Get personalized, approachable guidance in beer, wine, and spirits education from Stephen Staples, an Advanced Cicerone, DipWSET graduate, and certified WSET Beer Instructor. Stephen leads Napa Valley Wine Academy’s beer education program and specializes in helping students strengthen their understanding of beer fundamentals, fermentation science, and exam preparation for WSET Levels 1 and 2 in Beer.

As an experienced educator and instructional designer, Stephen builds interactive learning experiences for beverage students at all levels. Whether you’re studying for WSET beer certifications, planning to sit for Certified Cicerone, or transitioning from wine into beer (or vice versa), Stephen offers clear, engaging coaching designed to meet your goals.

What You’ll Learn

Each session is customized to support your knowledge level, exam goals, or learning style. Areas of focus include:

• WSET Level 1 and 2 in Beer: theory support, exam strategy, and tasting guidance
• Certified Beer Server and Certified Cicerone exam preparation
• Beer ingredients and production processes, including fermentation
• Cross-disciplinary learning strategies for beer, wine, and spirits
• Support for students transitioning between beverage categories
• Personalized study tips, pacing advice, and resource selection

Available as 30-minute or 60-minute 1-on-1 virtual sessions.

Ideal For

• Students preparing for WSET Level 1 or Level 2 in Beer
• Candidates sitting for Certified Beer Server or Certified Cicerone
• Wine or spirits professionals adding beer certifications to their portfolio
• Beverage students looking for foundational brewing knowledge and tasting structure
• Learners who value supportive, interactive coaching from an experienced educator

About Your Coach

Stephen Staples is an Instructional Designer at Napa Valley Wine Academy, where he develops courses, learning tools, and multimedia content for students of all beverage categories. A former high school teacher, Stephen brings a warm, engaging approach to coaching and excels at simplifying technical content across disciplines. He holds the WSET Diploma in Wines and is an Advanced Cicerone certified by the Cicerone Certification Program.

Session Options

• 30-Minute Coaching Session – Best for quick questions, exam guidance, or content review
• 60-Minute Coaching Session – Ideal for full-topic exploration, coaching across certifications, or study planning

Sessions are conducted via video call and scheduled at your convenience.