An Introduction to Wild Wine at Cook House, Newcastle

Sale price Price £150.00 Regular price Unit price per

What does the course cover?

Organic and Biodynamic Viticulture

Always wanted to know what happens in the vineyards of organic wineries? And how does a winemaker have to do to become certifiably organic? From lunar cycles to the special alchemy of plants and manure, discover how biodynamic, and organic farmers navigate the fascinating world of sustainable viticulture.

What is Natural Wine?

The best winemakers will tell you that wine is made in the vineyard rather than the winery. They believe it's the job of the winemaker to guide grapes gently through to a wine, allowing them to express a sense of place. But what choices do winemakers have to make and how do these choices affect the finished wine? We explore these questions and more.

Sustainability in Wine

Thinking beyond the vineyard and winery, how does the wine we drink influence and effect the environment? How do we move beyond the traditional high carbon shipping methods and heavy glass bottles.

Who’s it for?

This course is for anyone who would like to learn more about sustainable methods of viticulture. We recommend having a basic level of wine knowledge (WSET Level 1 or equivalent), but it'll be interesting and fun for the seasoned expert too!

This course can be booked as an add on to our WSET Level 1 or 2 courses for a combined price, please drop us an email for details to courses@wildwineschool.co.uk.

Where is the course held?

Cook House is the restaurant where we imagined we'd like to hang out. Casual dining, focused on food, but most of all hospitable and convivial.

Cook House began life as a recipe blog and supper club, my first steps in escaping a job in architecture which I didn’t really love. Self taught, I embarked on a journey from ‘pay what you think’ supperclubs and one off location specific dinners to Cook House 1.0, via time at London restaurants Quo Vadis and Rochelle Canteen.

Originally housed in two converted shipping containers overlooking Newcastle’s Ouseburn river, Cook House was born of a straightforward idea. A simple, open space where guests were in the kitchen, the food was delicious and the experience was always warm and welcoming.

Price includes tea, coffee and a light lunch.

Full day course 9.30-5.30pm.

About your educator

Greg Turner-Deeks

Greg is a wine professional and educator based in Newcastle. He represents the Italian importer, Passione Vino outside London and was formerly a Wine Director and Sommelier for THE PIG and Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Cornwall. Prior to this he has also worked as a brewer and distiller, and also ran cocktail bars. His passion lies in conveying the stories of the people and places behind each wine, choosing to work with small family producers that make responsibly made wines with authenticity. Greg’s specialist areas all spring from places that he has spent time; Italy, Spain, New Zealand and South America, as well as the rapidly developing UK wine industry. Greg holds the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines and places a high value on wine education, as well as one-to-one coaching and mentoring.

Course dates

21st October 2025

What our students say about this course...

"Excellent course with relevant and engaging information. Debbie clearly knows what she's talking about. I loved the passion and enthusiasm for natural/bio wines and sustainability"

Jonny Much, General Manager at POTL Padstow

"Debbie delivered an engaging introduction to the world of organic, biodynamic and natural wines. The topics covered were thought provoking and have sparked my curiosity to want to learn more. The course is a great mixture of gaining knowledge and tasting exciting new wines. I'd highly recommend the course to anyone who has an interest in wines"

Katie Gray, LWC Wines

"A really interesting and engaging course that really made me think about the environmental impact of wine as well as educating me on the fascinating details of biodynamic viticulture. Thank you Debbie"

Kayley , FOH at New Yard Restaurant