Current Course Information
Listed below are the course requirements that must be complete before a CAPS Sommelier Certificate is issued.
Sensory Evaluation/Wine Professionalism
Old World
Sommelier Management
New World/Beer and Spirits.
Winemaking
30 Hours of Stage Experience
CAPS Service Exam
Sensory Evaluation/Wine Professionalism is a pre-requisite for the other courses.
As members of the Atlantic Chapter of CAPS (which students in the program currently are) you must complete all the above modules to be formally recognized as a Sommelier.
The Atlantic Chapter has developed a Service Exam that is consistent with the other chapters of CAPS across the country, and with the standards of the Association de la Sommelerie Internationale, the France based organization with which CAPS is accredited. (links to CAPS and ASI are on our Links page) The service exam will be offered on a regular basis as students require.
People who wish to obtain the CAPS Certification will be given the first opportunity to take the winemaking module whenever it is being offered. Please e-mail Winemaking to reserve your place for the winemaking module or for more information.
Halifax - Sommelier I - Old World Wine Regions, and Beer and Spirits (CAPS Module 3 and Module 5)
January 18 to June 7, 2010
Instructors:
Mark DeWolf
(902) 444-1999
Email: bytheglass@eastlink.ca
Carman Mills
(902) 494-6537
Email: cmills2@dal.ca or poursomemore@eastlink.ca
Location: Delta Halifax Hotel, NS
Cost: $1275.00 +HST = $1440.75
Syllabus of Course Content
This module explores the major wine regions of the old world including: France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Greece, Austria and Hungary. In sensory evaluation, the student study wines by weight and flavour. In this section students will assess wines according to where they are produced and are expected to recognize, by region, the character and quality of the major wines of Europe learning the history, terroir, laws, culture, leading producer and trends. Special attention is given to France and Italy since they share the largest part of the wine market in the world today. Students continue to develop tasting ability and wine assessment skills. In addition, special attention is paid to learning local cuisine and classic pairings.
Module 3: Old World Wine Regions (lectures begin at 5:30 pm)
January 18th: Wines of Bordeaux 1 (Focus on Left Bank) [Mark]
January 25th: Wines of Bordeaux 2 (Focus on Right Bank) [Mark]
February 1st: Wines of Burgundy 1 (Focus on Whites/Chardonnay) [Carman]
February 8th: Wines of Burgundy 2 (Focus on Reds/Pinot Noir) [Carman]
February 15th: Wines of the Rhone Valley and Loire Valley [Carman]
February 22nd: Champagne and Alsace [Carman]
March 1st: Southwest: Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence, Jura, Savoie and Corsica [Mark]
March 8th: France Midterm/Student Presentations 1 [Mark]
March 15th: Wines of Italy 1 (Overview: North including Piedmont) [Mark]
March 22nd: Wines of Italy 2 (Central: Umbria, Marches, Tuscany & Islands) [Mark]
March 29th: Italy Midterm/Student Presentations 2 [Mark]
April 12th: Germany/Austria/Switzerland/Student Presentations 3[Carman]
April 19th: Wines of Spain [Mark]
April 26th: Portugal and Fortified Wines, Greece, Mediterranean, Eastern Europe [Mark]
May 3rd: Final Exam [Carman]
Evaluation of Module 3:
25% - France Midterm (multiple choice/short answers/fill in blank/essays/blind tasting: 2 whites, 3 reds)
15% - Italy Midterm (multiple choice/short answers/fill in blank/essays/blind tasting: 2 whites, 3 reds)
40% - Final Exam (25% Written, 15% Blind Tasting: 5 Whites, 5 Reds, 2 Sparkling or Fortified)
10% - Class Presentation
10% - Attendance/Participation
Beer, Spirits & Other Beverages (CAPS Module 5)
Module 5: Beer, Spirits & Other Beverages
May 10th: Beer 1 (Methods of Production and Major Styles) [Jeff Pinhey]
May 17th: Beer 2 (Focus on classic regions) Beer and Food/Cigars [Jeff Pinhey]
May 24th: Spirits 1 (Focus on Brown Spirits) [Carman]
May 31st: Spirits 2 (Focus of Clear Spirits)/Mixology/Water [Carman]
June 7th: Beer/Spirits Exams [Carman]
Evaluation of Module 5:
20% - Beer Theory Exam
20% - Spirits Theory Exam
20% - Beer & Spirits Blind Tasting Exam (3 Beers and 3 Spirits)
15% - Beer or Spirit Take Home
15% - Water or Cigar Take Home
10% - Attendance/Participation
Nova Scotia - Sensory Evaluation/Wine Professionalism
Classes are being planned for a location in the Valley and in Cape Breton. Contact Larry Graham larrygraham@eastlink.ca or 902-466-4447 for more details.
