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 WSG Study Abroad 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 tour provides a deep-dive experience into the vineyards, cellars and local winemakers of your chosen region.

WSG Masters Program Immersion Courses provide a 360-degree view of a region via three days of in-depth classroom instruction, extensive tutored tastings along with two days of location specific field study. These programs build off of 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.

For Masters Program Immersion Courses, hotels are not included in the price, but we are happy to provide options for all budgets once you reserve your seat. Lunch is typically included on field days only, with free time on classroom days to source lunch at your own expense. Group dinners are also included with the remaining three evenings at your expense. Many students prefer the structure of classroom learning combined with the free time of this format. It is also well-suited for those who wish to be more social, as students quickly become friends with others in the group.

We request that all guests on our trips are serious and passionate about wine, however, there are no official prerequisites for WSG Study Abroad experiences. 

For most Educational Wine Tours and all Masters Program Immersion experiences, you will receive study materials in advance once your balance is paid in full, or 120 days before travel. To get the maximum benefit from the trip, we highly recommend familiarizing yourself with the content provided in advance. 

WSG Studio is also an excellent resource and contains hundreds of topical recorded lectures and webinars on many of the regions we visit. For trips that do not include study materials, we will generally send a curated selection of webinars to watch in advance.  

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 winemakers themselves. 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 bottle. Tasting locations may vary. Sometimes tastings will be held in the cellar, in a tasting room and other times outdoors.  

Some visits may include a vineyard tour with the winemaker to discuss vineyard management and harvesting. If the winemaker doesn’t speak English, the instructor will translate for them and for you, if you have questions. Each estate visit is unique: at one winery, you might witness a cooper making barrels; at another, there may be beautiful gardens; at a third, a special art exhibit or museum. 

Please ask the instructor if there is enough time at the end of the visit for you to make your purchase without impeding the progress and timing of the trip.  Not all estates sell wine on-site. In Bordeaux, for example, very few of the Classified Growth Châteaux actually sell wine at the château (they sell exclusively through wine merchants). It is 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 taxes or duties on your wine at customs. Please check with your local authorities for further information. 

During the day, it's best to bring clothing that is casual without being unkempt. Please avoid sweats, old sneakers or gym clothes for example. Especially for our visits to First Growth Châteaux and other very prestigious estates, where slightly more elegant attire is requested and appreciated. Wineries and cellars can be damp, and quite cool in temperature. Please consider layers for on-site visits.

We'll be doing quite a bit of standing and some walking, plus cellar floors can be damp, so it would be best to avoid high heels and opt for comfortable shoes during the daytime. For walks in the vineyards, you’ll want appropriate walking shoes, boots or sneakers. For the evening, do consider bringing dressier more appropriate clothing for dinners in elegant restaurants. 

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

WSG trip instructors are among the most renowned and respected wine professionals in the wine business. They are also professional wine educators, highly knowledgeable about the region and wine styles they represent.

You will see a full biography of the instructor(s) for each program on the corresponding page, so you will know exactly who you'll be touring and learning with.  Most are native English speakers (American, British or Australian), and all other instructors speak English fluently. Our instructors have a special combination of high-level wine expertise, personal warmth, friendliness, and excellent leadership skills. They'll accompany you every day, throughout the program, and will be able to answer any questions you may have about the wines of the region you’ll be visiting (and about wine in general). 

During study abroad tour and immersion programs, our Tour Manager is on-site to handle logistics, making sure all details of the tour and programs run smoothly. This allows the instructor the opportunity to devote their time solely to instructing! The Tour Manager's duties include liaising with the bus driver, the restaurants and hotels before and during the trip. The Tour Manager is also responsible in for making sure that the group is punctual for all visits, meals and drop-offs. They handle any emergency that may come up arise and are also there to assist trip participants you with any additional questions they you may have.

All WSG Tour Managers are consummate professionals. Residing in the country they work, with years of experience in the vino tourism and/or wine industry. They are also completely bilingual in the country they serve.

Yes, we strongly encourage you to purchase a very comprehensive travel insurance package once you have paid your.  Note that many plans require you to purchase insurance very soon after your deposit payment (some require it within 14 days).  

There are any number of things that can happen occur and cause cancellation or interruption of your travel package. Travel insurance can help cover the costs you incur as a result.  You will find many travel insurer providers websites available and can easily compare insurance policies online. For example, Insure My Trip: https://www.insuremytrip.com

Be sure to read insurance policies very carefully before purchasing.  Include your airfare, train fare, and any other expenses you may incur in addition to the price of the study trip program itself.  We highly recommend purchasing a “cancel for any reason” policy, which offers the best and most reliable coverage. Travel experts say, “if you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel." Please don’t skip this important step!

WSG Study Abroad Tour and Master Immersion Program participants may include a wide variety of "wine students." Whether wine industry professional, educator or serious wine aficionado or collector wishing to learn more extensively about the wines of France, Italy, Germany, Portugal or Spain. Some participants may be seeking WSG certifications, others may not. All will share in a passion for wine.

Yes, you need to be in good physical condition to actively participate in a WSG Study Abroad or Immersion Program. You can expect to be walking short distances into the vineyards, from your hotel to dinner (i.e. 10-15 minutes at a time), walking through wineries, up and down stairs, and often standing in place for long periods of time 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 all participants receive individual attention.  In Bourgogne and Piedmont, where wineries are very small, we limit groups to 15 participants. A smaller group size may also allow us to use a smaller motor coach, so we can take smaller, more scenic country roads and maneuver more easily through narrow estate access points. It also enables us to visit exclusive estates that do not accept large groups or transport vehicles.