News & Advice

Online Courses to Brush Up Your Wine and Dance Skills Before Traveling

Learn to tango or wine taste like a pro.
Argentina Tango

Since the coronavirus pandemic began derailing travel plans, we’ve been spending more time finding ways to satisfy our curiosity from home. Every day, it seems like there are more livestreams and videos available that let you experience new places without leaving your couch, from museum exhibits to wildlife webcams. For those looking for something a little more interactive, we’ve compiled a list of classes to help you hone your language and dance skills, brush up on historical facts, or enjoy the food and beverages waiting for you on your next adventure, whether you’re mentally planning a trip to Madrid, Tokyo, or Buenos Aires. Below, the best online courses to try out during quarantine, divvied up by category.


Learn the language

Driving through any country is a lot more fun when you can actually read the signs. (You'd be pretty irked to miss the turn for a hot spring in Iceland because you didn’t know what hverir meant.) While you’re dreaming of your next vacation, take some time to learn a bit of the language. DuoLingo is a free app and great for beginners trying to learn basic vocabulary, though it doesn’t give the freedom for personalization to learn about specific topics. If you’re looking for more, Rosetta Stone ($200 for unlimited lifetime access) provides personalized plans and live coaching. And if you want something tailored to vacations, Living Language has language courses specifically for travel. Their passport courses ($50) give you three months to learn language basics, as well as history, culture, and traditions of a specific country.

Study Greek Architecture on Udemy so you can point out the Temple of Poseidon on your next vacation.


Brush up on your historical and cultural knowledge

For history or art buffs planning a trip to a new city, chances are at least a few museums and famous landmarks will be part of your itinerary. In order to fully appreciate what you'll see, refresh your memory on the country’s history first. There are basic history courses, like Coursera’s free Russian History: From Lenin to Putin class, hosted by U.C. Santa Cruz. Then there are more specific classes tailored to niche interests. Harvard hosts free culture courses, like Japanese Books: From Manuscript to Print, which details historical writing formats and storytelling properties. Udemy runs introductory classes, like Egyptian Art ($165), which goes through different time periods and styles of art in Ancient Egypt. Architecture, an often overlooked topic, is influential to a country’s cultural history; Udemy offers multiple courses on architectural history with varying depth, including Essentials of Byzantine Architecture ($25) and Greek Architecture ($195).

Deepen your appreciation for food

If you’re craving cuisine from a specific city or region, now is the time to try and recreate it at home. While some of our favorite chefs have been sharing tutorials on social media, there are more structured options, too. Learn the Art of Sushi Making ($200) from Udemy gives lifetime access to resources, on-demand videos, and completion certificates with step-by-step virtual instruction. If you’re looking for instruction from the best of the best, look no further than MasterClass’s culinary section. Dominique Ansel, celebrated pastry chef and creator of the cronut, teaches French Pastry Fundamentals ($180). There are 17 pre-recorded lessons, each building on the last. Massimo Bottura offers a 14-part modern Italian cooking class ($180) on MasterClass, too. Other courses provide even more engagement: The Chef and the Dish hosts private Skype sessions with global chefs to learn specialized recipes like seafood paella ($300). The class goes through making paella and a side salad in two hours, and the one-on-one time with a professional chef allows you to ask questions while you learn.

Earn a wine certificate through the Napa Valley Wine Academy.


Become an alcohol aficionado

Like food, beverages are an important part of any country’s culture. Rather than rely on bartenders’ recommendations (though that is a good way to use your new language skills), use this time to get to know your own tastes. Skill Share ($100 a year, or $20 per month) has a wide range of online courses, including one on Belgian Beer. Not only does the class go through Belgium’s beer culture, it helps you learn to differentiate styles and understand the production process. Napa Valley Wine Academy’s course, Discovering Italian Wine ($125), provides maps to discover the regions where certain grapes grow, and exercises and exams, which, if completed, earn you a wine certificate. If you’re eager to head south to Mexico City or Jalisco, consider expanding your tequila knowledge first. Tequila: Origins, Standards, Styles, Flavors ($10) from Beverage Edu is extensive for its price and covers tequila’s history, drink and food pairings, and production methods and locations.

Dance like a pro

If you’ve always wanted to tango in Argentina or salsa dance through Colombia, consider learning a few steps before you visit. Coursera offers a free class from Emory University, called “So You Think You Know Tango?” There are two modules: the first focuses on the Argentinian dance’s history and development, and the second teaches basic movements. Other courses focus more on dancing, less on history. Learn How To Dance Bachata ($50) from Udemy has 25 short tutorials, so you can follow the instructor over and over until you get it right. This class focuses on the basics, and won’t get too advanced by the end. For people looking for mastery, try the Salsa Bootcamp ($67) from My Salsa Online. It starts with the fundamentals, but progresses into more complicated steps and patterns quickly, so you’ll be dancing like a pro in no time.