A great tasting Education by certified wine educator, winemaker and Sommelier rob lewis

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Meet Rob Lewis

Who is Rob Lewis?

Rob Lewis is a Wisconsin-based winemaker, certified sommelier, and wine educator known for his passion for small-batch, craft winemaking and hands-on wine education. He is the owner and head winemaker of Lewis Station Winery and Stable Rock Winery & Distillery, where he produces a diverse portfolio of wines with a focus on bold red varietals and expressive, story-driven vintages.

A certified advanced sommelier with training from institutions including the University of California, Davis and Le Cordon Bleu programs, Lewis combines technical expertise with a deep appreciation for terroir and vintage variation.  His approach emphasizes crafting wines in small lots, allowing him to oversee every step of the process and create unique wines that reflect both the fruit and the story behind each bottle.

Beyond winemaking, Lewis is a dedicated educator who has taught thousands of students through wine classes, sommelier programs, and professional training across Wisconsin. He serves as an instructor at Madison College and regularly conducts workshops, tastings, and speaking engagements, helping others better understand the science and enjoyment of wine.

Widely recognized for his energetic teaching style and industry expertise, Rob Lewis continues to play a key role in advancing Wisconsin’s craft wine movement while inspiring both enthusiasts and professionals through education, innovation, and a genuine passion for wine.

Learn about wine

Life can be lived in a casual way, or with passion. We all choose how and where to spend our energy and attention. You may play music, cook seriously, or tend a lovely garden. Maybe the things you love aren’t vital, but they make life richer. Passion is never a wasted effort.

That’s why wine lovers learn to taste. We know that the effort we put into understanding and appreciating wine adds an extra dimension to the basic daily routines of eating and drinking. It turns obligation into pleasure, a daily necessity into a celebration of life.

When you learn the science behind tasting, the molecules and the taste buds, you will enjoy every meal, just a little bit more… going forward. Don’t delay, choose your class today.

Over 5,000 students have participated in Rob’s classes over the last 10 years! Just read some of the thousands of reviews!

Rob’s Basic Approach

For wine, eyeballing wine, swirling and sniffing and swishing ... it may look complicated or even snobbish, but the traditional wine-tasting technique is actually based on common sense. It's simply a way to pause for a moment, to stop and think, and to pay attention to the ways that wine impacts on all your senses, from sight and scent to taste, aftertaste, and the overall impression that the wine leaves behind after you've finished. You’d think that sounds good, wait until we’ve paired wine with food. Enjoying food and wine will be pleasurable going forward, a true celebration of life. Most importantly, you’ll understand the why.

Rob takes a scientific approach to teaching you what works with food & wine pairing and why. You learn the chemistry magic of food & wine pairing! You’ll understand using your own taste buds, and that will impact the enjoyment of every future meal.

A wine bottle with a label reading 'Society of Wine Educators' and two glasses of wine, one red and one white, on a purple background.
Red wine being poured into a wine glass, creating swirling patterns and bubbles.
A smiling man holding a glass of red wine inside a winery or wine production facility, with stainless steel tanks in the background.

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rob’s education classes

the “essesntial” food & wine class $100pp

This is the “essential” food and wine class, which Rob refers to as the “Life Essential Class”. Why? This is a jam-packed 3 hours of learning all about wine, including history, terminology, aging, purchasing, storing, old world vs. new world, wine making, component tasting, and of course a full meal with 5 wines! This class will teach you “essentially” all you need to know to be a true wine connoisseur. Called “Life Essential”, because you will truly appreciate every meal w/wine going forward. Ready to impress your friends? Take this class! Click on the learn more below for dates, times, and locations.

Learn more - Dates & Times
Learn more - Dates & Times
Logo of Madison Area Technical College featuring a stylized Capitol building and road, with the college name below.

