8 Week World of Wine course

Our 8-week world of wine course is an informal and practical introduction to the world of wine for anybody who enjoys wine and would like to learn more about it. The course runs for 8 consecutive weekday evenings. No experience is necessary and the emphasis is upon learning by tasting lots of different wines!

 What will you get from this course?

• You will taste over 50 wines from 5 continents, 15 regions and 15 different grape varieties
• You will gain a good understanding of the worlds' major wine regions and the wine styles they produce
• You will be able to spit, swirl and sniff like a professional, be able to assess a wine and identify faults
• You will have a basic understanding of how wine is made, the importance of soils & climate and the influence of the winemaker on wine styles
• The confidence to try lots of new food and wine matches at home
• You will feel much more comfortable choosing wine and know where to go to find good value wines
• A whole new wine vocabulary, plus some new friends!. 

Our 8-week course makes a great gift and can be purchased as a gift voucher for £229

What if I can’t make one of the evenings?

Not a problem. You can either send a substitute, pick up the session on the next course or request a credit voucher.

 Course Programme and Dates:

Sessions run on 8 consecutive Tuesday evenings. They start at 7pm and last for approximately 2 hours, ending at around 9pm

• 7th September: You’ll learn how to taste, swirl and spit like a professional. This introductory session covers what wine is and how it is made, how to taste wine, some fun aroma tests and you'll also get to grips with how to start to decipher wine labels.
• 14th September: Tour de France Stage I - we explore two of the world's greatest wine regions, Bordeaux and Burgundy and then we will explore the concept of 'terroir' through some carefully selected examples from the world's finest wine regions.
• 21st September: Tour de France Stage II - we tour down the Loire and Rhone Valleys and then stop in the sunny South of France and consider the role of climate and weather in shaping a wine style.
• 28th September: Wines with passion; Spain & Italy - we'll uncork some European classics as well as explore some of the up and coming regions.We'll also teach you the basics of how to pair food and wine.
• 5th October: Amazing Australia - we will explore the different regions and 'boutique' style wines and spend some time understanding how the winemaker influences wine styles using oak. We'll also taste a delicious sweet wine and explain how sweet wines are made.
• 12th October: New Zealand; beyond Sauvignon Blanc. We'll explore New Zealand wines from the tip of the North Island to the world's most southerly wine region, Central Otago, on the South Island. Plus, we'll spend some time talking screw cap vs cork and explain how to identify common wine faults.
• 19th October: A Taste of the America's - learn how hot, almost desert-like conditions produce some of the world's most delicious wines. First we'll explore California then we'll head south to Chile and finally we will hop over the Andes into Argentina for a mini Malbec masterclass. At this tasting we will also consider how to serve and store wine.
• 26th October: Our course finalé: we'll explain why South African wine is just coming of age and enjoy a fine South African Sparkling wine which we compare with a Champagne and explain how different types of sparkling wine are made.