Vine & Learn
Study the culture
of Cape wine
Free, self-paced courses, from your very first sip to blind-tasting mastery, plus a short guide to every wine route. Earn Vine Points, grow through the Vine Stages and collect certificates as you learn.
34free courses
23wine route guides
6vine stages
Freewith certificates
Your study desk
Where you are in the vineyard
Every lesson and quiz earns Vine Points. Watch your progress grow — and see what it takes to reach the next stage.
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Current vine stage
Six stages, from Budburst to Vine Master.
Vine points earned
0
Earned with every lesson and quiz.
Your next stage
Keep studying to unlock it.
New to Vine & Learn? Create a free account to enrol, track your progress and earn your Vine Stages.
The curriculum
Three levels, one lifelong love of wine
Start at Level I or jump in wherever your curiosity leads. Every course is free, self-paced and ends with a short quiz and a certificate.
I
Level I · Beginner
Foundations
The essentials of tasting, talking about and enjoying wine — with a proudly Cape flavour.
3 courses · about 3 hours
Course I · 1 — start here
Introduction to Wine
A fun, jargon-free first step into the world of wine, from grape to glass, with a proudly Cape flavour.
Course I · 2
How to Taste Wine
Learn the simple Look, Smell, Taste method and host your own fun blind tasting at home.
Course I · 3
Cape Wine Routes
An armchair road trip through the Cape Winelands, plus everything you need to plan the perfect day out.
II
Level II · Intermediate
Cape Knowledge
Grapes, food and labels — the knowledge that turns a good glass into a great conversation.
3 courses · about 3 hours
Course II · 1
Cape Grape Varieties
Meet the grapes that define South African wine, from old-vine Chenin to our homegrown Pinotage.
Course II · 2
Food & Wine Pairing
Simple, practical rules for matching wine with food, from a Sunday braai to Cape Malay curry.
Course II · 3
Decoding South African Wine Labels
Wine of Origin, the certification seal, estate wines and the words that tell you how sweet a wine is.
III
Level III · Expert
Mastery
The cellar, the soil and the senses — deeper study for those who want to think like a winemaker.
5 courses · about 7 hours
Course III · 1
Winemaking Explained
Follow the grape from vineyard to bottle and learn how every decision in the cellar shapes the wine in your glass.
Course III · 2
Terroir of the Western Cape
Why Cape wines taste the way they do: oceans, winds, mountains and some of the oldest soils on earth.
Course III · 3
Cap Classique & Fortified Wines
Bubbles made the traditional way, and the Cape’s rich heritage of sweet and fortified wines.
Course III · 4
Blind Tasting Mastery
The deductive method professionals use to identify a wine’s grape, origin and age without seeing the label.
Course III · 5
Cellaring & Collecting
Which wines improve with age, how to store them, and how to build a collection you’ll love opening.
Before you go
Know the land before you land
A short, friendly course for every wine route: the history, the fun facts and how to plan your visit. About twenty minutes each, free, with a certificate.
Your path to mastery
Grow through the six Vine Stages
Like the vine itself, your knowledge moves through the seasons. Earn Vine Points with every lesson and quiz, and climb from the first green shoots to Vine Master.
I
Budburst
The season begins with your very first lessons.
II
Flowering
Curiosity blooms as you start to taste with purpose.
III
Fruit Set
Knowledge takes shape, course by course.
IV
Véraison
The colour change — you begin to see wine differently.
V
Harvest
Gather the rewards of seasons of study.
VI
Vine Master
The full cycle complete. Raise a glass.
Recognition
Earn a certificate for every course
Pass the short quiz at the end of a course and your certificate is yours to keep, download and share — a record of every step in your wine education.
View my certificatesFrom the reading room
Short reads for curious minds
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Your first lesson is waiting
Pour a glass, pull up a chair and begin. It’s free, it’s self-paced, and every lesson brings you closer to Vine Master.