Texas Hill Wine Association – WISE DTC Management Certification Scholarship
Are you a rising leader in the wine business, ready to take the next step — but without the budget for more training? That’s exactly why we designed the WISE DTC Management Certification Scholarship: to invest in you and your team.
Why WISE?
At WISE, we’re dedicated exclusively to helping wineries and wine-industry professionals grow stronger through real-world education, operational excellence, and peer-powered learning. Our courses are built by people who have worked tasting rooms, managed multi-state wine clubs, built sales teams, drilled into financial controls, and coached leaders. We don’t just teach theory — we teach from experience, insight and best practices.
Classes are offered virtually (via Zoom) but never pre-recorded. They’re live, interactive, and hands-on — because we believe real learning happens by doing. WISE creates a safe, collaborative environment where questions, experimentation, peer exchange, and trial-and-error are all part of the process. You’ll leave class not just with knowledge, but with confidence and capability.
Our scholarship recipients don’t just sit in class — they transform. You’ll get tools, language, confidence, networks and frameworks ready to deploy the day you return to the job.
What You’ll Receive
A. Core Foundation (21 hours)
WISE #201 Management Core Foundation
- 12 hours of people-leadership training — how to hire, onboard, coach, engage, measure performance, give feedback, build culture, and lead remote or hybrid teams when needed.
- 9 hours of DTC accounting & finance fundamentals — including revenue tracking, cost control, profitability levers, margin analysis, forecasting, reporting, and interpreting key financial ratios so you can speak the “number language” of ownership and boardroom.
B. Channel-Specific Management (choose one, 18 hours)
Depending on your role and career ambitions, you may choose one of the following tracks:
- WISE #211 Tasting Room Management — Focused on hands-on strategies for managing guest experience, staff workflows, compliance, inventory, staffing schedules, customer flow, event coordination, upselling techniques, conflict resolution, and creating a memorable brand-centric environment.
- WISE #213 Wine Club Management — Built to sharpen your ability to build and sustain membership, design compelling offers, handle renewals/retention, quantify lifetime customer value, measure churn, implement automated workflows, communicate effectively, and optimize your club’s financial contribution to the winery’s bottom line.
Both tracks are delivered in instructor-led sessions, use real case studies, include hands-on assignments, and are tailored to the specific challenges and opportunities wineries face in today’s DTC landscape.
Why This Is a Great Opportunity
- Zero cost to you: The full certification is covered by the scholarship (sponsored in partnership with industry peers).
- High value: The training offer is equivalent to a $1,500 sponsorship-level support, but focused entirely on developing you.
- Career-ready credentials: You walk away with clear, concrete credentials in leadership and operations — not just theory, but tools you can apply immediately.
- Network boost: You’ll join a cohort of your peers. WISE encourages ongoing collaboration, benchmarking, discussion of best practices, and mutual support.
- Flexible path: You select the channel focus aligned with your current role or your aspiration (tasting room or wine club), keeping your training relevant and actionable.
Who Should Apply
You are a strong candidate if you are:
- Already in a supervisory, lead, coordinator, or new manager role in a winery, tasting room, or wine club environment; or transitioning into that role.
- Motivated to improve guest experience, staff performance, club/member results, operational margins, and long-term business sustainability.
- Willing to engage actively: complete assignments, participate in discussions, and apply the material in your work.
- Eager to join the broader WISE professional community and benefit from continued peer learning.