Welcome all Certified Specialists of Texas Wine (all ~200 of you) and those Texas wine aficionados that want to become certified. For all of you, Spring 2023 is going to bring special and unique opportunities for instruction, education and a new advanced certification.
Spring 2023 Specialist of Texas Wine Course Scheduled in February 2023
My Level 1 Specialist of Texas Wine Course offered through Houston’s Texas Wine School will be offered again February 2023. The scheduled lecture dates for the 3-unit course are on three consecutive Wednesday evenings from 7-9p CT on February 1, 8, 15. The exam for Level 1 STW certification will be given on Thursday, February 16 from 7-8p CT. All classes and the exam are given live via Zoom and wines for the guided tastings will be provided through the Texas Wine School to enrolled students. See bottom of page for more details.
The Specialist of Texas Wine certification course is a first-of-its-kind program, receiving unmatched participation from both educated consumers and Texas wine industry representatives, with a comprehensive series of classes featuring the unique wines and wine regions of Texas. Never before has there been a wine program focused solely on Texas and its place in the global wine world. Your instructor is Dr. Russ Kane, award-winning Texas writer, author, wine aficionado, and naturalist.
Paid Students attending the course will receive a copy of Dr. Kane’s book, “The Wineslinger Chronicles: Texas on the Vine” included in the Grover E. Murray book series ”Culture in the American Southwest”. The class also features lectures from guest presenters actively involved in Texas wineries (subject to availability).
This course will cover:
- An overview of each wine region, including location, geologic history, geography, soils, climate, and leading grape varieties grown in the region
- The evolution of Texas winemaking from its early Spanish and immigrant European period (1600-1800) and early post-Prohibition (1940-1990) and modern period (1990-present), with a focus on winemaking techniques and grape varieties
- The links and contrasts between Texas wines and their old & new world counterparts through lectures and guided tastings.
Enroll online now through The Texas Wine School to secure your place in the Spring 2023 WST level 1 course and receipt of wines in time for the class (click here).
Announcing the New Advanced Specialist of Texas Wine Course Scheduled for April 2023
For the first time, Dr. Kane will be offering his all new Advanced Specialist of Texas Wine Certification Course, a four unit course providing expanded and more detailed information, tastings and wine blending experiments. The course is being offered especially to Level 1 graduates, and those that offer special experience and knowledge in the subject on a space available basis. The scheduled lecture dates for the advanced course are on four consecutive Wednesday evenings from 7-9p CT on April 12, 19, 26 and May 3 . The exam for advanced STW certification will be given on Thursday, May 4 from 7-8 CT. All classes, tastings and the exam are given live via Zoom and wines for the guided tastings and blending experiments will be through the Texas Wine School to enrolled students. See more details below.
The Advanced Specialist of Texas Wine Course is designed for the student of wine that is look for a “deep-dive” into the legacy of Texas wine.
This advanced WST course will cover:
- Insights on the evolution of the Texas wine and its transition to a modern and internationally recognized wine industry
- Contributions of T.V. Munson to understanding Texas native grape varieties, and their role in solving the Phylloxera bright all-across European vineyards, and the legacy it brought for rootstocks worldwide, and that now offers a solution to a major and current vineyard problem – Pierce’s disease.
- A concentrated and deeper discussion of Texas’s wine regions, including location, geologic history, geography, soils, climate, and leading grape varieties grown in the region.
- An analysis of warm weather winemaking and how it relates Texas to other notable wine regions around the world with an examination of common red and white wine blends and rosé wines, how they are made, benefits to producers and consumers, and hands-on participation in blending and tasting experiments.
- Details of the challenges that remain in Texas wine country, including: Pierce’s disease, cotton herbicide issue on the high plains, and starting a vineyard in Texas.
- Raw and unfiltered interview videos with selected industry winemaking and growing specialists addressing related class topics.
Your instructor is Dr. Russ Kane, award-winning Texas writer, author, wine aficionado, and naturalist. Paid Students attending the course will receive a copy of the book, “Growing Grapes in Texas” by Jim Kamas.
Further details and pricing for this advanced course will be released along with course registration opened in January 2023. Stay tuned to VintageTexas.com and its social media postings and the Texas Wine School website for more information on this exciting new STW course.
Please note the correction to the Level 1 WST Course dates: The scheduled lecture dates for the 3-unit course are on three consecutive Wednesday evenings from 7-9p CT on February 1, 8, 15. The exam for Level 1 STW certification will be given on Thursday, February 16 from 7-8p CT.
Hello, I purchased this course, starting on Feb 1st. Will I get more information on how to get wines, login info etc? Thank you.
Sorry for the delay in my response. I think that by now you have heard from the wine school and received my email on the class details.
Russ
Hi Dr Kane!
I plan to enroll in the Advanced WST Course. I am a grad of your Level I program. When will registration be possible?
James P. McNeely, Ph.D.
Phill,
Sorry for the delay in my responding to your question. I think that we have corresponded by email. We are finalizing the course descriptions for the wine school website and confirming the dates and times. Registration should start in early February after we get the Level 1 course started.The advanced course starts mid-April will run for four sessions – one per week with an exam to follow.