WINE classes at
madison college

Rob is part of the faculty at MadisonCollege.edu in Madison, Wisconsin and teaches the following classes;

Tour of Portugal: 4 wines & regions
Create Your Own Blend: A Hands-On Experience
Old World vs. New World Wine: Let’s Taste the Difference
Double Blind (Black Glass) Wine Tasting
5-Week Winemaking: From Fermentation to Bottling
Food & Wine Pairing: The Science Behind Pairing
Wine & Chocolate Pairing, Wine & Cheese Pairing

Sommelier Program

Level One: Beginning Sommelier
Level Two: Intermediate Sommelier
Level Three: Advanced Sommelier

Passing all three courses of the sommelier program, including all written and blind tasting exams, earns you the official Madison College Sommelier Pin - a mark of your accomplishment and expertise in the field.

A circular emblem with a dark blue background, gold border, and gold text reading 'Advanced Sommelier.' In the center, there is a shield with a stylized white and blue depiction of a domed state capitol building, accompanied by grapevine leaves and bunches on either side.
Learn more - Dates & times
Learn more - Dates & times
Four wine glasses with different colored wines from left to right: white, rosé, red, and dark red, placed on a wooden barrel

Are you in a food & beverage business? If you’re looking for a customized class for your team, feel free to contact me for special group pricing.

“I just have to tell you that we had an AWESOME time Saturday night. We’ve been to many wine tastings and by far we learned the most from your class. The method you used to have us compare the wines with the foods we tasted and how the food was prepared was so impactful. Thank you so much for offering this class. We have already recommended this to our friends and you may see us there again.”
— The Knapps
A smiling man wearing a gray cap and t-shirt pointing to a wooden barrel at a winery or distillery.

learn winemaking

During this five-week class with commercial winemaker Rob Lewis of Lewis Station Winery and Stable Rock Winery, this winemaking course covers the full winemaking process: from fermentation to bottling. Learn techniques to start or improve your own home winemaking while creating your own wine during class in small teams of 4, and hone your wine evaluation skills with topics on sensory evaluation, wine-making knowledge, and learning some of the secrets to food and wine pairing. Each person will take home a few bottles of wine.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

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Satisfied Customers

We just had the most incredible day!!

Our North Shore Chophouse team attended the Food and Wine Pairing class at Lewis Station: Winery I Distillery I Kitchen in Lake Mills lead by the fantastic Rob Lewis. We were so excited to take this opportunity to expand our knowledge on wine pairings and learn new information to bring back to our customers at the Chophouse!

If you're looking for an educational, delicious and absolutely fun experience learning more behind the science of food and wine be sure to explore Lewis Station Winery. Both our Front of the House and Back of the House team were able to take so much away from this experience.

We are very thankful to Rob and his team. They're truly wonderful, and it's an absolute joy having not only their products but their knowledge so close to home!

#discoverwisconsin #northshorechophousewi #enjoyjeffcowi #wisconsinrestaurants #jeffersoncountywi #wine #wineeducation #lewisstationwinery #lewisstation #localwinery #supportlocal #wisconsinwine #foodandwine #winepairing #continuingeducation #somuchtolearn #alwayslearning

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“Some drink wine, others consume wine, and a few appreciate wine. Rob's class gave me the skills, knowledge and vocabulary to progress from randomly selecting wines to understanding not just what types of wine I like, but why I like them and how I can, with more confidence, select new wines to try.”   B. Biek

“Rob is an expert in his field and conducts fun and informative Wine education classes. He also is a wonderful host and provides great wines for our many special events. His wine tasting room has such a great ambiance and we love attending events that he hosts.” W. Berns

Group of people smiling in a brewery with a wooden wall and brewery logo in the background.
A group of people gathered around a long table in a restaurant or cafe, smiling and enjoying themselves. There is a man in the foreground taking a selfie with the group, waving at the camera. The group appears to be diverse in age and gender, with so

A group of people gathered around a long table in a restaurant or cafe, smiling and enjoying themselves. There is a man in the foreground taking a selfie with the group, waving at the camera. The group appears to be diverse in age and gender, with some wearing glasses and casual clothing. The table has glasses, plates, and bottles, and the background shows potted plants and paper coffee cups.

Group of women and a man sitting at a long dining table, celebrating together in a decorated indoor space with string lights overhead.

