Red wine with meat and white wine with fish? A standard rule for food and wine pairing. Or is it? In this course you will learn there is much more to food and wine pairing than this simple cliché. With a combination of lectures and tastings, students will learn about international grapes varieties, regions and winemaking techniques used to achieve certain styles of wine and their perfect food pairings. The course also includes Field Studies.

Wine has been a trade since Ancient Greece and continues to be an object of global commerce. By a combination of lecture, case studies, excursions and tastings, this course provides students with an
understanding of various aspects of the global wine trade. With various class outings, we will visit different wine companies and converse with guest speakers to gain experience from genuine business examples. The course will cover B to C sales (retail, hospitality, online) and B to B sales focusing on wine export and marketing from the perspective of French wine producers in international markets. The course includes Field Studies.

Viticulture and wine production have been embedded in the Mediterranean region for thousands of years and these activities have become synonymous with many local cultures. Students will study the evolution of wine from its pre-historic origins near the fertile crescent through to the modern era in the Mediterranean basin. We will learn how production methods and consumption habits developed over time and space, how a culture of wine and local identities co-evolved and how many
Mediterranean countries, through regional and external forces, came to be the world’s standard bearer for the global wine industry. This class enjoys field visits and tastings of regional wines.

Our classroom will be IAU/ACM’s vineyard, 250 grapevines of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsaut. Every week we will learn and apply organic and biodynamic viticulture techniques to help our grapevines
to develop physiologically while benefitting surrounding biodiversity. Engaging in the following vineyard activities: cover crop management, pruning, canopy management, frost protection, soil
preparation, weed management, machinery operation, etc., we will underpin our practical activities with theoretical/philosophical readings and lectures to gain a well-rounded knowledge of what it takes to grow wine grapes and their impact on the environment. Students who enroll in this class should bring appropriate clothing for vineyard tasks. Course includes selected tastings.

This intensive six-week, three credit, course is designed for students who wish to learn about the global wine industry and for those who are considering a career in wine. The course covers the fundamentals of viticulture and enology, famous French regions including wine styles, grapes, climate and culture. The course incorporates the business of wine including marketing, branding, consumer behavior and more. Students will learn professional wine tasting techniques, food and wine pairing and will have the opportunity to visit wineries in Provence to taste and speak with the owners on a variety of topics including marketing, strategy and views of the U.S. market.

This intensive three-week course focuses on the appreciation of gastronomy and wine, while exploring regional and local delicacies. Students will learn to appreciate how these products are produced, understand how they impact the environment, and will begin to recognize how our consumption choices may be a potential solution or hazard to the global environmental crisis. In this multi-country traveling seminar, students will have the opportunity to taste Spanish, French, and Italian wines, speak directly with winemakers and industry experts, and visit cultural sites in Spain, France, and Italy. See the Itinerary here.