Steven Spurrier's Académie du Vin Wine Course

Académie du Vin's founder, the late Steven Spurrier, wine connoisseur, critic extraordinaire and instigator of the famed 1976 Judgement of Paris, was a man who in the immortal of words of Hugh Johnson, ‘was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and never stopped stirring’. Back in 1972, Steven founded the Académie du Vin – a series of classes that blended factual information with practical tasting experience, and which were structured so that students could build their knowledge in a gradual, orderly way without becoming ‘swamped’. In the 1980s, his Académie du Vin Wine Course became a best-selling book. Now, the Académie du Vin Library is delighted to honour Steven’s legacy by publishing an all-new commemorative edition, handsomely bound in a linen slipcase, and fully revised and updated to reflect the wine world of today.

True to the spirit of the original, Steven Spurrier’s Académie du Vin Wine Course takes the reader logically through every aspect of wine appreciation: how to taste wine like the professionals; why the ways grapes are grown and wines are made have such a profound impact on the final taste; the characteristics of the most popular grape varieties and the world’s wine-growing regions; and last, but certainly not least, how to store and collect wine so that you can appreciate it in years to come.

Whether you’re a newcomer to fine wine or already an aficionado, there is no more enjoyable, concise way to take your learning to the next level.

About the Author

Steven Spurrier is a legendary figure in the world of wine, known as an educator, innovator, consultant and communicator, he has inspired many newcomers to the trade and earned the respect of celebrated winemakers the world over. Steven is perhaps best known for masterminding the remarkable 1976 blind tasting of top Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay wines from Bordeaux and California that came to be known as the Judgement of Pari’. A recreation of this event was held in 1986, then again in 2006 when the wines were tasted simultaneously in London and Napa. Steven has written eight books on wine and in 2017 was named Decanter Man of the Year and Honorary President of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust.