the world, here you'll be exposed to some of the best learning resources available for a career in the wine industry. EIT's Taradale campus also hosts the annual Hawke's Bay A&P Mercedes-Benz Wine Awards, the oldest regional wine show in New Zealand. And they have a Tairawhiti campus in Gisborne offering a Certificate in Grapegrowing and Winemaking.

The Gisborne campus has it's own commercial vineyard and wine brand called Waimata.

The University of AucklandIf you undertake a degree in wine science at Auckland Uni then you'll be able to live, study and work in the beautiful 14ha Goldwater Vineyard on Waiheke Island. Students will participate in internships as well as having the opportunity to take up paid work positions with other Waiheke Island producers.

Lecturers and researchers already working in wine-related fields in chemistry, biological sciences, geography and international business, alongside wine science staff and leading New Zealand winemakers, teach the course.

The course is aligned with the Wine Industry Research Institute, which conducts research on trade, markets, industry development and biophysical production environments. Like EIT they host a local wine competition.

Nelson Marlborough Institute of TechnologySituated smack-bang in the middle of Marlborough, our largest wine region, the institute offers viticulture and wine courses at certificate and diploma level and provides a doorway to the Lincoln University Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology

But if you'd rather study from the comfort of home or if you're already working, their Diploma in Viticulture and Wine Production can also be studied online and part-time. Plus they have scholarships available. Visit www.nmit.ac.nz for more.

Bob Campbell's Wine Diploma CourseBob Campbell is one of only 312 Masters of Wine in the world and has been running his popular wine courses since 1986 - and he reckons he's lectured to 20,000 people in that time.

He also teaches in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Britain. Campbell has an encyclopaedic knowledge of wine and is a fantastic communicator, meaning his courses are always fun, packed with information and you'll be amazed at what you can learn in such a short time under his guidance.

As well as learning how to taste wine like a pro, you'll be taught all sorts of practical skills such as how to get better value for your purchases, making sense of restaurant wine lists, how to use leftovers, how to make a wine taste better, how to tell if it's "faulty" and how to cellar wine properly.

He conducts one-day courses around the country.

Visit www.bobcampbell.co.nz

Mills Reef Marlborough Reserve Pinot Noir 2012 $25

Aromas of baked raspberries and spice waft from the glass, while in the mouth it has a lush, ripe, plump and fruity character. It's a gentle giant right now but great things may happen over the next couple of years with this wine. See millsreef.co.nz

Neudorf Moutere Pinot Gris 2013 $30

A deliciously dry and delicate pinot gris, edged with quince, fig, nashi pear and gentle spices. It has lovely endurance on the palate, powered by tangy acidity and layers of texture and flavour. It is tasty stuff that will only improve over the next four years. See neudorf.co.nz