The Wine and Management Programme is divided into four parts:
1. A 2-week internship during the harvest period in France
Two weeks of full immersion in the world of wine during the French Harvest season. Students join in the harvest alongside French winemakers.
2. Lectures, wine conferences and vineyard visits
- Study of viticultural countries - This part of the programme is spread over the nine months and focuses on French wines with an overview of vineyards in Europe and the New World. Subjects covered include cultivation techniques, associated climate and terroir as well as the winegrowing producers of each region. Students will have the chance to taste a representative selection of wines from each vineyard during the many professional tasting sessions organized in various locations throughout Paris. Several experts in the field (sommeliers, wine brokers, wine growers, speakers, wine merchants etc) provide students with the most up-to-date and comprehensive information in an ever-evolving discipline.
- Business and sales force related to the wine business - This part of the programme addresses the challenges of accounting and financial management in the wine business. Marketing, commercialization, business plan, target, location strategy and human resources are all covered. Students learn how to build a balanced wine menu calculated to optimize sales and profits.
- Food and Wine pairings - During culinary demonstrations by Le Cordon Bleu Chefs, students practise food and wine pairing with sensory analysis of the dishes and wines being tasted.- Oenology - Students focus on vinification and viticulture techniques, indispensible for mastering the art of wine tasting.
- Vineyard visits - As part of the Wine and Management Diploma, students go on a number of educational trips to French vineyards. These field trips give students the chance to discover the many facets of French vineyards and learn more about the history, the terroir, the economy, the way in which the wine industry is organized and the secrets of production of different wines. Here are some examples of French vineyard visits:
- Cognac
- Champagne
- Bordeaux
- Loire valley
3. An internship in a wine related establishment
6-week internship in a wine related establishment, such as:
- Hotels - Restaurants: Les Ambassadeurs (Crillon Hotel's restaurant), Drouant Restaurant , Le Sur Mesure (Mandarin Oriental Hotel's restaurant), La Tour d’Argent, Lasserre Restaurant , La Table du Baltimore (Baltimore Hotel's restaurant), Le Meurice Hotel, Le Bistrot du Sommelier, Le Jules Verne, Georges V, Frenchie
- Wine bars and wine cellars: O Château, Le Petit Sommelier, Wine by One, Caves Legrand
- Wine producers, specialized firms and organisations: Duval Leroy, AOC International, France Boissons, Bettane & Desseauve
- Wine tourism agencies: Wine Chic Travel
4. 8-week internship of professional insight.