TasteCoach™ Certificate in Wine Studies: Intermediate - Napa Valley Wine Academy

TasteCoach™ Certificate in Wine Studies: Intermediate

A Deeper, More Confident Way to Understand Wine

You already know how to describe what you enjoy in a glass. Now it is time to understand why those wines speak to you and how the choices made in the vineyard and winery shape every aroma and flavor you experience.

TasteCoach™ Intermediate gives you a richer, more thoughtful way to explore wine. It takes you beyond the basics with a course designed for curious wine lovers who want a deeper understanding of grapes, regions, viticulture, winemaking, and tasting. The result is a more confident, intuitive connection to what is in your glass.

Discover Wine From the Ground Up

This course brings together tasting, theory, and hands-on exploration so you can connect each topic to real-world wine experiences. You will learn how climate, soil, grape variety, and cellar choices influence structure, character, and style. You will also build a broader understanding of how the world’s wine regions express themselves through their most important grapes.

Your Growth Journey

You will begin as someone who enjoys wine and finish as someone who can recognize what makes a wine balanced, expressive, and unique. You will learn how to communicate what you taste with clarity and gain the confidence to choose wines with purpose, shop smarter, and enjoy a wider range of styles with ease.

What You Will Learn

  • Taste with clarity: Strengthen your sensory vocabulary and learn how balance, structure, and potential to age show up in the glass.
  • Understand wine more completely: See how vineyard decisions, grape varieties, and winemaking techniques shape style and quality.
  • Explore the world of wine: Take a deeper look at classic regions and discover how geography and culture influence flavor.
  • Decode labels with confidence: Learn what classification systems reveal about quality and aging potential.
  • Discover new favorites: Taste and learn about more than thirty additional grape varieties to broaden your perspective and expand your palate.

Why Students Love It

TasteCoach™ Intermediate keeps learning personal and enjoyable. You will find reflection prompts, comparison activities, and guided lessons that help you connect what you are learning to what you enjoy. The tone is welcoming, the approach is practical, and the experience helps you grow without pressure.

Course Highlights

  • Lesson and activity videos with NVWA instructors Desiree Harrison Brown and Stephen Staples
  • Flexible, self-paced online learning
  • Interactive activities that connect theory to the glass
  • Practice questions and a full mock exam
  • A one-hundred-question final exam with immediate results and a Certificate of Completion
  • Freedom to taste the wines you choose, with guidance to help you select bottles that fit your goals

TasteCoach™ Intermediate is for wine lovers who want to explore more deeply, think more clearly about what they enjoy, and build lasting confidence in their own palate.

The course will be released and accessible on November 24, 2025

Regular price $199.00
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Go beyond “I like it.” Taste like a pro—with confidence,
curiosity, and purpose.

You already know what you enjoy in a glass. Now, it’s time to understand why.

In TasteCoach™: Intermediate, you’ll build on your wine fundamentals to deepen your palate, refine your vocabulary, and taste with the confidence of a trained professional—all in a relaxed, self-paced format that feels more like
exploration than education.

Your Transformation:

You’ll start as someone who enjoys wine… and finish as someone who can read a glass like a story.

You’ll understand what makes a wine balanced, complex, and age-worthy.

You’ll recognize how terroir and winemaking choices shape what you taste.

You’ll learn to decode labels and confidently choose wines that speak to you.

And most importantly—you’ll trust your own palate like never before.

What You’ll Learn:

• Taste with precision: Move beyond simple descriptors and speak about wine with nuance. Learn to judge balance, structure, and aging potential like a pro.

• Judge with insight: Evaluate wines for objective quality and personal preference—so you can spot value and greatness in every bottle.

• Explore deeper: Journey through the world’s classic regions and discover how terroir, climate, and winemaking create distinct personalities in wine.

• Decode the label: Finally understand what Bordeaux, Barolo, and beyond are really telling you about quality, place, and style.

• Discover new favorites: Taste over 30 new grape varieties, expanding your repertoire far beyond the basics.

Why Students Love It:

This course keeps the same low-pressure, high-fun energy you loved in Wine Fundamentals—designed for growth without pretension. You’ll enjoy interactive lessons, guided tastings, and self-reflection exercises that make learning personal and intuitive.

Course Highlights:

• Guided video tastings with Desiree Harrison Brown & Stephen Staples, two of NVWA’s most beloved instructors

• Flexible, self-paced lessons

• Interactive activities, practice questions, and a full mock exam

• 100-question final exam with instant results and a shareable Certificate of Completion

• Taste wines you choose—no fixed kits, no stress, just guidance for confident buying

Pre-Sale Launch — Limited Time:


Enroll now for $129 (regularly $199) and be among the first to experience the brand-new TasteCoach™ Certificate in Wine Studies: Intermediate.

