Wine and Beverage Management

This course provides a fundamental foundation for the study of wine, the impact of terroir and styles of farming and winemaking through online education and a one-week residency that features guest speakers, winery visits and class discussion.  Professional wine tasting and the cause-and-effect relationship between components of wine and viticulture/viniculture techniques are examined through in class tastings.

This course also provides MPS learners with the opportunity to connect with their cohort, practice organization and team management skills, complete a baseline self-evaluation of skill and mindsets in the context of a career in the wine industry. During this residency, students will participate in a Keys to Online Learning session that provides the necessary resources to prepare them for program success.

In this residency, students will have the opportunity to attend the CIA Wine Summit and a focused field trip, specially designed for the MPS program, which will include a variety of experts and guest speakers. Through their participation, students will gain key insights into current important topics related to the wine and beverage industry.  During the residency, Capstone project guidelines and relevant information will be communications to students. This information will guide them in the completion of a project proposal which they will present in written and oral form to a faculty committee that will provide feedback for students to incorporate in their work on Capstone project development. The residency presents an opportunity for students to begin to identify potential mentorship committee members for their Capstone project. Students will participate in a series of tutored tastings focused on developing professional tasting skills to identify classic characteristics of spirits, sweet wines, fortified wines, as well as beers, ciders, and sakes.

Over two and a half days of structured Q&A, peer evaluation, discussion and practice, students will hone their skills to prepare for a verbal presentation of their capstone project. The students will gather in their communities of practice for peer review and discussion prior to delivering their final presentation to an audience consisting of their cohort members, faculty, and potential CIA partners and guests. In addition, the learners will complete self and peer evaluations on final projects as well as on the overall degree program. Students will participate in a graduation ceremony on the final day of the residency. As a part of this residency, students will have the option to arrive early and complete a course in Level I sake certification.

This course is a study of the role and responsibilities of professional sommeliers and beverage directors in the United States. Operations and management techniques are discussed, problem solving is emphasized, and beverage budgets are considered. Review of wine and beverage POS systems, inventory management, and the tools and equipment of the sommelier are all covered.

Understanding the history, laws, terroir, viticultural and vinicultural techniques, along with focused tastings of classic varieties provides the template for understanding any wine growing region. The consistent application of this template in the examination of the Southern Hemisphere, Asia and the Levant wine regions enables students to identify unique the aspects of the wine industry for each country and discuss their relevance in the global wine market. Through in-depth tastings, lecture, guest speakers and class discussion, this class explores the reasons for the significant success and the tremendous potential of these wine regions. Emerging regions and varieties are discussed, along with pathways to future global success for each country, as well as design and wine selection considerations for wine programs featuring Southern Hemisphere wines.

This course explores the histories, rise to prominence, and modern changes related to wines from the northern appellations of Europe. In depth study of the wines of France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Hungary is the focus of the course, and accompanying analytical tastings of the major appellations enhances the understanding of these important foreign wines. In addition, the course examines the terroirs of the major regions, delves into traditional and contemporary production methods, and analyzes the recent wine labeling changes in the European Union member countries that produce wine. Understanding the history, laws, terroir, viticultural and vinicultural techniques, along with focused tastings of classic varieties provides the template for understanding any wine growing region. The consistent application of this template allows the student to examine wine regions in a consistent fashion while differentiating the unique aspects of each region, in addition to identifying current and future issues facing each region's wine industry.

This course examines the regions, production methods and styles of spirits, beer, sake, cider, perry, tea, coffee, juice and water through online lectures, discussion, guest speakers and tastings.  Each beverage is explored in detail through the lens of its historical, current and future impact throughout the world.  Spirits, fermented, and non-alcoholic beverages represent not only the oldest, but the most widely consumed beverage category in society today. The parallel concepts of terroir that coffee, tea, spirits, beer, sake and water share with wine, present the opportunity to apply similar learning strategies.  Understanding the history, terroir, varieties, labeling, and production techniques for each beverage, coupled with focused tastings and discussion, provides the template for understanding and differentiating these beverages, as well as evaluating their roles in the beverage world.

This class explores in detail the history, terroir, grape varieties and wine laws of the primary wine growing countries in Southern and Eastern Europe through lecture, in depth tastings, guest speakers and class discussion. Critical issues, emerging regions and pathways to global success for each country are discussed, as well as, design, food compatibility and wine selection consideration for beverage programs featuring Southern and Eastern European wines. Examining the history, laws, terroir, viticultural and vinicultural techniques, combined with focused tastings of classic grape varieties from classic regions is the template for understanding any wine producing country. The consistent application of this template in the examination of the wine regions of Southern and Eastern Europe, enables students to identify the unique aspects of the wine industry for each country.

This course explores innovations in the beverage world and beyond seeking to develop both broad and specific ideas of entrepreneurship. Students will study and discuss numerous business models and innovations relevant to the various aspects of the beverage industry. The coursework will center around case study methodology with opportunities to review, analyze and discuss both successes and failures to develop an understanding of both historic and current challenges in the creation and development of beverage-based businesses.