California Wine Intensive – MGM Grand – Las Vegas

Play the slots, take in a show, and then spend a few days in Las Vegas tasting wine with San Francisco Wine School. Not what you expected for a trip to Sin City? David Glancy wagers that, if you join him, “What happens in Vegas just may change the course of your career.”

Glancy, founder of San Francisco Wine School, created the first and only professional credential program on California wine: the California Wine Appellation Specialist certification, CWAS for short. Typically taught over nine weeks in the San Francisco Bay Area, CWAS travels to The Signature at MGM Grand in Las Vegas as a 3-Day Intensive, March 27-29.

“Competition in the wine industry is only getting more intense, and education will set you apart,” counsels Glancy. The CWAS program arms wine professionals with up-to-date, nuanced knowledge about California’s rich history and distinct wine landscape, transforming them from someone who writes an order into someone who tells a wine’s story and really sells it. “That affects their bottom line,” notes Glancy.

David Glancy is one of only twelve people in the world to hold both a revered Master Sommelier diploma and a Certified Wine Educator credential. He pioneered CWAS as a deep-dive into all of California’s wine regions to help those who sell wine, meet the growing consumer demand for detailed insight. The program has quickly become the gold standard for the industry, earning the support of Wine Institute and grower associations throughout the state.
Master Sommelier, Joe Phillips
Director of Wine Education at Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada

Glancy will be accompanied by special guest instructor, Master Sommelier Joe Phillips, Director of Wine Education at Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada. Joe is well-known in Sin City and was voted Best Sommelier in Las Vegas by Las Vegas Weekly.

CWAS features guided blind tasting of more than 60 wines, immersing attendees into Mendocino County, Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Santa Cruz, San Francisco Bay, the Delta, Lake County, the Sierra Foothills, Monterey and San Benito, Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and beyond. Watch the CWAS preview videos here.

Topics also covered are:

Identification and interpretation of US and California wine laws
Discussion of California wine history and its impact on today’s American Viticultural Areas
Detailed investigation of California’s wine production
Examination of the various climates, soils, grapes, and wineries of each region that make it distinctive to the California wine landscape
The CWAS 3-Day Intensive includes 22 hours of instruction by San Francisco Wine School founder and CEO, David Glancy. It will take place at The Signature at MGM Grand, 145 East Harmon Avenue, Las Vegas, March 27-29 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Daily breakfast and lunch are included, and a Saturday tasting dinner at Honey Salt with David Glancy is available for an additional charge. The CWAS credential exam will be available online following the program. Students who achieve a passing exam score will be designated California Wine Appellation Specialists and granted the use of the post-nominal CWAS. The program fee is $1,495. Installment plans are available.

In addition to the 3-Day Intensive, CWAS is taught year-round as a 9-Week Credential Program in South San Francisco and online in San Francisco Wine School’s virtual classroom. See CWAS for more details; registration information is at CWAS 3-Day Intensive.