France has been and remains the most important country in the world of wine. It is the birthplace of most of the principal grape varieties of the world, including Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Syrah. France's wines, themselves, express these varieties in unique ways, due to its singular geography and climate and its laws and wine-making practices. For better or worse, these wines are the wines against which all other wines are compared.

We will taste all the major grape varieties and France's famous wines as we "visit" the country's four principal wine regions: Loire, Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Rhone Valley.

In a fun, interactive, and educational environment, we taste eight or more wines each evening and everyone receives a useful notebook of regional maps, graphs, and information. The course provides a full understanding of France's principal grape varieties, wines and “terroir,” its classic food and wine pairings, the standards according to which its wines are normally assessed, and where it stands among the other great wine countries of the world. Any missed classes can be made up at a subsequent course.