Innovative distance wine courses

Module 1 – From Vine to Wine

How fermentation occurs to produce alcohol

The annual cycle of the vine: what happens in the vineyard throughout the year

The concept of grape variety

The concept of terroir

The main categories of wine

Module 2 – Understanding Wine

The production of red, rosé, and dry white wines

The production of sweet wines

The production of sparkling wines (with a focus on Champagne)

Different bottle formats and shapes, and types of closures

Module 3 – French Wine Regions and Grape Varieties

Wine-producing regions in France

Wine styles produced in these regions

The main grape varieties used in France and their profiles

Module 4 – Decoding the Label of a Wine Bottle

Important information on a wine label

The classification of wines in France (AOC, IGP, Vin de France)

Understanding the differences between Crus Bourgeois, Grands Crus Classés, Premiers Crus, etc.

Module 1 – Principles of Tasting

The 3 simple steps to properly taste wine

How to prepare yourself for tasting under optimal conditions

Specificities to consider for different types of wine being tasted

Introduction to the tasting sheet: a tool to guide you

Module 2 – Visual Analysis

How to observe and describe the color of wine

Other criteria to observe, such as color intensity, clarity, brightness

The significance of these elements in the context of tasting

Module 3 – Olfactory Analysis

Understanding how our sense of smell works

The major aroma families to be familiar with

The method to follow for an efficient olfactory analysis

Tips to help you recognise aromas in your glass

Module 4 – Gustatory Analysis

How our palate functions in tasting

Key elements of tasting: tannins, alcohol, sugar, acidity, complexity, and intensity of flavours

The technique for tasting wine

Vocabulary to accurately describe wine

Module 5 – Evaluating Wine Quality

Key criteria for assessing wine quality

Objective evaluation of wine

Common wine faults and how to recognise them

Module 1 – Understanding Food and Wine Pairings

How the chemistry between wine and food works

Properly balancing a dish with a wine

The order of wine service during a meal

Food and wine pairings that do not work, and common pitfalls to avoid

Module 2 – Creating Successful Pairings

Which wines to serve for the aperitif

Which wines to serve with appetisers

Which wines to pair with fish or seafood dishes

Which wines to pair with meat or charcuterie dishes

Which wines to pair with cheeses

Which wines to pair with desserts

Module 1 – Proper Wine Service

At what temperature to serve wine and how temperature influences the tasting experience

How to decant or aerate wine (and when a wine needs to be decanted)

Choosing the right glass for each type of wine

Module 2 – Managing Your Wine Cellar and Ageing Your Wines

How to preserve an opened bottle of wine

Tips for ageing wines properly in a cellar

Advice on organising and managing your wine cellar

The book: "Explore wine maps: World Edition"

A 200-page atlas gathering everything you need to know about wine regions in a visual and simple way.

• 110 detailed wine maps with appellations and their wine colours, climates, soils and grape varieties

• Infographics on soils, climates, wine classifications in each country

• An ampelographic guide on 270 grape varieties

The empty workbook: "Practise wine maps: World Edition"

You also feel that the best way to memorise information is to practise? Complementary to the atlas, this workbook is what you need:

• 110 empty wine maps

• A light and friendly format, A4 spiral

Countries included: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Canada, Chile, China, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, United States

Notebook "Practise wine tasting"

A 120-page notebook gathering everything you need to know about wine tasting!

• 8 visual memos on wine tasting conditions, serving temperatures, aromas & flavours and wine tasting different steps

• 100 empty tasting sheets to describe wines and write down your impressions

Workbook "Practise wine: 1000 quizzes on vine and wine"

A 208-page workbook, divided into 6 themes and 40 sub-themes :

1. Viticulture (Vine, Environment of the vine, Vineyard risks, Viticulture practices)

2. Vinification and maturation (Vinification, Maturation, Clarification and stabilisation, Bottling, Red wine, White wine, Rosé wine, Orange wine, Sweet wine, Sparkling wine, Fortified wine)

3. Still wines of the world (Argentina, Australia, Austria, Canada, Chile, China, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, United States)

4. Sparkling wines of the world (France, Italy, Spain, Other wine regions)

5. Fortified wines of the world (Australia, France, Portugal, Spain)

6. Wine tasting

Prefaced by Pascaline Lepeltier, Meilleure Ouvrière de France and Best Sommelier of France 2018.

• 3 half-bottles (37.5cl) from France

• Behind each cover: tasting notes, region and estate

• Blind tasting guide and empty tasting sheets

• Clues about the wines

 For 3-6 people
Time required approx. 60-80 minutes

• 3 half-bottles (37.5cl) from all over the world

• Behind each cover: tasting notes, region and estate

• Blind tasting guide and empty tasting sheets

• Clues about the wines

 For 3-6 people
Time required approx. 60-80 minutes