Reviewed by Mathew Benoit, COO of Learn Brands · October 2026
A shopper holds two Riojas and asks why one costs more when both are Tempranillo. A guest orders sherry and expects it to be sweet. A table wants bubbles and has never heard of Cava. Spanish wine fills shelves and wine lists, and its labels pair a place name with an aging word, so these questions come up every shift.
Spanish Wine: From Label to Glass is a free Spanish wine course that teaches you to read a Spanish label and its aging words, know the major regions and the grapes behind them, and pair and serve Spanish wine and sherry with confidence. It takes about 30 minutes, self-paced, across seven short narrated lessons.
What you'll learn
Seven lessons that move from the label to the regions to the table.
How Spanish wine works (Lesson 1). Why Spanish labels name the place, the label levels DOCa and DO, the aging words Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva, and how to read a label line by line.
Rioja, Ribera and Tempranillo (Lesson 2). Spain's great red grape, oak-aged Rioja and the vanilla that American oak adds, and bold Tempranillo from the high plateau of Ribera del Duero.
Green Spain: the Northwest (Lesson 3). Crisp, salty Albariño from Rías Baixas, zesty Verdejo from Rueda, spritzy Txakoli from the Basque Country, Godello, and fresh, floral Mencía.
Cava, Catalonia and Priorat (Lesson 4). How Cava gets its bubbles in the bottle, the same way as Champagne, what Brut Nature means, and the dark, powerful reds from Priorat's steep slate slopes.
Sherry (Lesson 5). Why most sherry is dry, how flor and the solera work, and the styles from pale Fino to nutty Oloroso to sweet Pedro Ximénez.
Warm Spain (Lesson 6). Juicy Garnacha, dark Monastrell, big Toro, dry Spanish rosado, and fresh, smoky wines from the volcanic Canary Islands.
Pairing, selling and serving (Lesson 7). Simple pairing rules (what grows together goes together, match the weight, Cava's bubbles cut through salt and fried food, tannin loves protein), how to recommend a bottle, serving temperatures, and what one standard drink of wine or sherry looks like.
How the course works
Each lesson is a short narrated walkthrough with photos from Spanish vineyards, bodegas and tapas bars, narrated in a Spanish accent so every place name sounds right. Six games keep it moving: sort places from grapes, build a Rioja blend, match each place to its grape, call sherries dry or sweet, name the region from a clue, and ask the right questions to find a guest's need. You tap through a Spanish label to learn each part. At the start you pick your role, store staff, server or bartender, distributor rep, or wine fan, and the course adds tips for that role in every lesson plus a practice conversation made for it, from answering a Rioja question in the aisle to pitching Spanish wines by the glass.
It closes with a 15-question final quiz. Twelve correct passes. It is online and self-paced, and it works on a phone, tablet, or desktop.
Who this is for
Wine shop and liquor store staff, servers and bartenders who get asked about Spanish wine and sherry, and distributor sales reps who sell them to stores and restaurants. It also fits anyone who wants to stop guessing in the Spanish aisle and pick a bottle with confidence.
What you walk away with
You'll be able to read a Spanish wine label, explain Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva in a sentence, know Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Green Spain, Catalonia, sherry country and warm Spain apart, pair Spanish wine with tapas and dinner, and recommend the right bottle to a guest.
Free to enroll. Self-paced. Certificate on completion.
Who built this course
Spanish Wine: From Label to Glass was created by the Learn Brands education team under the direction of Mathew Benoit, COO and Creative Director of Learn Brands. Mathew grew up working in his family's liquor store and spent more than ten years on the distributor side of the beverage alcohol business, including eight years as a marketing director and work representing national brands. The course is built from what store staff, servers, and sales reps actually get asked on the floor.
How we checked the facts
Label levels and aging rules were checked against Wines from Spain (ICEX) and each region against its own regulating council: DOCa Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Rías Baixas, Rueda, Ribeira Sacra, Cava, DOQ Priorat, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry, Jumilla and Lanzarote. Vineyard area figures come from the International Organisation of Vine and Wine. Every photo was checked by eye to make sure it shows what the lesson says.
Responsible service
The course covers responsible service as general education. Alcohol service laws vary by state and city, and many states require an approved seller or server permit. Check your local requirements before you sell or pour.
Last reviewed October 2026.
Spanish Wine FAQ
Is this course free?
Yes. Spanish Wine: From Label to Glass is part of the free Core Education Suite, free to take and free to assign to your team. No cost, no subscription, no card required. A certificate is issued on completion.
How long does it take?
About 30 minutes, self-paced: seven short narrated lessons, six games, and a 15-question final quiz. You can stop and pick up where you left off.
Do I need to know anything about wine first?
No. The course starts with how a Spanish label works and builds from there. If you want a general wine primer too, Wine Essentials covers the basics.
What do Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva mean on a Spanish label?
They tell you how long the wine aged before release. Under national rules a red Crianza has aged at least two years with part of it in oak, a Reserva at least three years, and a Gran Reserva at least five years, made in the best years. Rioja's rules are stricter on oak time. Lesson 1 shows you how to read them.
Is sherry always sweet?
No. Most sherry is dry. Fino and Manzanilla are pale and bone dry, aged under a layer of yeast called flor, and Oloroso is dark, nutty and still dry. The sweet ones, like Pedro Ximénez, are made from dried grapes or sweetened on purpose. Lesson 5 covers the styles.
Can I enroll my whole team?
Yes. Create a free company account, assign the course, and track who has started and finished from the Learn Brands dashboard.
Get certified
Selling or serving wine? TIPS Off-Premise Alcohol Server Training covers responsible sales for wine and liquor stores, and TIPS On-Premise Alcohol Server Training is the responsible service certification many bars and restaurants require. Buying for a team? Register your business free and assign seats across your whole staff.
Related courses
Keep going with French Wine: From Label to Glass, Italian Wine: From Label to Glass, German Wine: From Label to Glass, New World Wines: From Label to Glass, The Science of Wine and Wine Essentials: A Complete Beginner's Guide, add Cheese 101: From Milk to Board for pairings, and sharpen your palate with The Professional's Guide to Alcohol Tasting. Browse the free Core Education Suite.
About the reviewer
Mathew Benoit is COO of Learn Brands. He has a family liquor store background, spent more than eight years as Marketing Director at the distributor Vinocopia, and has represented brands nationally. Read Mathew's full bio.
