The Wine School
The Wine School

Your wine journey

The guided path — step by step, from the basics to advanced.

0 of 102 steps done
Start your journey

Margaux

We'll start from the basics and build up, glass by glass. Tap the first step when you're ready!

Daily review — nothing due right now

Level 1

Beginner

0 of 36 steps done

The Basics of Wine

  1. What Is Wine?
  2. From Grape to Glass – Fermentation
  3. The Wine Grape and Its Parts
  4. Wine Colours and Main Types

The Building Blocks of Taste

  1. Sweetness
  2. Acidity
  3. Tannin (Astringency)
  4. Body (Weight)
  5. Alcohol
  6. Balance Between the Components

Start Tasting

  1. The Three Steps: See, Smell, Taste
  2. Serving Wine: Temperature and Glass

Appearance

  1. Colour and hue
  2. Clarity and depth
  3. What colour reveals

The Nose

  1. Aroma intensity
  2. Primary, secondary and tertiary aromas
  3. Aroma families: fruit, flower, spice
  4. Oak and dairy notes
  5. Earthy and mineral notes

Palate and judgement

  1. Balance on the palate
  2. Length and complexity
  3. Quality versus price
  4. Common wine faults: cork, oxidation, brett

White Grapes

  1. Overview – The White Grapes
  2. Chardonnay
  3. Sauvignon Blanc
  4. Riesling
  5. Pinot Grigio and Gewürztraminer
  6. Chenin Blanc and Other Whites

Red Grapes

  1. Overview – The Red Grapes
  2. Cabernet Sauvignon
  3. Merlot
  4. Pinot Noir
  5. Syrah / Shiraz
  6. Sangiovese, Tempranillo and Other Reds

Level 2

Intermediate

0 of 35 steps done

The Vineyard

  1. Climate – cool vs. warm
  2. Soil and terroir
  3. The importance of the vintage
  4. Harvest – when and how

In the winery

  1. How white wine is made
  2. How red wine is made
  3. Maceration and tannin extraction
  4. Malolactic fermentation

Oak and maturation

  1. New vs. old oak
  2. Barrel vs. stainless steel
  3. Bottling, filtration and storage

Sparkling wines

  1. Traditional method (bottle fermentation)
  2. Tank method (Charmat)
  3. Champagne, Cava, Prosecco & Crémant
  4. Dosage and sweetness levels

Rosé and sweet wines

  1. How rosé is made
  2. Noble rot — botrytis
  3. Late harvest and ice wine
  4. Dried grapes — passito and Amarone

Fortified & orange

  1. Port
  2. Sherry
  3. Madeira
  4. Orange wine & natural wine

France

  1. Bordeaux
  2. Burgundy (Bourgogne)
  3. Rhône Valley
  4. Loire and Alsace
  5. Champagne (the region)

Italy and Iberia

  1. Italy – North (Piedmont and Veneto)
  2. Italy – Centre and South (Tuscany and beyond)
  3. Spain (Rioja and Ribera del Duero)
  4. Portugal (Douro and Vinho Verde)

Central Europe and the label

  1. Germany (Riesling and Prädikat)
  2. Austria (Grüner Veltliner)
  3. Reading an Old World label

Level 3

Advanced

0 of 31 steps done

Americas

  1. Napa Valley
  2. Sonoma
  3. Oregon and Washington
  4. Chile
  5. Argentina & Malbec

Southern Hemisphere

  1. Australia: Barossa Valley
  2. Australia: Margaret River
  3. New Zealand: Marlborough
  4. South Africa: Stellenbosch

Style and Label

  1. Grape Labelling in the New World
  2. Climate and Style Differences vs. Old World

Wine and Food

  1. Core Principles: Weight, Acidity and Sweetness
  2. Salt, Fat, Heat and Umami
  3. Tannin and Protein
  4. Cheese and Wine
  5. Dessert and Wine

Service and Cellar

  1. Serving Temperature by Style
  2. Glassware and Decanting
  3. Buying Wine and Reading the Shelf
  4. Storage and Ageing Potential
  5. When a Wine Should Be Drunk

Blind Tasting

  1. The Method Behind Blind Tasting
  2. Identifying the Grape from Taste
  3. Assessing Climate and Age
  4. Practice: A White Wine Step by Step
  5. Practice: A Red Wine Step by Step

Deep Knowledge

  1. How Wines Develop During Ageing
  2. Appellations and Wine Laws Compared
  3. What Makes a Wine 'Fine' — and Investment
  4. Sustainability: Organic, Biodynamic, Natural Wine
  5. Wine Regions in a Changing Climate