Offer ends soon—secure your pre-sale spot before it returns to $199.



At Napa Valley Wine Academy, we believe wine education should be empowering, engaging, and approachable. That’s why we designed TasteCoach Wine Fundamentals to meet you where you are—with no prerequisites, no memorization of scientific terms, and no pressure to “get it right.”

You’ll enjoy:

  • Flexible learning on your schedule
  • Real-life applications, not classroom theory
  • Instruction from a team recognized as America’s Premier Wine School
  • A reputation for excellence, with over 100,000 students served worldwide

Whether you’re new to wine or simply want to feel more at ease navigating wine culture, TasteCoach Wine Fundamentals is your invitation to learn by doing and taste with confidence.

• Taste with precision: Move beyond simple descriptors and speak about wine with nuance. Learn to judge balance, structure, and aging potential like a pro.

• Judge with insight: Evaluate wines for objective quality and personal preference—so you can spot value and greatness in every bottle.

• Explore deeper: Journey through the world’s classic regions and discover how terroir, climate, and winemaking create distinct personalities in wine.

• Decode the label: Finally understand what Bordeaux, Barolo, and beyond are really telling you about quality, place, and style.

• Discover new favorites: Taste over 30 new grape varieties, expanding your repertoire far beyond the basics.

This course keeps the same low-pressure, high-fun energy you loved in Wine Fundamentals—designed for growth without pretension. You’ll enjoy interactive lessons, guided tastings, and self-reflection exercises that make learning personal and intuitive.

  • Format: 100% Online, Self-Paced
  • Start Anytime: Rolling enrollment – access begins immediately
  • Wine Kit: Not included (select wines you enjoy based on course tips)

Certificate Exam:

  • 100 questions
  • Completed online from home
  • Instant results – no waiting
  • Digital certificate issued upon passing

All attendees must be at least 21 years of age.

PREREQUISITE: No Previous Experience Required

This intermediate course is perfectly uncorked for those with some prior knowledge of wine. Whether you're somewhat experienced to the world of wine or someone looking to formalize a growing interest, this course is tailored to transform curiosity into confidence. Previous experience is recommended.

TasteCoach™ Wine Fundamentals or WSET Level 1 Award in Wines would be perfect for preparing for this course.

We're here to guide you from the ground up, ensuring that your path to wine expertise starts on solid ground.

Recommended For:

  • Wine enthusiasts with foundational knowledge looking to deepen their understanding
  • Hospitality professionals, sommeliers in training, and retail wine specialists seeking advanced product knowledge
  • Students preparing for the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines or equivalent advanced qualifications
  • Anyone ready to explore wine regions, styles, and tasting techniques at a professional level

Requirements:

  • A computer, tablet, or smartphone with reliable internet access
  • Completion of an introductory or Level 2 wine course (or equivalent knowledge and experience)
  • Ability to purchase or source wines for guided tastings, as these are integral to the learning experience

Wine Kit:

Not included. You’ll independently select wines following course recommendations that emphasize variety, typicity, and comparative tasting. This approach enhances your analytical skills and broadens your palate while allowing flexibility within your budget and availability.

Q: How long does this course take?
A: 50 hours but you get 12 months access and can study in your own pace.

Q: How is this different from WSET Level 2?
A: TasteCoach offers a more relaxed, real-world approach to wine learning. It focuses on practical skills, guided tastings with wines you enjoy, broader coverage of grapes and regions, and an online certificate exam with instant results—perfect for building confidence without the pressure of formal study.

Q: Do I need to buy specific wines?
A: Not at all! You’ll choose wines based on your preferences and our guidance, making the course flexible and personal.

Q: How do I take the certificate exam?
A: It’s 100% online and available as soon as you finish the course. The exam includes 100 questions, and you get your results instantly.

Q: Will I get a certificate?
A: Yes! You’ll receive a digital certificate immediately after passing the exam.

Wine Can Be Complex.
Wine Education Shouldn't Be.

Whether you’re looking to advance in your career with a WSET certification or just be more confident in the wine aisle, we offer the instruction and support you need to achieve your wine education goals. With Napa Valley Wine Academy,  you can:

Star and Guy drinking wine
  • Earn your WSET certification (Levels 1-4) from the world’s largest, most-awarded program provider
  • Get the basics without the stress of certification in our Wine 101 or 201 courses
  • Gain an edge in a certain wine region with one of our specialty certifications
  • Learn hands-on in an immersive wine experience