RAISE your glasses to the opening of a new wine school which will be running courses in St Albans and Harpenden.

Hertfordshire Wine School will be opening its doors in January 2011 to offer anything from a two-hour evening wine tasting or an all-day introductory session with lunch, through to a full eight-week course – perfect for those who enjoy a tipple and would love to learn more.

The school is part of an independent company not linked to any wine merchants or retailers, and will be run by Harpenden wine enthusiast David Rough.

It marks a new career move for David, who has worked in business development and marketing for large city law firms for 18 years. He was inspired to make a career out of his interest in wine after going along to a number of courses and realising: “I could do that.”

David, who holds a WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust) qualification, discovered the Local Wine School franchise by chance when searching online for tastings, and thought it provided the ideal opportunity to set up his own business.

David, who lists New Zealand Pinot Noir amongst his favourite wines, said: “The courses and tastings at the school offer a great opportunity to try new wines and learn a little more about the subject in a relaxed environment. There is a steady and growing interest in wine and we are lucky, in this country, to have access to a vast choice of wine from all over the world.

“I saw a gap in the market to run a successful wine tasting company with a unique level of quality, range, price and location. We’ll be offering user-friendly courses which will provide the perfect way to meet other wine lovers living locally and I’m looking forward to seeing what people think of the range of courses on offer.”

The choice of courses will appeal to all wine lovers, from those with no previous experience of wine tasting, to food and wine industry professionals who want to better advise their customers.

The school’s tastings and courses will focus on specific wine regions, grape varieties and countries. The eight-week introductory course will involve tasting wines from all major wine-producing countries, including France, Italy, Spain, New Zealand, Australia and Chile.

If you’re looking for an original Christmas gift this year, all courses and tastings are available to buy as gift vouchers for family and friends and can be ordered online.

Courses and tastings will take place in St Albans and Harpenden. For more information or to book a course, visit www.hertfordshirewineschool.com or phone David Rough on 01582 768716.