What will you learn during a wine tasting class at Sensation Vin?

You love wine. You enjoy drinking it, offering it, and sometimes choosing it with great care. But when it comes to explaining why you prefer one glass over another, words fail you. You sense something but cannot name it. You perceive a difference without being able to explain it.
This is exactly where a wine tasting class begins. No need to be an expert. No need to have an exceptional palate. You only need to be curious and want to understand what is happening in your glass.

A promise our participants made before we did

We could have invented a slogan. We didn’t need to. Year after year, our participants have told us the exact same thing as they left our classes: “I will never look at wine in the same way.”
We have made this our commitment. Not a marketing formula, but a real promise, rooted in what each session concretely brings to those who attend.

What you will find in every class

Our classes cover various themes: Burgundy wines, Pinot Noir grape, Chardonnay grape, Grands Crus… However, they all share the exact same backbone: the tasting methodology. It is the common thread, the central element that ensures you leave with a real skill, not just anecdotes.
Each session is organized in two parts:
•    First, a theoretical part, tailored to the class theme: Burgundy appellations, the hierarchy of wines, the main steps of winemaking... This knowledge is not an end in itself; it provides the context that gives meaning to what you will then perceive.
•    Then comes the tasting, always blind: 8 to 10 wines, bottles wrapped, labels hidden. No visible vintage, no winery name to influence you. You taste the wine for what it truly is. And you will discover, often with surprise, how capable your senses are of perceiving things you never thought you would notice.

What you will concretely learn

Estimate the age of a wine just by looking at it

In a few seconds, simply by observing the color and reflections of a wine in your glass, you will be able to distinguish a young wine from an older one. This is one of the first techniques we work on, and one that surprises participants the most, as it seems so inaccessible before practicing it.

Decode aromas and understand what they reveal

Smelling a wine is good. Knowing what you smell and what it means is something else. We will teach you how to recognize the main aromatic families and draw concrete conclusions: this scent indicates an aging wine, that one reveals oak barrel aging, a third betrays a specific fermentation. You will see: it is much more accessible than you think, and incredibly satisfying once you start mastering these cues. 

Sense the balance (or imbalance) of a wine

Every wine relies on a balance between several components: acidity, body, and tannins for reds; roundness and freshness for whites. A great wine is, above all, a harmonious wine. We will teach you to perceive this balance, to feel when one component takes over too much, and to understand why you instinctively like certain wines while others leave you indifferent.

Discover the length on the palate

This is one of the most revealing criteria of a wine's quality and complexity, yet one of the least known to amateurs. Aromatic persistence, what professionals call "length on the palate" or the "finish", will tell you in seconds whether a wine is a Regional or Grand Cru wine. Once you consciously perceive it for the first time, you won't be able to taste wine without it.

Put words to what you feel

This is perhaps the most immediate and liberating benefit. You will no longer just say "I like it" or "I don't like it." You will know how to say why: too oaky, lacking acidity, too much astringency... You will acquire this precision in expression faster than you think, and it will permanently change the way you choose, order, and share wine.

Tasting is training, not a talent

This is probably the most important thing to understand: there is no such thing as an exceptional palate reserved for a chosen few. There are only people who are more trained than others. Tasting can be learned, practiced, and developed, just like a sport or a musical instrument.
This means you can start at any age, regardless of your current level. It also means that every glass you drink consciously after your class will be an opportunity to progress. The knowledge acquired during a two or three-hour session at Sensation Vin will stay with you at every meal, every restaurant, and every winery you visit in the future.

Instructors. Only instructors.

At Sensation Vin, teaching is not a side activity. It is our profession, our vocation, and our sole reason for being in the room. We do not sell wine. We have no interest in guiding you toward a specific appellation or winery. Our only goal is your progress.
Damien and I combine several decades of experience in hosting wine tasting classes. We have met thousands of wine lovers from all backgrounds, all levels, and all countries. We know how to make what seems complex accessible, how to create the right conditions for a genuine exchange, and how to ensure you leave not only with knowledge but with the desire to go further.
To ensure that each session remains a true moment of sharing and not a lecture, the number of available spots for each wine tasting class is voluntarily limited to 6 or 9 people, depending on the session.

Curious? Browse our class schedule and book your next session in Beaune.

Céline Dandelot - Wine Expert & Educator, Vinopedagogue since 2002 - Beaune, Burgundy