Champagne Masters Immersion in Reims

You’ll learn so much more than you would on your own! Internationally renowned instructors are with you at all times throughout the week, giving fascinating information, making sure you understand the nuances and subtleties of the region and its wines, and responding to all of your questions. You will have amazing tastings in the classroom and get access to estates you would not be able to visit on your own. We have the highest-level contacts in each region.

You’ll also get to taste fascinating wines at each estate, and you’ll be welcomed as an honored guest. Your instructors have worked in the region for many years. This has allowed them to cultivate extensive experience and contacts within the region. You’ll get expert information about the wine business there, and an insider’s take on local culture.

The immersive experience makes the most of the limited time you have in the wine region and ensures that you get a thorough overview of the region and its wines. You get the camaraderie and pleasure of exploring the wine region with other like-minded people who are as passionate about wine as you are. Your instructor will translate for the group at all times, so you will have no communication issues, as many winemakers have limited English.

Our Educational Wine Tours offer end-to-end full-service wine experiences with all lodging, and most meals included. You may move locations throughout the week and visit up to three wineries each day. This type of tour provides a deep-dive experience in the vineyards, cellars, and with local winemakers and there is no classroom instruction.

Our Masters Program Immersions provide a 360-degree view of a region via 3 days of classroom instruction with extensive tutored tastings and two days of field trip study. These programs supplement the existing WSG course content and are available to new students, current students, and alumni. Course materials are included in the price, and you can take your certification exam for the corresponding program once you return home. It’s expected that students arrive in the region having already completed all of the online lectures of the corresponding Masters certification.

Hotels are not included in the price of our Masters Program Immersions, but we are happy to provide information on options for all budgets once you reserve your seat. Lunch is included on field trip days, with free time on classroom days to source your own lunch at your expense. A welcome dinner and farewell meal are also included. Many students prefer the structure of learning in the classroom combined with the free time in the evenings of this format.

We request that all guests on our trips are serious and passionate about wine; however, there are no official prerequisites for WSG Educational Wine tour experiences. Guests will receive study materials from the WSG prior to the tour that must be thoroughly studied before coming on the tour.

For all Masters Program Immersion experiences, you will receive the study materials once your deposit is paid. Students must have completed all six months of the online program

They begin and end directly in the wine region you’ll be visiting. For your convenience, all trips start and end in or near a city with major rail links and/or airports.

Transportation to and from the meeting and ending point is up to you and at your own cost. Information on trip starting and ending points is included in the itinerary for each trip. You’ll be sent all the information you need to make your travel arrangements once reserved.

Our instructors have arranged professional-level tastings at some of the finest estates in each region. At all the estates, you'll receive a warm welcome and an educational tasting often with the winemaker himself or herself. In most cases, you will tour the technical facilities (vat room and aging cellars) in addition to your tasting. You may taste from the barrel or vat in addition to recent and older vintages in the bottle. Sometimes you’ll taste in the cellar, sometimes in a tasting room and other times outdoors.

During some visits, you’ll go out into the vineyard with the winemaker to discuss vineyard management and harvesting. If the winemaker doesn’t speak English, the instructor will translate for him or her and for you if you have questions. Each estate visit is unique.

Please ask the instructor if there is enough time before the end of the visit for you to make your purchase without impeding the progress and timing of the trip.

It is very rare that estates offer international shipping. If you would like to purchase wine, we recommend that you ask your government’s customs office for their rules and regulations if you intend to bring wine back into your country, or have wine shipped to you. You always have the option of bringing wine home with you in your checked luggage. A specialized wine suitcase is perfect for this. Depending on your home country, this amount will vary. You may have to pay some amount of duty on your wine when you go through customs. Therefore, it's best to check with your local authorities for further information.

For the field trip days, we recommend comfortable and casual attire. But please avoid sweats and old sneakers, for example. For our visits to more prestigious estates, slightly more elegant attire is requested and appreciated. We'll be doing quite a bit of standing and some walking during the field trip days, plus the cellars can be damp, so it would be best to avoid high heels and opt for comfortable shoes for the daytime. For walks in the vineyards, you’ll want appropriate walking shoes or sneakers. For the evening, do bring some dressier clothes for dinners in elegant restaurants.

For Masters Program Immersion: these experiences typically include a welcome dinner, a farewell meal, as well lunches during your field trip days. These meals will be paired with selected local wines. The rest of the meals are at your expense. WSG and/or the instructor will provide a list of some dining options for you to consult.

Our trip instructors are among the most renowned and respected wine professionals in the wine business. They are also professional wine educators who are absolutely passionate about the region and its wines. You can see a full biography of the instructor for each trip on the corresponding page, so you can know exactly with whom you'll be touring and learning. Most are native English speakers (American or British), and all other instructors speak English fluently. 

Our instructors have that special combination of high-level wine expertise, personal warmth, friendliness, and excellent leadership skills. They'll accompany you every day, throughout the trip, and will be able to answer all of your questions about the wines of the region you’ll be visiting (and about wine in general).

The course assistant is there to help the instructor during the time in class, serving wines and assisting with other tasks. During the field trip days, they are there to make sure all the logistics of the day run smoothly so that the instructor can devote their time to educating. This includes liaising with the bus driver and restaurants before and during the trip. Along with the instructor, they are responsible for making sure that the group is punctual for all visits, meals, and drop-offs. They also help to handle any emergency that may come up.

Yes, we strongly encourage you to purchase a very comprehensive travel insurance package once you have paid your non-refundable deposit for a Study Trip. Note that many plans require you to purchase the insurance very soon after your deposit payment (some require it within 14 days). There are any number of things that can happen that can cause cancellation or interruption of package travel, and travel insurance can help cover the costs you incur as a result. 

You can find travel insurers easily and there are sites where you can compare policies (for example, Insure My Trip). Be sure to read policies very carefully before you purchase. Include your airfare, train fare, and any other expenses you will have in addition to the price of the study trip itself. We highly recommend getting a “cancel for any reason” policy, which offers the best coverage. Travel experts say “if you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel,” so don’t skimp on this important coverage!

"Students of Wine"; whether wine industry professionals or serious wine hobbyists who wish to learn extensively about the wines of France, Italy, Germany, Portugal, and Spain with the leader in French, Italian, and Spanish wine education and certification.

Yes, you need to be in good physical condition. On field trip days, we will be walking short distances into the vineyards, walking through a winery, up and down stairs, and often standing in place for a while during a winery tour and tasting (sometimes there is no place to sit in the winery).

Yes, definitely. We keep group size to no more than 16-18 participants, to make sure that everyone gets individual attention. The smaller group size also allows us to use a smaller motor coach, so we can take smaller, more scenic country roads and maneuver more easily through narrow estate access roads. It also enables us to visit exclusive estates that do not accept large groups.