FRENCH STUDY GUIDE 2023 FRENCH STUDY GUIDE 2023


Clockwise from this image: Le Gargantua, where you can cook and learn at the same time; try painting and textiles at Studio Préniac; Alliance Française Normandie offers learning and cultural activities


WINE COURSES If you’re planning on becoming a fully-fledged oenophile, you really ought to train in the nation that started it all. There are hundreds of courses available, ranging from impromptu gatherings in small vineyards all the way up to official qualifications at Bordeaux wine schools. Here is a small selection.


L’École des Vins de Bourgogne Part of Dijon’s amazing new Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie et du Vin, which opened in May 2022, this school offers short courses in appreciating Burgundy wine, with prices starting at €20 for 40 minutes of tuition. Subjects include pairing wine with local food, vintage wines, and the concept of wine and its terroir. “Our workshops combine immersive experiences for the eyes, the ears and the taste buds, taking you on a multi-sensual voyage,” the


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organisers claim with more than a little bombast. “Thanks to images projected onto the four walls of the classroom, you will dive right into the core of Burgundy wine.” www.citedelagastronomie-dijon.fr


L’École du Vin de Bordeaux This school, in centre of the city, close to the Garonne river, has been around since the late 1980s. There are all sorts of courses on offer, aimed at all levels from beginners to professional oenologists. As well as its on-site courses in Bordeaux, the school runs a network of accredited tutors in nations abroad. In total, it claims to train over 85,000 people a year. That’s a lot of noses and a lot of spittoons. www.ecoleduvindebordeaux.com


Chêne Bleu


Fancy going extreme? Chêne Bleu offers a five-day ‘full- immersion’ course called


Extreme Wine. “With the help of several of the top wine educators in the world, we are determined to deliver the absolute best possible short but intensive wine course for enthusiasts anywhere on the globe,” they state with confidence. The courses take place at La Verrière, a medieval priory close to Orange, in Provence, and cover all the world’s major wine regions, grapes and styles. As well as the tasting room, there is also a working vineyard and a swimming pool. Prices start at €5,100 and include six nights’ full-board accommodation, all wine, all field trips and transfers from the airport. www.chenebleuextremewine.com


VinÉcole


British wine master Matthew Stubbs leads the courses at this school which has two sites in Languedoc. A former wine importer, distributor and retailer (he was once head of wine for


the Safeway supermarket chain), Matthew offers in-depth courses under the Wine & Spirit Education Trust and the Master of Wine programmes, as well as private tuition too. www.vinecole.com


Le Cordon Bleu Paris For those who truly want to immerse themselves in oenology, Le Cordon Bleu Paris offers intensive courses in the institute’s cellar-style tasting room in the 15th


arrondissement. The two-week course (55 hours in all) costs €2,100 and takes place in June 2023, covering just wine; the three-week course (83 hours) costs €2,850 and takes place in March 2023, covering both wine and spirits. Students will learn how to assess the quality of wine, gain a deep knowledge of vineyards, and discover how to pair wine with food. Courses culminate with a blind tasting and written test.


IMAGES © THOMAS PATTINSON, STUDIO PRÉNIAC/FACEBOOK, ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE NORMANDIE


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