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This article was published 05/11/2022 (1454 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A recent event opened my eyes not only to the fascinating culture of wine, but also to local education opportunities available to foster interest both as a hobbyist and a potential career.

The wine tasting, at Jones and Co. Wine Merchants, took us on a travelogue type journey into top wine-producing countries France, Italy, Spain and South Africa, as well as the professional sommelier training and designationa available right here in River City.

The presenters, Sylvia Jansen and Rickie-Lee Podolecki, both very knowledgeable wine professionals, shared their expertise and enthusiasm for all that is wine. They described wine as a “history that never ends” because it is so tied to the people, culture, food, and the region where a wine is made. Who knew that our participants would also be getting lessons in geography, the climate, soil and moisture levels as well as the highlights of a variety of cultural traditions? These are all of the elements that are important to the success of a wine.

Our presenters quickly demonstrated their expertise, and we could feel their enthusiasm as they told stories about visiting the winemakers and their vineyards and seeing firsthand the love and care each applied to their wine product. They helped us to see beyond the label to look at the history and the people behind each wine type. They taught us to pay attention to the wide variety of elements that make up a good wine. This then led to a discussion about a “wine culture”.

A wine culture is all about bringing friends, family and wine lovers together to appreciate a chosen wine and discuss its background and virtues. In fact, according to owner Tina Jones and her team of experts, wine tasting is growing into a Winnipeg cultural pastime. In other words, people today are interested in more than simply serving wine with a meal. They are interested in assessing the individual character of a wine including the type of grape varieties, and the aromatics as well as structural elements such as acidity, tannins, sweetness and alcohol. Once this learning is mastered, people want to learn just how to pair a chosen wine with various selected foods. Mastering this thirst for learning “all that is wine”, its history and its role in food and conversation is the strong driving force in growing Winnipeg’s wine culture.

Jones said she was determined to help the Winnipeg wine culture phenomenon move along at a quicker pace. In order to do this, Jones set up a professional school to train the general public about wine and to provide advanced education to others interested in becoming a professional sommelier or a wine expert.

Senior instructor Gary Hewitt and Jansen have travelled to meet other educators to assess their programs and then developed their own curriculum, which is recognized by the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS/ACSP) The result is that professional sommeliers in Winnipeg have graduated from the Jones’ Wine and Drinks College Manitoba. Not only that, but the majority of the Jones team boasts advanced wine training either as a sommelier or through the internationally recognized Wine and Spirit Education Trust program.

While many wine lovers take a variety of courses from the Jones school, those wishing to become a professional sommelier take a much lengthier and challenging journey to learn the art and science of wine making and how to pair food with the most complimentary wine. This includes completing a number of certificate and diploma levels over an intense multi-year time frame inclusive of approximately 10,000 hours of skill development. At the end of the course, candidates must pass rigorous final examinations to attain the professional designation. How would you fare if asked to assess 27 different wines with accuracy? That’s what the training is all about!

More specifically, the WSET levels 1 and 2 are introductory courses for wine lovers and industry professionals. Level 3 of the WSET program takes students into deep and advanced studies that detail an understanding of the world of wine including how and why various factors affect style, quality and the price of wines. Key elements at each level also include general wine tasting as well as the challenge of blind tasting. Formal sommelier programs normally call for WSET level 3 knowledge as a prerequisite but there are several avenues into this advanced level.

As mentioned earlier, the wine culture is growing in Winnipeg and is creating an increased need for professional sommeliers. These wine experts work in private wine stores, restaurants and liquor stores. They are responsible for an entire wine program ranging from purchasing and maintaining suitable wines, training staff, and working with a chef to ensure a match to their culinary goals. Then of course, sommeliers assist the patrons to pair an appropriate wine with selected food choices.

Graduate and award-winning sommeliers such as Sylvia Jansen, as well as store manager Mike Muirhead, describe themselves as not only being passionate about wine but having a love for helping people match wine to both their personality and their food. This requires quick conversations to explore personal likes, dislikes and lifestyle as well as “Who is coming for dinner?” Their advice is all about helping people to create an experience that reflects their personal style and food palate.

Our wine tasting event showed participants how wine continues to have a special place in the culinary history of the world. Frankly, it was quite an eye opener. Then, just as I was completing another interview at Jones Wine Merchants, I encountered a client and a graduate of some of the courses. I asked her what she gained from the courses. Her reply was, “What I learned was that wine is all about love, friendship and great conversation”. The smile said it all!

Jones will be offering its wine interest courses as well as specialized programs toward a professional designation starting in the new year. To register, visit www.joneswines.com. In the meantime, if readers need advice on which wine to pair with an upcoming dinner, simply text the Jones sommelier help line at 204-400-0499.