Also by Jeremy Young:The Italy Wine ProjectThe Humidor Project
The Italy Wine Project
Sign in to save progress

Study plan

Twelve weeks for each unit at about 6 hours a week, which is roughly what the Wine Scholar Guild says the course takes. Each week has a guide to read, a drill to run until it's easy, and a few bottles to open. Do the flashcards every day, even for ten minutes.

The bottles come from my wanted list: good examples I picked out that you can find in the US, most of which I'm still hunting myself. Prices are typical US retail.

  1. Week 1

    The fundamentals

    Wine law from 1963 to now, what DOP and IGP mean, the label terms, and the history. Unit 1 examines this for the whole country, so it pays to get it solid first.

    Flashcards: law and historyLabel decoderTimelineFirsts and superlatives

  2. Week 2

    Piedmont: the Langhe and Roero

    Barolo and Barbaresco, their communes, soils and ageing rules, then Roero and the Alba DOCs. Learn the minimums until you can say them without thinking.

    Read the Piedmont guideDrill Piedmont

    Taste this week

  3. Week 3

    Piedmont: Monferrato, Asti and the north

    Barbera, Moscato and the sparkling wines of Asti, Gavi, then Alto Piemonte, where Nebbiolo is called Spanna.

    Read the Piedmont guideDrill Piedmont

    Taste this week

  4. Week 4

    Valle d'Aosta and Liguria

    Two small regions that are easy to skip and easy marks if you don't. Learn the Valle d'Aosta subzones and Cinque Terre's grapes.

    Read the Valle d'Aosta guideDrill Valle d'AostaRead the Liguria guideDrill Liguria

    Taste this week

  5. Week 5

    Lombardy

    Franciacorta's lees ageing, Valtellina's subzones and Sforzato, Oltrepò Pavese and its Pinot Nero, and Lugana.

    Read the Lombardy guideDrill Lombardy

    Taste this week

  6. Week 6

    Trentino-Alto Adige

    Trento DOC, Teroldego, Schiava and Lagrein, the valleys of Alto Adige and the German names on the labels.

    Read the Trentino-Alto Adige guideDrill Trentino-Alto Adige

    Taste this week

  7. Week 7

    Veneto: Verona

    Valpolicella in all its forms: Amarone, Recioto and Ripasso. Then Soave, Bardolino and the drying of grapes.

    Read the Veneto guideDrill Veneto

    Taste this week

  8. Week 8

    Veneto: Prosecco and the east

    The Prosecco pyramid from DOC to Cartizze, Rive, Asolo, then Piave, Breganze and the Colli Euganei.

    Read the Veneto guideDrill Veneto

    Taste this week

  9. Week 9

    Friuli-Venezia Giulia

    Collio and Colli Orientali on ponca, the native whites and reds, Picolit and Ramandolo, and the skin contact wines of Oslavia.

    Read the Friuli-Venezia Giulia guideDrill Friuli-Venezia Giulia

    Taste this week

  10. Week 10

    Emilia-Romagna

    The Lambrusco family one member at a time, then Romagna's Sangiovese and Albana.

    Read the Emilia-Romagna guideDrill Emilia-Romagna

    Taste this week

  11. Week 11

    Review

    Go back over your weakest regions on the progress page, and work through the grapes that share a name. This is the week the trick questions stop catching you.

    Grape look-alikesYour progress

  12. Week 12

    Practice exams

    Sit at least three timed papers. Read every explanation for the ones you miss, then drill those regions again before the next paper.

    Practice exam