Wine & Spirits Academy
The world is drinking less wine than at any time since 1961.
Source: OIV, State of the World Vine and Wine Sector, 2024
- Bordeaux wine educator since 2016
- WSET certified educator
- WSET Level 2 and French Wine Scholar on our team
- SWE Industry Member
- Online worldwide, in person in Florida
Respected institutions. Luxury hospitality expertise. One academy.
Every great beverage program starts with team members who know what is in the glass and how to talk about it. Atelier brings recognized wine education together with the way five-star hospitality is actually delivered.
Three learning pathways under one roof.
Globally respected education
Learning connected to recognized institutions such as the Society of Wine Educators and l'École du Vin de Bordeaux, so your knowledge carries weight wherever your career goes.
Atelier original courses
Go beyond exam preparation: luxury service application, guest communication, wine storytelling, food and beverage confidence and real hospitality execution.
The Luxury Intelligence® approach
Our proprietary method connects every bottle, every pour and every recommendation to the five pillars of Luxury Intelligence®.
Knowledge becomes service through five pillars.
Presence
How you arrive at the table with confidence and credibility.
Perception
How you read the guest, the moment and the occasion before you recommend.
Precision
How you recommend, describe and serve with exactness.
Poise
Not calm, but a trained composure that holds your voice and your service steady when the room is full.
Purpose
How knowledge becomes guest memory, revenue and a culture of service.
Start today. Serve differently by your next shift.
Self-paced online courses built by a hospitality educator, for the people who carry the wine list to the guest.
Foundation$150Join our wine foundation course
Wine Intelligence™ Professional Foundations
Recommend wine like someone who understands it, not someone who memorized it.
- How climate, grape and winemaking shape style
- Confident recommendations at the table
- Wine service standards for luxury venues
Discover Bordeaux$150Taught by a Bordeaux educator
Introduction to Bordeaux Wines
Speak about Bordeaux with the ease of someone who has walked its vineyards.
- History, terroir and the grapes of Bordeaux
- Appellations, winemaking and wine styles
- Six lessons and a final exam
Bar teams$75Bartender Service
Standards of Excellence
Turn every seat at your bar into the best seat in the hotel.
- Bar etiquette for upscale hotels and resorts
- The full service journey, greeting to farewell
- Execution checklists to use on shift
Preview Wine Intelligence™ Professional Foundations
Your educatorsLearn from the co-founders of Atelier 5 Star.
Dr. Gershwin Narraidoo
- Bordeaux Wine Educator since 2016
- WSET Certified Educator
- Former wine instructor, Johnson & Wales
- 25+ years in luxury hospitality
Accredited by l'École du Vin de Bordeaux and certified to teach with WSET, Gershwin spent 14 years as tenured hospitality faculty at Johnson & Wales University and Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School. He teaches wine the way it is lived on a five-star floor.
Dolly Duran
- WSET Level 2 in Wines
- French Wine Scholar
- Airbnb Host Advisory Board
Dolly holds the WSET Level 2 Award in Wines and the French Wine Scholar credential from the Wine Scholar Guild. She brings the guest's point of view to every lesson, from welcoming travelers in her own homes to advising Airbnb on hospitality.
Wine taught where it is served.
Designed for the modern wine and hospitality learner.
In partnership with the Society of Wine Educators
Your team already pours with care. Now they can carry the credential that proves it.
Guests notice the difference between a team member who serves a wine and one who understands it. Atelier 5 Star guides hospitality professionals through the Society of Wine Educators certifications, from a first credential to the specialist level, with an Atelier educator beside you at every step.
Hospitality/Beverage Specialist Certificate
The first credential for every hotel, restaurant and culinary team member. Wine, beer and spirits knowledge built for the floor, the bar and the banquet room, and the natural foundation for the CSW and CSS.
- Online course and online exam, both included
- Self-paced, finish on your own schedule
- Entry level, no prerequisites
- Also offered in Spanish
¿Prefiere estudiar en español? Certificado de Especialista en Bebidas
Certified Specialist of Wine
The credential that sommeliers, wine buyers and beverage directors are measured by. A rigorous exam on viticulture, wine production and the wine regions of the world.
- Recognized across the wine trade
- Study guide and workbook pathway
- Prepare with Atelier wine courses
Certified Specialist of Spirits
For bar leaders and beverage managers who want the same authority in spirits. Production, styles and the spirits categories of the world, tested to a professional standard.
- The spirits counterpart to the CSW
- Built for bar and beverage leaders
- Pairs with our Bartender Service course
Pair your SWE exam with the Atelier course that prepares you for it.
CSW + Introduction to Bordeaux Wines
Study for the CSW and walk in already fluent in Bordeaux: its appellations, grapes and styles, taught by a Bordeaux wine educator.
Reserve the Bordeaux PathCSS + Bartender Service: Standards of Excellence
Know the spirit and master the service. The CSS proves your knowledge, and our bar course turns it into the way your guests are welcomed, served and remembered.
Reserve the Bar Leader PathCertifying an outlet or a whole property?
Picture your bar, restaurant and banquet team members each holding a recognized beverage credential by next season. We arrange group enrollment and pair it with Atelier service training, so knowledge turns into the way your team serves.
Enrollment is confirmed personally by the Atelier 5 Star team. Certifications are awarded by the Society of Wine Educators.