74 Sommelier courses

We tour the stunning vineyards of the Loire Valley for refreshing, mineral and bone-dry wines. We'll go East to taste a steely Sauvignon Blanc, through the Touraine Region to experience a Sancerre and thus enjoy the sharp delights of a mouth-watering Sauvignon Blanc. Discover why the Loire Valley wines are some of the most expensive wines today, and how to find the best value for money wines from this region.

Learn why France still makes some of the best wines in the world. Discover the best value from Bordeaux, and taste some wines from the left bank. Compare these Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated wines to the right bank and the top appellations of Saint Emilion and Pomerol, where Merlot makes up the majority of the blend.

Grape varieties are landmarks on the map of wine. The wine drinker finds it useful to know the varitey used because this is a major clue to the taste and character of the wine in the bottle. A wine made from Pinot Noir will have certain taste characteristics, wherever in the World it is made

Chardonnay is the most successful white grape in the world. We will explore oaked, unoaked, youthful as well as aged versions of the most reknown and beloved of grapes.

Red wine lover? Compare some of the best Malbec from Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia (yes, Malbec is no longer just grown in Argentina!) with some of the best Malbec from Cahors (yes, Malbec actually originates from France!). Think you only like a particular type? Then prepare to have your tastebuds challenged ...    

If I drink one more glass of Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand, I will scream! It's everywhere, from restaurants' wine lists to supermarkets shelves, to my own fridge (guilty). But today I feel like having something different! So if you feel like rebelling too, then come and join me for a fabulous tour of the World for 'weird and wonderful' wine-producing countries. 

Gin seems unstoppable at the moment with new micro-distilleries opening up seemingly every month, but what exactly is gin? Where was it first made? Which country drinks the most gin and what are the styles of gin available today? Find out everything you need to know about gin during this fascinating two-hour tasting. We'll be taking a look at (and sniffing) a range of the botanicals used in the production of gin, then we'll taste six gins from around the world alongside some of our favourite premium tonic waters.

In Week 2 we continue our Italian discovery deep into the heart of Italy, where the most recognised region lies, Tuscany. Here we find the famous Sangiovese grape, the leading variety that has a major part to play in all the reds from this zone such as; Chianti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Brunello, and the hot-topical 'Super Tuscans.' In addition, we find Umbria with Orvieto.

Join us as we kick off our tour of Italy in the first week with a tasting of the wines of the North- Piemonte which, houses wines such as Barolo, Barberesco, Gavi and Asti with key wonderful grape varieties such as Nebbiolo, Barbera, Cortese and Dolcetto. Then we have Lombardy & Trentino Alto-Adige where there are aromatic whites and vibrant reds such as Lagrein and Teroldego.

Week 3 is the final leg of the Italian tour into the deep south of Italy and the regions of Puglia, Campania, Basilicata, and the islands such as Sicily and Sardinia.