Napa Valley Wine Academy (NVWA)has developed a proprietary certification program for professional wine stewards in an unprecedented partnership with Albertsons Companies, a leading food and drug retailer with more than 2,200 stores in 34 states and the District of Columbia.
The Albertsons Companies beverage stewards can take the courses online while on the job, to earn two different levels of certification: Wine 101 and Wine 201. The company is sponsoring the rigorous courses, which are on par in terms of depth and complexity with other recognized wine certification programs.
The courses are asynchronous, and can be accessed at any time. “We developed an online course that incorporates video, text, graphics and an interactive experience that is easy for the wine stewards to complete on their own time,” Oggenfuss said, explaining that the first level will take from 12 to 14 hours, and the second from 18 to 20 hours to complete. “It is forward thinking of Albertsons to invest in their employees, bolster their confidence, and provide a cost-effective way for them to both continue their wine education and further their careers.”
“Our stores have become a destination for customers seeking wine, beer and spirits,” said Albertsons Companies’ Curtis Mann, Master of Wine and Group Vice President Wine, Beer and Spirits, “By educating our beverage stewards with an advanced certification program developed by one of the top wine academies in the country, we are providing the tools that our alcoholic beverage professionals need, to help customers as they navigate hundreds of wine brands while shopping our aisles. Many of our stores have more than 1,000 different wines on the shelf, and it is our job to help our customers find the right bottle for every occasion.”