Wine Courses

Life among the grapes

UNCORKED

By ED SOON

Many readers have asked about becoming wine professionals. Our columnist offers vine advice.

TO some people, wine is just a beverage. To others, it is a work of art. And to a select few, it is a lifestyle, a profession, a calling, even.

If you want to make a living out of wine, there are many ways of doing so. You can train to be a sommelier, a food technologist, a viticulturist or even start your own wine shop or winery. Here are some suggestions on how to get started.

Begin at the bottom

Start your career as a winemaker/viticulturist by writing to chateaux and wineries offering to pick grapes and help out in the cellar. If the winery thinks you have potential, they will invite you back for the next season's harvest. You will be given more responsibility and could end up as their winemaker or vineyard manager. This would, of course, take many years!

Go for the ultimate

The one qualification that