Certified Rioja Diploma Course

An exciting new accredited course, a must-do for lovers of Spanish wine, a chance to dive deeper into the fascinating region of Rioja! Enjoy a superb range of wines, tasted in a classroom environment and complemented with e-learning resources.  

This course will run over two Saturdays: 8th & 15th March from 10.30am to approx 4.30pm

After Victoria's study programme to become an official Certified Educator for the Rioja Consejo in 2022/23, we are excited to share the fruits of the labour!

This exclusive course has been designed to enhance the existing Rioja Diploma course, which is entirely self study. As a student of Kent Wine School you will have access to exactly the same online resources, but you will also benefit from 10 hours of classroom time further explaining the extensive theory material, plus tutored tasting of 15 - 17 wines a day, bringing to life the range of grapes, styles and terroir which Rioja boasts. 

We are hard at work curating the wines for this course, aided by the Rioja Consejo (the authority who oversee the regulation of this region), who are supporting us to help create the best and most comprehensive journey through the region.

Examples of the kinds of wines we shall be tasting on the course- 

• comparative tasting of various single variety wines e.g. Garnacha, Graciano, Tempranillo Blanca, Maturana Tinta, Maturana Blanca
• comparative tasting of wines with different maturation regimes e.g. carbonic maceration, Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva
• comparative tasting of wines through different levels of the new terroir classicaton e.g. vino de zona, vino de municipio and vinedo singular
• sparkling Rioja
• tinto, rosado and blanco Rioja

We will cover 5 modules as part of the theoretical aspect of the course:

• winemaking and ageing
• geography and terroir
• grape varieties and viticulture
• legal framework and governance
• the past, the present and the future

At the end of the course you will have to complete your exam online to be awarded the certificate and accreditation of the Rioja Diploma. 

Prerequisites to Studying

As some of the examinable material won't be covered in class, it is important that you have a device, such as a tablet, laptop or desktop computer where you can complete your study at home and benefit from the online resources. The exam will also be online. 

This course is not recommended for someone who is new to the wonderful world of wine study! We offer a range of courses which are perfect introductions such as WSET Levels 1 or 2 or even our one-off tasting evenings. To get the most out of this specialist course, we recommend you complete WSET Level 2 first, so that you have a great grasp of the fundementals of viticulture and vinification.