• Taste 48 Wines in a relaxed and sociable atmosphere
• Enjoy 16 hours of tuition and in depth course material
• Meet friendly people also interested in wine

Our popular Introductory Course is designed as a practical introduction to wine and wine tasting. We don't assume that you have any particular knowledge of wine, only that you have an interest in it.

COURSE OUTLINE

The course consists of eight two-hour sessions. Six wines are tasted in each session. Session topics are:

1. Tasting Technique & Classic Grape Varieties
   Tasting wine the way the professionals do. Introducing some classic grape varieties.
2. Wine Production & Classic Grape Varieties
   Viticulture and vinification. Introducing more classic grape varieties.
3. Northern France
   The wines of the Loire Valley, Alsace, Burgundy and Champagne.
4. Southern France
   The wines of the Rhône Valley, the South of France and Bordeaux.
5. Italy
   The wines of Italy.
6. Spain & Portugal & Fortified Wines
   The wines of Spain and Portugal, including Sherry and Port.
7. Australia & New Zealand
   The wines of Australia and New Zealand.
8. South Africa & The Americas
   The wines of South Africa, Chile, Argentina and California.

During the course, we will also cover such practical issues as:

At the start of the course, we will provide you with a list of the wines to be tasted and a manual containing comprehensive notes on the topics covered including the practical issues, maps of the wine regions and tasting sheets on which to write your tasting notes.

COURSE STYLE

People come on our courses for different reasons. Some are keen to gain knowledge of wines, wine regions and wine making, some want to learn the art of tasting, while for others the emphasis is on relaxing with some well chosen wines after a hard day's work! Our course planning takes these things into account. The courses are well structured with plenty of time built in for student participation.

WHAT SHOULD YOU GET FROM THE COURSE?

By the end of the course, you will have a good understanding of how grapes are grown and how different styles of wine are produced. You will also have a broad knowledge of the key characteristics of the main wine producing regions of the world. You will have developed your skills as a wine taster and be able to assess the relative quality of wines tasted as well as spot some common faults.

WHAT IF YOU HAVE TO MISS A COURSE SESSION?

No problem! You may either send a substitute or pick up the session missed on a subsequent course. Just let us know and we will make the arrangements.

COURSE FEE

£199 in London - £189 elsewhere. This includes the cost of all tasting samples and the course manual.

EQUIPMENT

You will need to bring 6 wine glasses to each session. If you really want to sharpen up your taste buds, a set of the International Standards Organisation (ISO) glasses used by the professionals is recommended (the course tutor will have boxed sets of 6 crystal ISO tasting glasses on sale at £15).

PRINCIPAL COURSE TUTORS

Michael Arditti, Carol Brown, Michelle Cherutti-Kowal, Laura Clay, Valerie Cowan, John Ducker, Shane Dunning, Vivienne Franks, Pippa Hayward, Lena Inger, Brett Jones, Sandy Leckie, Mike Murdoch, Lindsay Oram, Paul Quinn, Quentin Sadler and Colin Wills. All are professionally qualified, have extensive lecturing experience and travel widely to keep up to date. Most are members of The Association of Wine Educators and/or The Circle of Wine Writers.

• Introductory Course Venues and Dates