Wine Education

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Wine Knowledge That Sells

A staff that understands what's in the glass sells more of it. With 25-plus years in the Los Angeles wine industry, I design and lead wine education programs that turn service teams into confident, knowledgeable advocates for your list.

Every session is built around your actual wine program — not a generic curriculum — so staff walk away able to talk about the bottles they'll actually be pouring, tonight.

Lisa Dawes leading a wine education and cellar training session in Los Angeles

Who Wine Education Is For

Programs are tailored to restaurants, hotels, resorts, retailers, country clubs, and private clients throughout Los Angeles, and can be delivered as a single seminar, a recurring training series, or an ongoing beverage education partnership.

Core topics include grape varietal fundamentals, blind tasting technique, service and stemware standards, new hire onboarding, and menu-specific training so staff can speak fluently about the exact wines on your list. For cellar and storage training, see Wine Cellar Education; for dish-specific pairing training, see Food & Wine Pairing; for regional deep dives, see Regional Wine Portfolio Development.

Training That Fits Your List

See Wine Consulting

Great wine list development only pays off if your staff can sell it. I build every training around your actual bottles and guests, not a one-size-fits-all class.

Sessions are hands-on and conversational, mixing tasting, storytelling, and practical service tips so information sticks past the first shift.

Wine Education Programs

Staff Training

Ongoing service and product training for front-of-house teams, tailored to your list and concept.

Guided Blind Tastings

Structured tasting exercises that sharpen staff palates and build lasting confidence.

Private Client Sessions

One-on-one and small-group education for collectors and enthusiasts building their own knowledge.

New Hire Onboarding

Structured wine onboarding for new front-of-house hires, built into your existing training schedule.

Menu Launch Training

Focused training sessions timed to new menu or list launches so staff are ready on day one.

Certification Exam Prep

Study support and practice tastings for staff pursuing WSET or sommelier certification.

Ready to raise your team's wine IQ?

Let's design a training program built around your list, your guests, and your goals for the Los Angeles market.

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