SEATTLE — Cellar Muse will become the first Seattle-area wine school to offer a study course for the prestigious Certified Specialist of Wine program this fall.
The Certified Specialist of Wine title affirms the bearer’s deep wine knowledge and mastery of key elements within the worlds of viticulture and wine production. CSW certification is widely recognized and highly regarded in the international wine and spirits industry. This 8-week course will be taught by Cellar Muse founder and Certified Wine Educator Tanya Morning Star Darling starting in October.
“I’m delighted to bring this course to Seattle as interest in this certification continues to grow,” Darling says. “I look forward to helping set students up for success as they prepare for this challenging test, which examines their wine knowledge at a truly meaningful level.”
The course will provide in-depth study of topics covered on the exam, including physiology of taste; wine composition and chemistry; wine faults; viticulture and enology; labels, laws and wine regions; the U.S. wine industry; wine’s contribution to health; wine etiquette and service; food and wine pairing; and responsible service of alcoholic beverages.
Students who successfully pass the exam will be awarded the title of Certified Specialist of Wine by the Society of Wine Educators and entitled to use the post-nominal CSW as part of their professional signature. The society’s programs are highly regarded worldwide for their quality and relevance to the wine industry.
Certified Specialist of Wine Study Program Details
- When: 4:00-7:00 p.m. Sundays, October 13-December 8, 2019
- Where: Cepae Tasting Room, 258 106th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004
- Cost: $895 tuition, plus a $150 materials fee
- Tuition includes: A one-year professional membership to the Society of Wine Educators, CSW Exam Sit and access to the Society of Wine Educator’s Online Academy
- Registration: https://www.cellarmuse.com/events/csw-prep-course
About Tanya Morning Star Darling
Morning Star Darling has been a wine professional and educator for more than two decades. Her love of classical wines — along with her passion for history, nature and gastronomy — inspires her educational approach. Her certifications include the Wine and Spirit Education Trust Diploma, Certified Wine Educator, French Wine Scholar, Italian Wine Scholar, Spanish Wine Scholar, and holds both Bourgogne, and Provence Master Level Diplomas, all with Highest Honors. She is also a Bourgogne Wines Official Ambassador, and she was named French Wine Scholar Instructor of the Year in 2018.
In addition to offering the Certified Specialist of Wine study program, Cellar Muse is the approved provider in Washington State for the Wine Scholar Guild’s French, Italian and Spanish Wine Scholar study programs. To complement classroom learning, Darling also leads immersive study trips to wine regions such as France’s Bourgogne, Italy’s Umbria and Tuscany, and California’s Napa Valley and Sonoma County. Learn more about Tanya and Cellar Muse at www.cellarmuse.com.
About the Society of Wine Educators
Founded in 1977, the Society of Wine Educators is a membership-based nonprofit organization providing education for wine and spirits professionals, along with the conferral of several certifications. Learn more at www.societyofwineducators.org.
