THE WINE EDUCATION CENTRE
The educational arm of Wines of Western Australia
The Wine Education Centre (WEC) is the prime provider of wine education for consumers and trade in Western Australia.
It has been providing quality wine education for well over 40 years. The Wine Essentials Course is designed to increase your wine knowledge and develop your palate. The only prerequisite is a love of wine. It is also an appropriate course for those about to enter the wine trade, with a Certificate of Merit awarded upon completion. Throughout the year, Old Bridge Cellars also hosts the Wine Education Centre’s specialty wine courses. These are short courses which focus on a particular style or region. All courses are managed by Blair Hill, who comes with a wealth of wine industry experience.
Wine Educator – Blair Hill
BPE, Dip Ed (UWA), Grad Dip Bus (Marketing) (ECU) DIP WSET (WSET-UK)
In addition to his longstanding role as Director at the WEC, Blair’s wine education experience includes the delivery of Level 2 and 3 of the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) courses, and a sessional lecturer at Curtin University in Sensory Evaluation 202, a second-year Oenology and Viticulture unit. In his ‘day job’, Blair consults to a number of Western Australian boutique wineries in strategic sales, marketing and business development across domestic and international wine markets. He is a Director of Vintage Fine Wine Distributors (VFWD), which imports and distributes exclusive French, Italian, South African and ultra-premium Australian wines of provenance and regionality. Blair has been the wine reviewer for ABC 720 radio’s ‘Afternoons’ for ten years, for which he won the Court Wine Bar/Wine Press Club Media Award. He has judged at a number of regional wine shows including the Geographe, Swan Valley, Perth Hills and the WA Boutique Single Vineyard Wine Shows.
Courses 2025
Wine Essentials Course North Fremantle
The Wine Essentials courses are conducted at By Old Bridge North Fremantle:
Venue: By Old Bridge Cellars
MAY Date: Commences Tuesday 29th July, 2025 – 6.30pm – 8.30pm
Price – $395 pp (15% off for WoWA Members and their staff)
The Wine Essentials Course is held over four consecutive weeks, the course covers six wines per session.
Click here to learn more
The course provides the necessary information for all wine enthusiasts who are looking to increase their wine knowledge and approach to tasting. It is also an appropriate course for those about to enter or are in the wine trade.
- Week One – Learn how to taste and assess a range of wine styles and understand the wine show system in Australia.
- Week Two – White wine production, styles and botrytis cinerea (noble rot).
- Week Three – Red wine production, styles, importance of oak and cellaring potential of wine.
- Week Four – Food and wine matching to be held at Samsons Paddock restaurant, Mosman Park.
- Plus a Saturday vineyard visit to the Swan Valley or Perth Hills and the Essential Wine Tasting Guide.
Contact Person: Blair Hill
Telephone: 0417 987 461
Email enquiries: [email protected]
Wine Essentials Course Como
These Wine Essentials courses are conducted at Old Bridge Como:
Venue: Old Bridge Cellars Como
JULY Date: Commencing Monday 28 July, 2025 – 6.30PM – 8.30PM
Price – $395 pp (15% off for WoWA Members and their staff)
The Wine Essentials Course is held over four consecutive weeks, the course covers six wines per session.
Click here to learn more
The course provides the necessary information for all wine enthusiasts who are looking to increase their wine knowledge and approach to tasting. It is also an appropriate course for those about to enter or are in the wine trade.
- Week One – Learn how to taste and assess a range of wine styles and understand the wine show system in Australia.
- Week Two – White wine production, styles and botrytis cinerea (noble rot).
- Week Three – Red wine production, styles, importance of oak and cellaring potential of wine.
- Week Four – Food and wine matching to be held at Juniper and Bay on Preston St, Como on Wednesday August 20, 2025.
- Plus a Saturday vineyard visit to the Swan Valley or Perth Hills and the Essential Wine Tasting Guide.
Contact Person: Blair Hill
Telephone: 0417 987 461
Email enquiries: [email protected]
Riedel Wine Glass Experience
Discover how the shape and size of your wine glass affects your perception of flavour and aroma.
Date: Tuesday July 22, 2025 – 6.30pm – 8pm
Tickets: $225 pp
Includes four RIEDEL Veloce glasses, valued at $250
As the world’s leading glassware brand, RIEDEL’s iconic comparative tasting reveals the vital role your wine glass plays in enjoyment. Hosted by Mark Baulderstone, the Managing Director of RIEDEL Australia, this fascinating class demonstrates how
RIEDEL’s nearly 270-year history of design and invention has shaped the glassware industry into what we know it today. Every attendee will receive their set of four varietal specific glasses from the RIEDEL Veloce collection to take home at the end of the Experience.
The Magic of Fortified Wines
An evening with James Talijancich on the magic of Fortifieds Wines
Date: Tuesday July 15th, 6.30pm – 8.30pm
About James: James and Hilda Talijancich purchased their Swan Valley winery and vineyard and moved into the winery homestead with their four children in 1998.
Since that period they have followed the bio-dynamic approach to viticulture, which is the strictest form of organic growing developed by Rudolph Steiner.
Talijancich Wines remains one of the few producers in the region that focuses on wines made solely from Swan Valley fruit, with the majority of their wines being estate grown.
Sparkling Wines of the World
Explore the wonderful world of sparkling wines. You will be guided through a range of the world’s best sparkling wine styles including Champagne, Cava, Prosecco and others.
Blair Hill DipWSET will discuss the regions of origin and the methods of production for each of the styles. There will be up to eight wines tasted throughout the two hour session and some premium cheese plates provided.
Date: Tuesday 2 December 2025
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Venue: By Old Bridge Cellars North Fremantle
Price: $90 Contact: Blair Hill Telephone: 0417 987461
Email enquiries: [email protected]
Testimonials
I loved that course! Never have I looked forward to Tuesday evenings so much. Blair is such a good teacher!