Is your class full? Call the Bursar's Office at (714) 432-5880, extension 1, and ask to be added to a waiting list! We may be able to open an additional section if there is enough interest in the class, and this information will be taken into consideration for our future offerings.

WINE AND SPIRITS CERTIFICATION
Wine & Spirits Certification Course:
Level 2: Intermediate Certificate in Wines & Spirits
Instructor: Joe Poshek, Dean of Visual and Performing Arts
The Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET®) exists to promote, provide and develop high quality education and qualifications in wines and spirits for those in the wine and spirit trade (or intending to join it) as well as for the interested consumer. The WSET designs courses, produces learning materials, sets examinations, and operates through a network of approved program providers around the world. Neptune School of Wine is an approved program provider of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET®).

The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET®) Intermediate Certificate is intended as vocational training in product knowledge for those employed in the drinks industry that have little previous knowledge of wines and spirits. The course is also appropriate for those not employed in the drinks industry, but who have a serious interest in wine and wish to broaden their knowledge in a structured way. This program enables students to interpret wine and spirits labels, explain the fundamentals of wine-tasting, become familiar with the world's major wine regions and their principal wines, and share basic advice on wine selection and service. The intermediate certificate course covers the wines and spirits of the world and is followed by a one-hour multiple choice examination. Wine tasting is a part of every class.

Course Program

• Level 2 systematic approach to tasting and food and wine matching
• Grape growing and wine making
• Key wine- and spirit-producing regions
• Key grape varieties: chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, riesling, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, syrah and grenache
• Sparkling and sweet wines
• Fortified wines plus spirits and liqueurs

Dates: Mondays, February 28 - April 25
Time: 6:30 pm– 9:00 pm
Location: OCC Captain’s Table
Fee: $500 per person for 9 sessions INCLUDING the exam. (plus a $250 materials fee paid to Neptune)
Textbooks and tastings, are included in the price.

Joe Poshek has had a varied career as a musician, visual artist and college educator. He began making wine as a home wine maker in the late 1980's and progressed to achieving the WSET Level Three Advanced Certificate in wine. He presently is a candidate for the WSET Diploma in wine.

WINE AND FOOD TASTING at THE RUSTY PELICAN
The Great Wines of the World Wine
Instructor: Joe Poshek, Dean of Visual and Performing Arts
Orange Coast College has partnered with the Rusty Pelican in Newport Beach to offer a fun and enjoyable way to learn about food and wine from around the world. Each class will focus on a different region while students sample great food and wine. A minimum of six wines will be sampled each class.

Location: The Rusty Pelican, 2735 W. Coast Hwy, Newport Beach, CA 92663
Maximum 15 participants
Please bring a driver's license; no one under 21 years of age will be admitted.

Week I: The Great Wines of France
No country on earth produces wines of such variety and quality as France. Dry, sweet, fortified, white, red, Petillant and even bubbly. This class provides an overview of French wine regions and the basic styles of wine produced in various regions. The concept of “terroir” will be explored and illustrated through tasting examples. A minimum of six wines will be sampled each class.
 
Date: Wednesday, March 2
Time: 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm 
Fee: $35 (plus a $20 CASH materials fee payable to the instructor in class)

Week II: The Great Wines of Italy
In Italy, wine with food is a way of life. Italians have been making wine for thousands of years, and know a thing or two about enjoying it. There’s nothing quite like a loud Italian dinner with great food and friends, where everyone is slightly more animated than usual from the four glasses (each) of Chianti. A minimum of six wines will be sampled each class.

Date: Wednesday, March 9
Time: 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm 
Fee: $35 (plus a $20 CASH materials fee payable to the instructor in class)

Week III: The Great Wines of Spain
Spain has built its reputation from making wine using  indigenous grape varieties such as Tempranillo, Verdejo, Xarel-lo and Albarino. Come visit the great wine regions of Spain – Rioja, Priorat and Xeres. Some of the best value in the world can be found in the Great Wines of Spain. A minimum of six wines will be sampled each class.

Date: Wednesday, March 16
Time: 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm 
Fee: $35 (plus a $20 CASH materials fee payable to the instructor in class)

Week IV: The Great Wines of California
Our own state of California is among the leading wine producers of the world.  The gentle but mainly warm Mediterranean climate gives excellent growing conditions to a wide sampling of grape varietals. California cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay have both become internationally recognized styles of wine. This class will focus on some of the best mesoclimates in the state, and the artisan wines produced in those areas such as Santa Rita Hills, Santa Maria Valley, Sonoma Coast, and Mount Veeder. A minimum of six wines will be sampled each class.

Date: Wednesday, March 23
Time: 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm 
Fee: $35 (plus a $20 CASH materials fee payable to the instructor in class)