Wine glasses on a table with a spit bucket

Wine Studies

Indulge Your Inner Sommelier at ICE

ICE's Wine Studies continuing education courses and recreational courses are designed to build your understanding, awareness and appreciation for the whole spectrum of wine.

From one-session, two-session and six-session wine classes to a rigorous 10- to 17-week continuing education course, we have the wine education you're looking for.

The Institute of Culinary Education offers one of the country's premier continuing education wine courses, Intensive Sommelier Training, at our New York and Los Angeles campuses. Students taste more than 300 benchmark wines from around the world using the Court of Master Sommeliers' (CMS) Deductive Tasting Method. The course concludes with the Introductory and Certified Sommelier examinations onsite.

Our popular Wine Essentials class meets once a week for six weeks, with each session dedicated to a particular topic, such as Bordeaux or sparkling wines. Our wine and food workshops show students how to best enjoy wines in combination with food. ICE also offers classes exploring regional wines from France, Italy or the West Coast of the United States. Whatever your wine tastes or experience, there is a class at ICE to fulfill your interests.

Our wine tasting rooms in New York and Los Angeles both feature full ventilation (so cooking odors from our kitchens don't intrude), bright incandescent light and white tabletops (for accurate wine viewing). The instructors who teach our wine tastings and classes, as well as our beer and spirits classes, are some of the most competent and celebrated in the industry.

Interested in our Intensive Sommelier Training? Get started here.

Interested in a more casual wine education class? View all upcoming wine & beverage classes.

Students sniff and taste wine.

Intensive Sommelier Training

ICE is home of the country's premier wine continuing education course , Intensive Sommelier Training. The curriculum was created by Dean of Wine Studies Scott Carney, MS and classes are led by expert sommeliers. In this course, students taste more than 300 benchmark wines from around the world using the Court of Master Sommeliers' (CMS) Deductive Tasting Method and sit the CMS Introductory and Certified Sommelier examinations onsite at the end of the program.

ICE instructor Richard Vayda sniffs a glass of wine and describes it to students in class.

Wine Essentials and Advanced Wine Essentials

ICE offers Wine Essentials and Advanced Wine Essentials certificate programs for oenology enthusiasts looking to formalize their knowledge through wine studies for continuing education. The first level of certification is called the Premier Cru Certificate and can be earned through our six-week Wine Essentials course. The advanced second level is titled the Grand Cru Certificate and is earned through our four-week Advanced Wine Essentials course. Earning these certificates is a way to affirm your newfound knowledge and sample a global array of great wine.

Register for Wine Essentials

Register for Advanced Wine Essentials

Wine class at Institute of Culinary Education

Introduction to Wine

Crafted by ICE's resident sommelier, Richard Vayda, this class is tailored to the wine novice who wants a quick, fun and basic introduction to the world of grapes. You'll learn the fundamentals of wine, wine tasting and appreciation, which will start you on the road to critically judging wine color, aroma, flavor and body. You’ll discover the meaning of such wine concepts as dryness, acidity, fruitiness, tannins, varietals, vintages and more. NOTE: Students interested in wine studies for continuing education are encouraged to sign up for ICE's Wine Essentials class instead.

A table is set for a wine tasting at the Institute of Culinary Education.

Wines by Region

In this series from ICE Director of Wine Studies, Richard Vayda, you'll explore the world’s quintessential winemaking regions in depth. Learn what makes each terroir unique, the characteristics of New- and Old-World vintages, and the definitive grapes and blends that make each region deserving of special attention. Along with each wine, you'll taste a selection of cheeses from that region, illustrating the culinary adage: 'What grows together, goes together'!

A couple drinking wine at sunset at the Institute of Culinary Education with views of the Hudson river

Wine and Food Workshops

ICE offers many recreational wine and food pairing classes throughout the year at the New York campus. Whether focused on France, Italy or New York state wines, guests will enjoy a discussion, tasting and pairing, examining the breadth of what the given location offers.

People toast with wine glasses at the Institute of Culinary Education.

Specialty Wine Classes

ICE New York also offers wine classes on a variety of more specific topics, such as explorations of regional or seasonal wines, or a primer on 12 wines you need to know. Select classes offer access to reserve wines from our cellar, showcased with festive gala or grand tasting formats. Whatever your wine tastes or experience, there is a class in ICE New York's recreational program to fulfill your interests.