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Take your interest in wine, beer or spirits to the next level with expert-level courses and credentials across the province that teach Ontarians how to professionally make (and appreciate) beverage alcohol.

So you want to be a winemaker?

There was a time when Canadian winemakers learned on the land and in the winery or were imported from other regions. Today, increasingly, they’re homegrown in Ontario colleges, universities and communities. Here are some of the ripest programs for picking.

Professional viticulture and viniculture

A grape-growing and winemaking education starts at Niagara College’s Canadian Food and Wine Institute or Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (including some online courses). The University of Guelph’s agriculture programs have grape-focused courses, too. Pro winemakers can complete a Sustainable Winemaking Ontario certification through the Grape Growers of Ontario and Ontario Craft Wineries.

Somm school

To select, pair and pour wine with pro finesse, choose from online and Ontario-based courses from the International Sommelier Guild, the Society of Wine Educators (SWE) and the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET). Colleges like Humber, Seneca, Conestoga and George Brown, plus Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa, offer some sharp wine (and beer!) tasting and pairing classes.

Wine appreciation

If understanding enough about local wine to drink it well is your endgame, Ontario Craft Wineries Wine Appellations of Ontario introduces making, tasting and pairing our vintages: it’s $35 for a course book and study guide, with an optional exam and Certificate of Merit for high achievers (ontariocraftwineries.ca/resources).