Due to the continued Covid pandemic, we have decided to resume our WSG study trips in 2022, with your health and safety being our primary concern. Please stay tuned though because as soon as it is safe to travel, the WSG trips will be coming back even better than before!
Expect the same great instructors, same great producers, same sense of companionship, even better hotels as well as new add-ons including pre-trip online educational webinars, Q&A and social gatherings, welcome meet & greet drink, options for private transfer to tour site & more.
WSG members and previous tour participants will continue to benefit from priority booking by having reservations open to them 10 days before the general public.
Add your name and email address in the form below to obtain information about our tours.
WE PROVIDE UNIQUE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES FOR WINE PROFESSIONALS AND SERIOUS STUDENTS OF WINE.
Our exceptional study trips offer intensive, professional-level, educational programming within the wines regions of France and Italy. Lead by top wine industry professionals, our itineraries take you into some of the best cellars and vineyards for hands-on learning and unparalleled tasting opportunities. What better way to connect theory with practice!
Study trips incorporate the Guild's Master-Level programs* allowing you to continue your studies in-person in your wine region of study. This is a unique and powerful way to gain a thorough and working knowledge of the region. The Wine Scholar Guild is the only wine organization to offer wine travel in conjunction with a specialized certificate program.
For the last 10 years, hundreds of participants have trusted the Wine Scholar Guild to take them on wine immersion study trips that have given them core knowledge, insider scoop and true perspective.
*Master-level programs are not yet available for trips in Italy.
5 great reasons we think you might love to join us on a wine study trip:
1. TASTINGS TAILORED FOR PROFESSIONALS
We do extensive tasting on the study trips. You will sample allocated wines that are only poured at the winery, barrel samples and tutored tastings with targeted, professional learning objectives.
Here are some examples from previous Wine Scholar Guild tours:
- A Champagne producer in the Aube organized a tasting of the same base champagne with different levels of dosage to demonstrate sugar’s effect on flavor.
- A winemaker in Beaujolais poured wines from each of the ten crus alongside rock samples from the vineyards where the grapes were grown while pointing out the subtle differences in mineral composition as made manifest in flavor profile.
2. GO TO THE SOURCE
There is no doubt that the best way to really understand a wine or a wine region is to go there and immerse yourself in everything that makes it special. This “package of reality” is something you just can not glean from books.
3. MEET THE WINEMAKERS
Meeting the winemakers is a real highlight for our tour participants. On previous trips, groups have met the winemakers at renowned estates such as Louis Roederer in Champagne, Chateau Cheval Blanc in Bordeaux, Clos de Tart in Burgundy, Zind-Humbrecht in Alsace (among others). These are unique and highly rewarding opportunities. In a professional context, meeting the winemakers also allows you to establish first-hand relationships with existing or potential suppliers.
Producers visited during past study trips include:
4. VISIT BOTH ICONIC AND BELOW THE RADAR ESTATES
We visit both long-established, well-known wineries and as well as lesser-known, top-quality estates to give you the opportunity to see the icons as well as discover hidden gems and upcoming stars.
5. WORLD-RENOWNED WINE INSTRUCTORS:
Our top-notch instructors, all experts in their fields, include award-winning Sommeliers, Masters of Wine, and wine writers. They provide professional-level instruction and help you stay abreast of what is happening in the different wine regions by covering current trends and changes that are occurring there.
- Masters of Wine including: Elizabeth Gabay MW, Steve Charters MW, Matthew Stubbs MW, Essi Avellan MW, Sarah Jane Evans MW, Jane Hunt MW
- Master Sommeliers including Pascaline Lepeltier MS
- Highly regarded industry professionals and journalists including:
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Pascaline Lepeltier MS Beverage Director of Rouge Tomate restaurant in NYC |
Andrew Jefford Award-winning wine journalist for Decanter |
Kerin O'Keefe Italian editor at Wine Enthusiast Magazine
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Jane Hunt MW Master of Wine specialized
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Essi Avellan MW Editor of FINE Champagne magazine
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Jane Anson Bordeaux Correspondent and columnist for Decanter Magazine
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Taste, Visit, Meet, Explore & Indulge... A Sneak Peek at Past Study Trips
Get a better chance to secure your seat!
Become a Member of the Wine Scholar Guild and receive a one-week advanced notice with priority booking!
Why Embark on the WSG Wine Immersion Study Trips:
VALUE
WSG study trips provide rare access to some of the region’s most prestigious estates, inspiring exchanges with their owners and winemakers, extensive tastings at their cellars… all under the priceless tutelage of your expert, internationally-renowned instructor. Gastronomic meals paired with some of the region’s top wines, 4*star hotels and deluxe motor coach transportation complete this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
GROUP EXPERIENCE
Traveling with a group of like-minded committed students of wine only enriches the experience. Sharing passion, knowledge and lively wine discussions galvanizes the group and will build a culminating moment in your wine education journey. There’s always a combination of levels of wine experience on the trips, and professionals and wine students interact and enjoy learning together. Participants discover new, lasting friendships which continue along their wine journey. There really is some magic happening on these trips!
EDUCATIONAL FOCUS
Wine education with the WSG is seriously good fun! We know you may be taking some precious vacation time for these trips. The combination of the group camaraderie and the well-balanced itinerary will provide not only learning opportunities but exciting cultural and culinary experiences. Our tour manager will be on hand at all times to provide exceptional customer service and make your trip relaxing and enjoyable.
DURATION
Hugely experienced in organizing study trips, we think it impossible to create a better itinerary. Your time will be maximized with smooth, hassle-free transitions from one extraordinary experience to another. You can also choose whether you stay a little longer or arrive prior to the trip and make the most of the travel experience.
The advancement of knowledge, the camaraderie and the epicurean delights on WSG study trips are immeasurable and unforgettable. Most who have been on one trip have been returning for more trips ever since!
You can also find answers to many of your questions on our extensive FAQs page.
· They are intensive, professional-level educational wine study trips coupled with certification (the FWS’s industry-endorsed, Masters-Level program for each region) upon successful completion of the final exam
