New World Mastery
Pacific Northwest
Willamette Valley Pinot and Washington Cabernet and Syrah.
14 lessons2,856 practice questions1 certification exam~5 hrs of reading
What you’ll master
Explain how the Cascade Mountains create two fundamentally different wine climates within the Pacific Northwest and why this matters when navigating a list
Describe the Willamette Valley's geography (its north-south orientation, boundary ranges, and relationship to Portland and Eugene) in terms that orient a guest unfamiliar with Oregon
Recount the founding story of Oregon Pinot Noir (from David Lett's 1965 plantings through the 1979 Gault-Millau tasting and the Drouhin rematch) and deploy it as a guest-facing narrative
Explain the geographic mechanism of the Van Duzer Corridor, how a gap in the Coast Range creates the extreme afternoon cooling that defines Eola-Amity's wine character
The curriculum
14 lessons01
Pacific Northwest Overview: Oregon, Washington, and America's Most Exciting Wine Frontier
21 min read233 practice questions
02
Willamette Valley: Oregon's Wine Heart
20 min read272 practice questions
03
Dundee Hills & Chehalem Mountains: Where Oregon Pinot Noir Was Born
18 min read209 practice questions
04
Eola-Amity Hills & Van Duzer Corridor: Oregon's Most Burgundian Frontier
20 min read193 practice questions
05
Yamhill-Carlton, McMinnville & Ribbon Ridge: The Aromatic Arc of the Northern Willamette
23 min read224 practice questions
06
Columbia Valley: Washington's Great Wine Basin
20 min read179 practice questions
07
Walla Walla Valley: Washington's Wine Capital and the Birth of American Collectible Cabernet
24 min read204 practice questions
08
Red Mountain: Washington's Most Prestigious Appellation
24 min read180 practice questions
09
Horse Heaven Hills & Yakima Valley: Washington's Volume and Variety
19 min read203 practice questions
10
Washington White Wines: Riesling, Chardonnay, and America's Most Underrated White Wine State
19 min read194 practice questions
11
Washington State: Syrah and the Red Variety Revolution
22 min read217 practice questions
12
Oregon Beyond the Willamette: Southern AVAs, Coastal Influence, and the Case for Tempranillo
21 min read180 practice questions
13
Oregon White Wines: The Underestimated Half of a Great Wine State
21 min read188 practice questions
14
Pacific Northwest on the Floor: Service, Sales & Guest Experience
32 min read180 practice questions
Pacific Northwest Mastery Exam
LockedComplete all 14 lessons to unlock the exam and earn the Wine Saint Certified: Pacific Northwest credential. A free account tracks your lessons and holds your certificate.