Group of women and a man sitting at a long dining table, celebrating together in a decorated indoor space with string lights overhead.

People attending a wine and food tasting event at a long dining table, with a menu on the table and glasses of red wine, in a restaurant or banquet setting.

People attending a wine and food tasting event at a long dining table, with a menu on the table and glasses of red wine, in a restaurant or banquet setting.

Group of people sitting around a long table in a dimly lit room with string lights overhead, listening to a person standing at the head of the table speaking.

Group of people sitting around a long table in a dimly lit room with string lights overhead, listening to a person standing at the head of the table speaking.

People sitting around a dining table with wine glasses, some raised, and plates of food. There are various bottles on the table, including Chardonnay wine and a water bottle. The background has vintage signs and a wooden door.

People sitting around a dining table with wine glasses, some raised, and plates of food. There are various bottles on the table, including Chardonnay wine and a water bottle. The background has vintage signs and a wooden door.

Four glasses of red and white wine on a blue placemat, with cheese and cracked bread on gold-trimmed plates, in front of a presentation slide on a large screen that says 'Wine & Cheese Pairing' with images of cheese and wine.

Four glasses of red and white wine on a blue placemat, with cheese and cracked bread on gold-trimmed plates, in front of a presentation slide on a large screen that says 'Wine & Cheese Pairing' with images of cheese and wine.

A glass of red wine on a table with beakers of dark liquid and a pen, with a blurred monitor in the background.

A glass of red wine on a table with beakers of dark liquid and a pen, with a blurred monitor in the background.

Bottles of amber-colored liquid being filled with a filling machine with nozzles at an industrial production line.

Bottles of amber-colored liquid being filled with a filling machine with nozzles at an industrial production line.

A table set with multiple glasses of pink and red wine, with some water bottles and napkins, in a room with burgundy walls. A television screen on the wall displays a presentation titled 'Science of Food & Wine Pairing' with images of food, a wine gl

A table set with multiple glasses of pink and red wine, with some water bottles and napkins, in a room with burgundy walls. A television screen on the wall displays a presentation titled 'Science of Food & Wine Pairing' with images of food, a wine glass, and a bottle of wine, welcoming Prairie Home Vineyards.

Two men are conducting a homebrewing experiment using a fermentation bucket with a tap, a large glass carboy, and some tubing. One man is pouring liquid from the bucket into the carboy, which contains an orange-colored liquid, while the other man is

Two men are conducting a homebrewing experiment using a fermentation bucket with a tap, a large glass carboy, and some tubing. One man is pouring liquid from the bucket into the carboy, which contains an orange-colored liquid, while the other man is holding a tube connected to a container.

Four glasses of wine, two red and two white, on a table in front of a cheese tasting setup with three plates of different cheeses. A blue tablecloth and a water bottle are also visible. A presentation slide about wine and cheese pairing is projected

Four glasses of wine, two red and two white, on a table in front of a cheese tasting setup with three plates of different cheeses. A blue tablecloth and a water bottle are also visible. A presentation slide about wine and cheese pairing is projected on a whiteboard in the background.

Four wine glasses with different colored wines on a wooden tasting board outdoors, with wine barrels and green foliage in the background.

Four wine glasses with different colored wines on a wooden tasting board outdoors, with wine barrels and green foliage in the background.

A close-up view of a wine barrel with metal bands, positioned in a rustic room with a wall decorated with framed black-and-white photographs.

A close-up view of a wine barrel with metal bands, positioned in a rustic room with a wall decorated with framed black-and-white photographs.

A group of eight people standing outdoors with rolling hills, vineyards, and a castle in the distance, under a partly cloudy sky, with a sign that reads 'We're loving Tuscany!!'

A group of eight people standing outdoors with rolling hills, vineyards, and a castle in the distance, under a partly cloudy sky, with a sign that reads 'We're loving Tuscany!!'

Wine tasting setup with four black wine glasses, tasting sheets with information and notes, pens, and water bottles on a speckled countertop.

Wine tasting setup with four black wine glasses, tasting sheets with information and notes, pens, and water bottles on a speckled countertop.