Welcome to the Beverageintelligence Level 3 | Art of Storytelling course. This course is designed to help you and your teams transform from order takers into memory makers, giving you the skills and confidence to turn every wine on your list into an unforgettable Guest experience. Allister Kreft and Penny Setti will be your curators for this course, joined by Diane Chimboza, Managing Director of Under the Influence Kenya, who will be your mentor.
Picture this. A Guest settles into their chair after a long day on safari. The sun has set, the campfire flickers warmly, and dinner is about to be served. Your waiter approaches and says, "May I interest you in a Pinot Noir from Elgin?" Accurate? Yes. Memorable? Not quite. Now imagine the same moment, but this time the waiter shares that the wine comes from a family who have dedicated half of their farm to conservation, including the endangered Cape Leopard, high up in the cool Elgin valley where the climate is perfect for Pinot Noir. Same wine, completely different experience. That is the power of storytelling.
Guests do not travel to a lodge in the Masai Mara, or a boutique hotel in the Seychelles, to hear about malolactic fermentation or technical tasting notes. They come for the experience, to be transported, and the most powerful vehicle for that transportation is a well-told story. As our CEO Allister Kreft learned early in his career, nobody cares about your wine knowledge; they care about the stories behind the wine.
The outcomes of this course include mastering our TPPP storytelling framework, understanding what separates a good storyteller from a great one, and developing the practical skills to deliver the ultimate Guest experience in any dining environment.
The course is being released in a section by section basis this Term with selected learners, as we gain their feedback and insights, and add modules accordingly.
The Level 3 | Art of Storytelling course has been designed to be user-friendly, allowing you, the student, to easily track your progress using the Progress tab while completing the course. In each section you will find captivating videos, in-depth topic notes, as well as a fun and challenging Test Your Knowledge quiz. We have also introduced a series of small written questions, which are compulsory. These small written questions, will be marked your AI wine Tutor, Fundi, who will give you feedback on your work.
Once you've completed all the sections (including the Test Your Knowledge quizzes) of the Course, you will write The Ultimate Test Your Knowledge quiz. The course pass rate is a minimum of 70%. The Test Your Knowledge quizzes (homework assignments) make up 60% of your final mark while The Ultimate Test Your Knowledge quiz makes up the other 40% of your final mark.
So at the end of this course you are going to be informed, empowered, and be able to deliver the ultimate service to your guests.
Let’s get started!
Allister is the CEO and founder of Under the Influence and an experienced member of the Beverageintelligence training team, having educated staff in over 300 lodge and hotel properties across the continent. He loves wines from Elgin and the right bank of Bordeaux.
Allister is passionate about building confidence and drinks skills among learners on the African continent.
Diane is the Founder and Managing Director of Under the Influence Kenya, where she leads the company’s training, education, and guest experience initiatives. A passionate advocate for wine education, she is dedicated to developing the next generation of wine professionals and empowering aspiring wine stewards across the industry, particularly women in hospitality. Known for her love of Champagne, sparkling wines, and rosé, Diane combines expertise, enthusiasm, and a people-first approach to create memorable wine experiences throughout Kenya.
Penny Setti studied Political Science but a single glass of wine changed the course of her life back in 2000. Originally from Zambia but now based in Cape Town and still boundlessly passionate about the vine, Penny is a sommelier, consultant and used to her own a wine bar. Penny is furthering her education with the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 4 Diploma, has been a judge on various tasting panels, and is a prominent promoter of women in wine. Penny's favourite white is a delicious old vine Chenin Blanc from South Africa.
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