Wine Professional Certificate

Program Overview

Major ID: 236C

Program Start Dates: Fall

The Wine Professional Certificate provides the graduate with a strong knowledge of wine, wine service skills, and wine marketing strategies.

Career Opportunities

The wine industry is rapidly expanding within the United States, where wine sales represent the largest wine consumer market in the world. A new report published by Allied Market Research, titled, “Luxury Wines and Spirits Market by Product Type, Distribution Channel and Geography: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2014 - 2022,” projects that the global luxury wines and spirits market was valued at $812,108 million in 2015, and is expected to reach $1,122,578 million by 2022, growing at a CAGR of 4.8 percent from 2016 to 2022. Wine sales have now surpassed beer sales, with millennials rapidly adapting to wine over beer. Wine sales are an important profit center for the restaurant/ hospitality industry, and thus a comprehensive knowledge of wine is critical for maximizing outcomes.

Opportunities are available in hotels, restaurants, resorts, clubs, catering and corporate dining.

Graduates of the Wine Professional Certificate will be prepared for careers in the restaurant/ hospitality industry, wine distribution, and wholesale/retail wine trade.

Source: Modern Restaurant Management, Top 5 Consumer Trends of 2017, 2017 Edition

Program Outcomes

1. Graduates will have knowledge and skills in professional tasting techniques for assessment and evaluation of wine.
2. Graduates will have knowledge and skills in wine service techniques.
3. Graduates will have knowledge and skills in wine business considerations.
4. Graduates will have knowledge and skills in wine merchandising, marketing and public relations.

Program Faculty

Nikki Erpelding
nikki.erpelding@saintpaul.edu