Wine Learning — From Curious to Confident
From curious to confident.
Bite-sized learning modules covering wine fundamentals, grape varieties, food pairing, and tasting technique. Earn XP, level up through 10 stages, and unlock achievement badges.
Fundamentals free, all modules with Premium
What You Get
Bite-Sized Modules
Learn wine fundamentals, grape essentials, label reading, and food pairing in focused, card-based lessons.
Gamified Progression
Earn XP for every action. Level up from Curious Sipper to Master Sommelier across 10 stages.
Achievement Badges
Unlock badges for milestones like your first scan, tenth region explored, and completing learning modules.
How It Works
Start a lesson
Pick a module like Wine 101 or Red Grape Essentials and swipe through the cards.
Take the quiz
Test your knowledge at the end of each module and earn XP based on your score.
Track your level
Watch your XP grow and your level climb on the profile screen.
Wine Knowledge, Without the Textbook
Learning about wine shouldn’t feel like studying for a final exam. It should feel like a conversation with a knowledgeable friend — interesting, practical, and worth your time.
Sommo’s learning modules break wine education into focused, card-based lessons that teach you something useful in under 10 minutes.
The Modules
Wine 101
Where everyone starts. Covers the basics: how wine is made, the major grape varieties, what terms like terroir, tannin, and appellation actually mean, and how to read a wine label without feeling lost.
Tasting Basics
Learn to taste with intention. This module introduces the same Systematic Approach to Tasting used by WSET professionals, adapted for beginners. By the end, you’ll be able to identify acidity, body, and tannin levels in any wine.
Reading Labels
Wine labels contain more information than most people realise. This module teaches you to decode producer names, regional classifications, vintage dates, and quality indicators across different countries.
Red Grape Essentials
Deep dives into the major red grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, and more. Each grape’s characteristics, best regions, and what to expect in the glass.
White Grape Essentials
The same treatment for white grapes: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Grigio, and others. Key flavour profiles, climate preferences, and classic food pairings.
Food Pairing Basics
The principles behind why certain wines work with certain foods. Covers matching weight, complementary and contrasting flavours, and the classic pairings worth knowing. Practical enough to use at your next dinner.
Gamified, Not Gimmicky
Every action in Sommo earns XP. Scan a wine: 10 XP. Create a journal entry: 10 XP. Pass a quiz with a high score: up to 35 XP. The XP accumulates and determines your level.
| Level | Title | XP Required |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Curious Sipper | 0 |
| 2 | Grape Explorer | 50 |
| 3 | Cork Puller | 150 |
| 4 | Aroma Hunter | 300 |
| 5 | Vineyard Wanderer | 500 |
| 6 | Terroir Seeker | 800 |
| 7 | Palate Pro | 1,200 |
| 8 | Cellar Master | 1,800 |
| 9 | Wine Sage | 2,500 |
| 10 | Master Sommelier | 3,500 |
The gamification serves a purpose. Progression feels natural because it’s tied to real activity: tasting, learning, exploring. Not artificial engagement loops.
Achievement Badges
Badges mark milestones across every part of the app:
- First Wine — Scan your first bottle
- Ten Wines — A growing collection of experiences
- First Region / Ten Regions — Your geographic exploration
- Variety Explorer — Tasting across different grape varieties
- Five Lessons — Building structured knowledge
- Level Five — Reaching Vineyard Wanderer status
- Premium Member — Joining the full Sommo experience
Each badge is earned through genuine engagement, not passive usage. They appear on your profile alongside your level and statistics.
Start Free, Go Deeper
The Fundamentals module (Wine 101) is free on all plans. Premium unlocks every module, plus WSET Exam Prep for formal certification study. Whether you’re starting from zero or filling gaps in existing knowledge, the modules meet you where you are.
Frequently Asked Questions
Current modules include Wine 101, Tasting Basics, Reading Labels, Red Grape Essentials, White Grape Essentials, and Food Pairing Basics. The Fundamentals module is free; the rest require Premium.
Most modules take 5 to 10 minutes to complete. They're designed for short sessions — a commute, a coffee break, or a few minutes before dinner.
XP (experience points) are earned for actions across the app: scanning wines, creating journal entries, completing lessons, passing quizzes, and more. Your total XP determines your level, from Curious Sipper (Level 1) to Master Sommelier (Level 10).
No. Modules are independent. Start with whatever interests you. That said, Wine 101 and Tasting Basics provide useful foundations for the others.
Badges mark genuine milestones: your first wine scan, your tenth region explored, completing five lessons, reaching Level 5. They're designed to recognise real progress, not busy work.
