Advanced Level Course

French Wine Scholar

The French Wine Scholar program is an official certification course designed by the Wine Scholar Guild to provide current, accurate information on the wine regions of France. This program is aimed at advanced students of wine, whether professionals or serious wine hobbyists.

Course Description

The French Wine Scholar program is the most advanced, comprehensive, and up-to-date French wine course. The curriculum takes a regional approach and discusses all French wine appellations and the factors that shape their identities.

What you'll learn:

All 14 French wine regions, including: Alsace, Champagne, Bourgogne, Beaujolais, Jura, Savoie, Loire, Bordeaux, South-West, Languedoc, Roussillon, Rhône, Provence, Corsica
Viticultural history, wine culture, and traditions
Location and climate and their effects on viticulture and wine style
Topography, geography, and soils and their impact on the vine
Grape varieties and their organoleptic profiles
Viticulture and winemaking practices
Wine industry trends and economics
All AOCs, with their regulations, wine styles, and specificities
Fundamental Unit covers the history of France, its political geography, physical geography, climate, soils, grapes, training systems, and viticultural & vinicultural practices, plus an essential piece on how AOCs are counted and why different sources quote different figures

Course Details

Classroom Course – $1133 (includes book, instruction, printed material, wine tasting, and exam)

Prerequisites: None. However, you must be at least 21 years of age to attend the course and to participate in wine tasting.

Course Delivery: A multi-day in-person class that includes 24 hours of instruction time with tutored tastings of wines from the regions being covered. Course includes a 330-page, full-color FWS Study Manual & FWS exam registration.

Students also gain access to the full e-learning program with full audio narration, review quizzes for self-evaluation, hundreds of flashcards, pronunciation exercises, instructor Q&A forum for personal assistance, student forum for community interaction, and downloadable maps.

Assessment: A closed-book, 100 multiple choice question examination covering all of the wine regions in France. The FWS exam will take place on the last day of the class. You must earn a 75% to pass the examination:

Pass: 75% – 84%
Pass with Honors: 85% – 90%
Pass with Highest Honors: 91% – 100%

NOTE: Soleil Academy of Wine is the proud Tampa Bay satellite of The Wine Smarties.