Karnataka government stops Wine Education course
BENGALURU: Bengaluru, popular for its beer and wine culture, will soon lose its appeal to tourists seeking to enroll themselves in the wine making and pairing training course, as the state government has stopped offering the course. According to sources in Karnataka Grape and Wine Board, the state government had stopped the funding for the Wine Education Appreciation and Tasting Course (WEAT) for the past two years. The course was introduced by the state government in 2014, offering free classes for government hotel management students. Here they were being trained in wine making, pairing, food pairing, details of wine grape growing regions and their quality and exposure to international vineyards and breweries. From 2015 to 2024, 10,500 students were trained. The government spent Rs 6500 per student for training students from horticultural and hotel management colleges. The course which was being offered was similar to the wine and spirit education trust course offered in London. The course was training students up to Level-2 and then offering them a ground to apply for international universities for further training or internship in hotels and restaurant chains. But since the course has been stopped due to lack of funds, the students have been left out, an official seeking anonymity explained. The Board is now preparing a report to approach the government once again seeking it be included in the upcoming budget announcement for the benefit of students. The officials said that this is important was it not just offers exposure, but also helps them get scholarship for specialised training and helps in getting jobs. The WEAT course was held for a duration of 10 working hours, exposing students to 10 different types of wines. Experts from the field of wine and professionals trained in the courses were roped in for training students. The mininum age to join the course was 20 years of age Lecturers and working professionals were also given a window to participate in the training course, with the listed course fee. The course offered in Karnataka was on par with Wine and Spirit Education Trust course, offered in London, where the fee is over Rs 1.5 lakh. Some courses are also offered online, where the fees is Rs 11,000, but the wine bottles and pairing materials have to be additionally purchased. After undergoing this course, students have the options to either undertake higher studies or undergo internships to become chefs, wine tasters or even set up own wine business, the official added.
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