Sensory Evaluation/Wine Professionalism - Halifax
February 15th – April 19th, 2010
Instructor: Larry Graham
Contacts: (902) 466-4447 (H)
Email: larrygraham@eastlink.ca
Location: Mezza Mediterranean Grill
6386 Quinpool Road
Halifax, NS
Class Time: Tuesday 6:00 - 9:00 pm, (9 weeks)
There will be no class on Tuesday, March 3rd.
Course Description: This is the prerequisite for all courses leading to certification as a sommelier by the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers Atlantic Chapter (CAPSAC). In this class students will study: components and structure of wine; proper techniques for wine assessment, theory and practice; elements of wine handling in restaurants; wine service; basic principles of food and wine matching; with an overview of principle wine regions and regulations in the world.
What was the Association of Sommeliers in the Atlantic Provinces (ASAP) is now the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers Atlantic Chapter (CAPSAC)
Prerequisite: Interest in, and a desire to drink wine
Mode of instruction:
weekly reading assignments (approximately 40-50 pages)
lectures
exercises to develop wine tasting
wine evaluation
practical demonstrations and role playing
food assessment for the purpose of matching wine
The cost of the course is $730.09 + HST ($825),
and may be paid by cheque (payable to CAPSAC), Visa or MasterCard.
The class size is limited and will be filled on a first come, first served basis.
To reserve a space send a cheque for $275 to CAPSAC C/O Larry Graham, 9 Medford St. Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, B2Y 3C2 or payment in full by credit card. Course fees must be paid in full at the first class. Refunds are only honored for future courses.
WINEMAKING & GRAPE GROWING MODULE
CAPSAC: Methods of Wine Production
Dates:
To be announced - normally at L’Acadie Vineyards, Gaspereau Valley Nova Scotia
Price:
TBA, includes all materials
Instructor:
Bruce Ewert, an internationally experienced winemaker and grape grower, and owner of L'Acadie Vineyards in Gaspereau Valley, NS.
Directions to the winery can be found at www.lacadievineyards.ca
Course Outline:
After the successful completion of the 'Methods of Wine Production’ course, students will have developed an in-depth knowledge of the techniques required to produce wines. The course focused on both viticulture and vinification practices. Students will gain insight into the practice of winemaking and the tools at the disposal of the winemaker by participating in the process and classroom study. During the course, students will study the production processes at each stage and how these can affect the nature and quality of the product. The learning experience is enriched by on-site visits to a vineyard and winery.
Specific topics covered include:
Viticulture
.Vinifera, labrusca, hybrids, clones
.Propagation, grafting, rootstocks
.Vine life cycle
.Site selection and new vineyard development
.Vine management and influences on wine quality
Winemaking
- White and red winemaking process
- Microbiology of winemaking - yeasts, malolactic, spoilage
- Stylistic tools - chaptalization, deacidification, lees
- Production of sparkling wines, icewines
- Post Fermentation - oxidation avoidance, protein and tartrate stabilization, and aging
Note: This module is a required course for those students in the CAPSAC Sommelier Program.