German wine know-how for budding gastronomy professionals

The German Wine and Sommelier School trains students to attain international recognition for their professional wine knowledge and expertise.

iMOVE: What is the name and background of your organisation?

Steinmetz: The German Wine and Sommelier School, with headquarters in Koblenz and branch offices in several German cities is a specialist center of the Gastronomisches Bildungszentrum Koblenz (GBZ - Gastronomical Education Centre Koblenz) and the leading German institution in the field of continuing education for wine-related topics.

iMOVE: Which services do you offer in the field of vocational education and training?

Steinmetz: Our services range from one-day courses on sensory wine assessment to extended occupational training courses leading up to a Chamber of Commerce-approved qualification as a sommelier or wine trade expert.

iMOVE: What are your international business experiences?

Steinmetz: To date, the German Wine School has been actively participating in vocational education and training measures in Hong Kong and in Istanbul. In Hong Kong, our German experts provided consulting with regard to the curricula and examination design at a major chef training school - all in accordance with German standards. In Istanbul, the school provides practice-oriented training courses for chef and service trainees who wish to acquire a certificate from a German Chamber of Commerce; here we also provide the curricula and oversee the examinations.

Another long-standing cooperation partner, and currently the most important one, is a major American university with its culinary arts students.

iMOVE: Which key service do you provide for a successful cooperation with international partners?

Steinmetz: For the past 13 years, the GBZ, an educational institution maintained by the Koblenz Chamber of Industry and Commerce, has been co-operating with Johnson & Wales University (JWU), a leading institution in the hospitality field with four locations spread across the USA.

Each year, 25 JWU students study at the GBZ to pass not only one but two highly demanding wine examinations: the Koblenz Chamber of Commerce (IHK) European Wine Certificate as well as a Certificate (Level 2 or 3) issued by the London-based Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET). With these qualifications, the students attain international recognition for their professional wine knowledge and expertise.

The four-week training program in Germany is conducted by experienced English-speaking teaching staff; the program is organised in the form of an "all inclusive service". The students are accommodated in the hotel located in the same building.

The course comprises daily intensive lectures covering the most important wine-producing regions worldwide and their typical grape varieties. During wine tasting sessions, the participants learn to assess the viticultural products, including appearance, smell and taste of the wines. They also appraise their maturation potential and suggest dishes that go well with the respective wines.

Last but not least, due to its favorable geographic location and its extensive network of wine producers, the German Wine School is able to integrate into its continuing education program a seven-day trip to several important wine-growing regions in southern Germany and France, as well as excursions to wineries in the Mosel, Ahr, Nahe and Middle Rhine regions into the academic program.