The Wine Manager's Playbook
Like Duolingo, but for The Wine Manager's Playbook. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
For the part of you with thirty open tabs that never became anything.
175 levels across 8 sections, about 350 minutes end to end, roughly 70 days at five minutes a day. It moves through Answering the Most Common Customer Questions, The Art of the Perfect Pairing, Mastering the Sweetness Scale, Navigating the Main Varieties, Handling Wine Like a Pro, Impressive Trivia for the Sales Floor, Managing the Inventory and Trends, and The Science Under the Cork. It starts from scratch.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in The Wine Manager's Playbook
- Yeast consumes sugar during fermentation
- Aromas of fruit are independent of sugar content
- Dryness means all or most grape sugar has been converted to alcohol
- Fruitiness is a flavor profile, while sweetness is a physical sensation of sugar
- The technical definition of 'dry' in winemaking
- Distinguishing between fruitiness and sweetness
- Sauvignon Blanc is a benchmark dry white
- Moscato is defined by high residual sugar
- Lower alcohol often indicates unfinished fermentation (leftover sugar)
- Identifying varietals by their typical sweetness profile
- Higher alcohol indicates the yeast ate more of the sugar
- Using ABV as a proxy for sweetness levels
- Tannins create a drying, sandpaper feel on the gums
- High acidity creates a mouth-watering sensation that cleanses sugar
- Sancerre (Sauvignon Blanc) is classically bone dry
- Factors that create a 'drying' sensation on the palate
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives The Wine Manager's Playbook the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
What do those tiny yeast 'monsters' eat during the winemaking process?
Get it right to open this lesson and 174 more in the app.
Where The Wine Manager's Playbook takes you
Master the art of selling wine by helping customers find exactly what they need. From decoding sweetness levels to suggesting the perfect dinner pairing, you'll become the most trusted expert on the floor.
- 1
Answering the Most Common Customer Questions
- Is this wine sweet or dry?
- Finding a 'smooth' red for a beginner
- What to recommend when they have no idea what they want
- How to read a wine label quickly
- 2
The Art of the Perfect Pairing
- What goes with steak and heavy meats
- Matching white wines with fish and salads
- The secret to pairing spicy food
- Dessert wines and sweet treats
- The 'What grows together, goes together' rule
- 3
Mastering the Sweetness Scale
- The difference between fruity and sweet
- Understanding Residual Sugar (RS)
- From Bone Dry to Dessert Sweet
- 4
Navigating the Main Varieties
- The Big Reds: Cab, Merlot, and Syrah
- The Big Whites: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauv Blanc
- The Rise of Rosé
- Sparkling wines for every budget
- Lesser-known gems to boost your sales
- Why Pinot Noir is a crowd favorite
- 5
Handling Wine Like a Pro
- The right temperature for every bottle
- When to suggest a decanter
- How long does an open bottle actually last?
- Spotting a 'corked' or spoiled wine
- 6
Impressive Trivia for the Sales Floor
- Why some wines cost $10 and others cost $100
- The truth about sulfites and headaches
- What 'Tannins' actually feel like
- The story behind the 'legs' on a glass
- Old World vs. New World styles
- 7
Managing the Inventory and Trends
- Understanding 'Vintages' and why years matter
- The boom of organic and natural wines
- Boxed wine and alternative packaging
- 8
The Science Under the Cork
- How grapes turn into alcohol
- The role of oak barrels in flavor
- Soil, sun, and rain: The concept of Terroir
- How bubbles get into the bottle
- The chemistry of aging wine
8 sections · 35 units · 175 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
You pick the voice
The Wine Manager's Playbook is taught in the Explain Like I'm 5 style: no big words. promise.. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
More Food & Drink on Tomo
The Confident Connoisseur
Move beyond the basics of red and white to master the art of pairing, tasting, and selecting. Learn to navigate any wine list with ease and understand the hidden factors that make a bottle truly exceptional.
Wine: From Grape to Glass
Uncover the secrets behind your favorite bottle of wine. Learn how simple grapes transform into complex flavors and how to pick the perfect glass for any occasion.
Beyond the Label: Mastering Wine
Move past the basics and learn to decode complex flavors, pair like a pro, and navigate any wine list with confidence. Discover the hidden factors that make a great bottle stand out from the rest.
Mastering the Noble Eight
Move beyond the label and learn to identify the world's most influential grapes by their structure and personality. Discover how climate and soil transform these eight varietals from simple juice into complex masterpieces.
Mastering French Wine
Stop feeling lost at the wine shop and start picking bottles like a pro. Learn to navigate the famous regions of France by taste, label, and location.
The Sophisticated Sip
Move beyond the basics of 'red or white' and 'lager or ale.' Master the art of pairing, identifying complex flavor profiles, and understanding the hidden chemistry that makes every glass unique.
Start The Wine Manager's Playbook today.
Download Tomo, search The Wine Manager's Playbook, and play your first lesson in under a minute.