A Great Foundation

If you want to know more about the technical aspects of champagne, who better to learn from than the governing body of the region and the brand? This online learning platform is a great way to dive in deeper on all things champagne, and the content is available with a free registration.

Who Its For

• Anyone looking to learn more about champagne

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Key Takeaways:

• There are 3 phases. Level 1 covers a little bit of history and tasting techniques. Level 2 is mid-level information about the production process, terroir, history of the region plus some serving tips. Level 3 goes deeper on the rules of production, the heritage of the region, and deeper on tasting and food pairings.
• There are nicely designed documents and high-quality videos. Though most videos are in French, there are a subtitles available in a number of languages, including English and Japanese.
• It’s self-guided with a timed exam at the end, which includes a downloadable certificate if you pass.

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Course Overview

This is a fantastic introduction to learning about the region and the basics of champagne production. And since it was created by the governing body of champagne, there’s no questioning the reliability of the information!

There are 3 sections:

• Explorer covers a little bit of history, the basics of what makes champagne “champagne”, and some details about how to store and serve champagne.
• Connoisseur covers the life cycle of the vineyards, more detail about the champagne production process, and some tips for pairing champagne with food.
• Expert goes deeper on regulation/guidelines for production, values of the region, fascinating details about the research division, and more details on tasting and pairing champagnes.
• Beyond the Expert level, there is an in-person course offered for hands-on experience with tasting and serving, plus deeper discussions on production and viticulture.

The website tracks your progress as you work your way through the material. Everything is delivered in small subsections so it’s very easy to dip in and out of your study as time permits. They say to allow several hours to complete them all, but if you are already familiar with champagne production, the first two modules can go quite quickly.

At the end of each section there is a timed quiz. There were no trick questions – if you pay attention to the material, you will easily pass. And once you pass the Connoisseur or Expert portion, there is a way to have it display as a License and Certification on your Linked In profile, which I think is a really nice touch!

Summary

This is a great way to learn more about champagne and gain an understanding of production techniques and vocabulary that will assist you when selecting champagnes in a shop or from a restaurant’s wine list.

If you want to go even further, I highly recommend their in-person training.