Virtual French Wine Academy – Loire Valley

“It would be as impossible to think of France without wine as it is to think of wine without France.”
– Hugh Johnson

Take a simple stroll through any wine store or supermarket and simply look at the grape names on the bottles: Chardonnay, Cabernet, Syrah, Pinot Noir – they’re all French. And not only are these grape varieties French, but France continues to produce some (or all?) of the greatest examples of them. France not only has the greatest wines, but also the longest history of studying them, codifying them, and shaping them into categories based on geography. Indeed, France is the model structure that nearly all winemaking states and wine laws emulate. There is great variety to be tasted!

This course is designed as a series of tastings and lectures taking you through France and French wine. Each lecture is based upon a region (or group of regions) in France that will allow us to explore the aromas, flavors and textures of French wine, all while learning about the history and culture of each region. In each lecture we will taste nine wines, compare and contrast them, and explore the reasons they taste different from one another.

Designed to develop the attendee’s knowledge of French wine (and all wine as a whole), these lectures can be enjoyed as a set or individually. No knowledge of French wine is necessary to start, and every tasting will present something new and exciting to all, no matter what your present level of wine appreciation.

Choose your desired flight below. Learn at your own pace, free online, any time!