
A Self-Learning Guide to the World of Wine
Become a wine expert by spending an extra 5 minutes with the wines you’re already drinking
The Commonplace Wine Sommelier Journal is a self-learning guide based on the 600 year old tradition of the “Commonplace Book” and recommendations from top sommeliers and wine makers around the world. Designed to be used while drinking, this journal is used to amplify your understanding and the experience of each glass you taste. With a knowledge guide to keep you moving forward and review prompts throughout, you won’t just have a record of the most interesting wines you find, you’ll expand your enjoyment and understanding of this complex world with each look, smell, and sip you take.

Wine is Complex, Your Tastes are Unique
There’s almost nothing more complicated and diverse than the wine world. While experienced sommeliers can generally provide great recommendations, there’s no better expert on your own preferences than yourself. You’re the one drinking it after all. However most of us are pretty clueless. Can you recognize a wine that you’ll enjoy based on the description? Is there even a way to know? What should you look for? What specific aspects of a wine do you love the most?
Start by looking, smelling, and tasting
The Commonplace Wine Sommelier Journal guides you step-by-step through an entire tasting, including visual and aroma assessment. This simple process will allow you to better understand and recognize the more subtle aspects the wines you drink. The end result is better appreciation, a wider range of tastes, and the ability to recognize a wine by its look, smell, and taste alone.


Increase your enjoyment of each glass with information about the vines, region, and history of your wine
Connecting your physical experiences to factual information is one of the most powerful ways to learn. After you finish tasting (ideally as soon as possible), take a few minutes to either talk with the wine-maker (when tasting at vineyard), server/sommelier (at dinner), or look-up a few relevant facts about the wine you’re drinking via Google, a wine book, or any other resource. List each relevant fact/facts in the right page of the commonplace wine sommelier journal to create constantly growing, completely personalized record of your learning for later reference and review.
Review, re-taste, and track your progress to wine mastery
Glass by glass, you’ll increase your wine knowledge until you know all you need to know and more. Even better, since each learning experience is completely personalized (only drink the wines that you’re interested in) it won’t feel like learning at all. You’ll remember easier and have more fun completing your Commonplace Wine Sommelier journal than any other self-taught course.

A completely personal learning experience
Reinforce each tasting experience with detailed information about where the wine was grown, how it was made, it’s history, and advice from wine-makers and top experts on how to best enjoy it.
(click the colored circles below for details)


Blind Tasting Cards Included –
The Ultimate Sommelier Challenge
You’ve been drinking and learning like crazy, but do you really know your wines? Test your skills by simulating the ultimate wine sommelier challenge – the Blind Tasting. Included with each journal are two dozen blind tasting cards to guide you through a blind wine tasting just like a professional sommelier. Using 2-4 glasses of wine, you’ll taste each wine and guess it’s varietal, grape type, vineyard, origin, and more! Taste with friends for an exciting night out!

Journals vs Apps
“When you have to use your energy to put those words down, you are more apt to make them count.” – Raymond Chandler
While digital tools are often easier and more convenient than pen and paper, the actual act of writing down thoughts, ideas, and information has been shown to drastically improve memory and understanding. Spend less time and money by using tools that work (if apps were effective you’d already be an expert).
Based on the latest memory and learning research
Spaced repetition
“Spaced repetition is a technique for efficient memorization & practice of skills where instead of doing a lot of work quickly, each item’s practices are automatically spread out over time, with increasing durations as one learns the item.”

Distributed practice
“For best results, spread your study over an extended period of time. Students often “mass” their study — in other words, they cram. But distributing learning over time is much more effective”

Interleaved practice
“Students tend to study in blocks, finishing one topic or type of problem before moving on to the next. But research has shown benefits for interleaved practice, in which students alternate a variety of types of information or problems.

Deliberate practice
Deliberate Practice is a focused effort designed for the purpose of improving performance. It is most effective when accompanied by a mentor’s or teacher’s guidance — like that of a wine-maker or sommelier.

Multi-sensory memory
“…it is in large part thanks to our capacity to form and manipulate mental imagery that humankind has been able to out-compete rival species, and develop our complex cultures and technologies.”

Elaboration and Inquisition
“Inquisitive by nature, we are always looking for explanations for the world around us. A sizable body of evidence suggests that prompting students to answer ‘Why?’ questions also facilitates learning”
Designed from the advice and suggestions of the world’s top wine experts and sommeliers

Aldo Sohm
Award winning sommelier and Winemaker

Élyse Lambert
Canada’s most well-known wine expert

Ashley Ragovin
Wine expert and hospitality consultant

Helen Johannesen
Sommelier and hospitality expert

Brian McClintic
Master sommelier featured in “Somm”

Gary Vaynerchuck
American entrepreneur and wine expert

Elizabeth Schweitzer
Master sommelier

Christian Jacobsen
Sommelier, world champion

Julie Dupouy
Ireland’s top sommelier

Chris Blanchard
Master sommelier and consultant

Tim Gaiser
Master sommelier and professor

Andrea Robinson
Master Sommelier, Author, TV Host
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