EDUCATION IN WINE: School creates pour students

For people seeking a safe place to invest money, local wine expert Michael Bryan has a suggestion.

“An education in wine is one that will continue to pay off,” he said. “And I think that’s how many of my clients look at the classes we offer, as an educational investment.”

Bryan, founder and executive director of the Atlanta Wine School, said his classes stay full because more people are deciding to “invest in themselves.”

The courses offered, which range from one night to eight weeks and $50 to $399, include history, geography, chemistry and foreign languages, he said.

Rebecca Hoffmann of Decatur drives more than 15 miles to Roswell for her weekly wine education. Hoffmann said she’s considering a second career in the wine industry and definitely considers the classes as an investment in her future.

“If I weren’t considering wine as my next career, I’d certainly think more about spending this money,” she said. “But it really is an excellent value for what you get in the class.”

Wine classes have grown immensely in popularity, said Sherrie Robbins, vice president of the International Wine Guild, based in Denver.

“I think America is really starting to develop a wine culture,” she said. “And the wine industry is also very attractive to a lot of wine enthusiasts who are looking to change careers.”

The wine and spirits industry employs over a million people and pumps $137 billion into the U.S. economy every year, according to data from the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America, a Washington, D.C.-based trade association. In Georgia, the adult beverages create a $130 million industry.

While the economic downturn is having some effect on the industry, sales figures seem to be holding steady, said Wanda Rowe, editor and associate publisher of the Southern Beverage Journal, based in Miami. She said while consumers are looking to save money, wine and spirits have not been completely cut out of the budget.

“Instead of buying an import, they may look more towards a domestic wine,” she said. “They may also have a drink at home instead of going to a restaurant.”

Next door at J’s Beverage Depot, Jimmy Hwang is feeling the pinch, but not as much as he might have, thanks to Bryan’s wine school.

“People have certainly cut back on the higher-dollar wines because of the economy, but the value wines are not doing as bad, and I think that’s because of our partnership,” said Hwang, owner of the neighboring business, who has also taken a class from Bryan.

Hwang said even some of his employees have taken classes at the wine school.

“What we want to do here is make customers more comfortable buying wine and staff more knowledgeable about the wines they sell,” Bryan said. “And people will spend money to get those results.”

Bryan said the wine school, which began in 2003, operates 120 nights a year, not including private events. The courses range from classes on wine introduction to professional development and certification seminars.

“We really talk about the origins of wine; I mean we study it,” he said. “This is information that people can use in all sorts of situations. From ordering wine in a business or casual setting to conversations about history or geography to getting a job in the industry.”