Frequently Asked Questions

1. If the course is $500, why do I have to give you $1,200 now?
2. How much do you usually spend on wine?
3. What will the course really cost me?
4. When do I get a refund on unused wine funds?
5. How long has the Aspen Wine Program been around?
6. Do you offer a certification program?
7. What is the difference between the basic and advance courses?
8. Do I have to attend the basic course before I can take the advanced?
9. What are your qualifications?
10. Do you ever conduct the course anywhere else besides Aspen?
11. Do you conduct Corporate Events?
12. Can we have you put on just a single tasting at our home in Aspen?
13. What other wine services do you provide?

1 - The Aspen Wine Program is not licensed to sell wine. This is good news for our students, because we do not mark up the cost of the wine, keeping the price much more reasonable than some other schools. Instead we have all of our students pool their money together to buy the wine. The more people that attend the class, the lower the wine cost per person. Since we are not sure how many attendees we will have when you sign up, we place $700 from each person into escrow to buy the wine. Any money left over is refunded at the end of the course.

2 - We taste approximately $2,500 worth of wine each week of the course. Some of this may be at dinners or other functions, as well as the 66+ wines from the daily tastings.

3 - The more people that attend the course, the lower the price is for everyone, so bringing a friend or two will make the class more affordable for all of you. Here is a chart that will show you just how much you can expect to end up paying, depending on how many people sign up for the class.

# of people attending	Wine cost per person, per week	Total cost per person, per week	Refund from your wine deposit
4	$700	$1,200	$0
5	$600	$1100	$100
6	$533	$1033	$167
7	$486	$986	$214
8	$450	$950	$250
9	$422	$922	$278
10	$400	$900	$300

4 - Refunds are processed within 30 days of the end of the second week of the course, or the finish of all sessions.

5 - The Aspen Wine Program first started in 1996, but it was an extension of private tutoring that began in the late 80s.

6 - We offer our own Wine Adept Certification as an optional exam for those attending the advanced course. A Wine Adept must complete a 3 part exam that includes a multiple choice section which must be passed before the rest of the exam is offered. The final two parts of the exam include an open book essay section and a blind wine identification. The exam is not for everyone, but for those wishing to prove their skills to the world, or just to themselves, it can be very rewarding.

7 - The basic, or first week course concentrates on learning to talk about wine, and being introduced to wine varieties and regions from around the world. For most non professionals this is the only part of the course that they need to attend. The advanced course is for those looking to move into the top ranks of the wine elite. The second week is dedicated to teaching the skills behind the elusive art of "reading" a wine - telling what a wine is just by sight, smell and taste. The second week serves as a preparatory course for all major wine exams around the world. All wines in the second week are presented blind.

8 - The advanced course is offered to those that have completed the first week basic course. Even for most professionals there is plenty to learn in the first week, and it provides the student with the practice required for the second week of blind tasting. On rare occasion, a student may skip the basic course if they can demonstrate the proper skills.

9 - All courses are taught by Stephen Reiss, Ph.D., CWE (Certified Wine Educator). Dr. Reiss has over 20 years experience in the wine industry and has travelled the world tasting wines and competing in tasting events. His book "Juice Jargon - How to talk about wine" has been widely acclaimed for making wine easier to learn. His WineEducation.com web site is the oldest of its kind on the web, first appearing in 1995.

10 - Custom courses, or even the regular Aspen Wine Program can be held at your home or restaurant, anywhere in the world. Feel free to ask for more details.

11 - Dr. Reiss is a leader in the world of wine tastings as Corporate Events. He can work with your events planner to design the perfect tasting, or series of tastings. Team building exercises, wine as a negotiation tool, and wine as an incentive are just a few of the subjects that we offer. Tastings events just for fun, or for the spouses are also common. Contact us for more information.

12 - Want to spice up your next Aspen party or event? Hold a wine tasting! Themes can range from serious looks at collectable quality wines, or as simple and fun as a cocktail party with a theme. Drop us a line.

13 - Wine appraisals, brokering, marketing evaluations and cellar stocking are just a few of the services our consulting arm: Buyers & Cellars Wine Consultants will be happy to provide.