Our Latest Publications!

We are thrilled to announce the upcoming releases of Steven Spurrier’s Académie du Vin Wine Course
and Ben Howkins’
Adventures in the Wine Trade.

Bride Valley Change of Ownership

As you know Bride Valley was founded by the late Steven Spurrier, who sadly died in March 2021.
After a long search, the Spurrier family has now found successors who can take the vineyard forward in a way that Steven would have wanted…

Welcome Alasdair Warren and Mark Banham

Why can’t wine education be engaging and enjoyable?

We believe in keeping wine appreciation approachable and allow for sensory examination and evaluation, never complicated or overtly analytical.

MUSINGS: The Grandes Marques at War

Standing on the steps of a farmhouse north of Reims, it is easy to see why most Champenois stay here for generations. From the back door, the carefully tended fields of barley and Pinot Noir grapes are flanked by rows of beehives, which all tell their own story…

Steven Spurrier

1941 – 2021

Wine Education and Appreciation with Marc Nadeau | Chats from the Wine Cellar

Yule Georgieva of InVintory and Marc Nadeau talk about the Academie du Vin, but also Academie du Vin Library which is a sister company of sorts that Steven founded to publish great wine books.

Studying the complexity of wine tasting has been a fruitful learning curve that has opened my eyes to the delights of a huge variety of wines.

Michael Broadbent

Through our ongoing courses, events and best-selling books, the Academie du Vin encourages our guests to discover wine tasting and appreciation through a traditional approach using our wealth of knowledge to train how your senses should feel.

It’s a place and modern community focused on a passion for fine wine allowing us to share our interest with likeminded people who have an innate curiosity but without the intimidation factor.

Our History

Originally established in Paris in 1973 by Steven Spurrier, the Academie du Vin was France’s first private wine school teaching wine appreciation to ex-patriate British and Americans living in the city. The location of the school was adjacent to Steven Spurrier’s famous wine store, the Caves de la Madeleine, and designed inside a former locksmith shop.

The Academie du Vin quickly rose to fame in wine enthusiast circles through its association with the 1976 Judgement of Paris – a blind tasting which brought recognition to California wines and changed the wine world forever.

With Steven’s extensive training and experience in the UK wine trade, he was instrumental in creating an educational wine phenomenon that transformed enthusiast’s approach to wine; by perfectly blending enjoyment and technical expertise.

In The Beginning

1973

The Academie du Vin was established in Paris in 1973 by Steven Spurrier as France’s first private bilingual wine school.

The Judgement of Paris

1976

A wine competition pitting some of the finest wines in France against unknown California bottles, the Paris Wine Tasting revolutionized the wine world. The outcome was considered a foregone conclusion, but the Californian wine rated best in both Chardonnay and red categories, which caused surprise as France was generally regarded as being the foremost producer of the world’s best wines

Branching Out

1987

The Academie du Vin travelled across multiple continents to spread the art of tasting. A Japanese branch in Tokyo was established as the first and biggest wine school in the region, now with four locations turning out more than 30,000 graduates.

Establishing Roots

1987

Within the same year, the Toronto location was opened to give those who were passionate about wine the tools necessary to enjoy, explore, and critique a wine without obtaining formal Sommelier Certification.

Present Day

2020

Widely recognized as the preeminent wine school in Canada, The Academie du Vin has influenced many wine connoisseurs for over thirty years; by ushering a resurgence for wine appreciation through appealing to a new generation of enthusiasts. The Academie du Vin offers a welcoming and stimulating experience that imparts our unsurpassed knowledge and skills, making the tools of tasting wine accessible and enjoyable.

Our Founders

Steven Spurrier (1941 – 2021)

Marc Nadeau

Marc Nadeau

Our Books

The topic of Wine is filled with a mythology built on rules and intimidations, leaving us feeling insecure. Yet nothing breaks down barriers and brings us together as we take notice of the relationships built and conversations held over a glass of wine.

Our Books

The topic of Wine is filled with a mythology built on rules and intimidations, leaving us feeling insecure. Yet nothing breaks down barriers and brings us together as we take notice of the relationships built and conversations held over a glass of wine.

Our Books

The topic of Wine is filled with a mythology built on rules and intimidations, leaving us feeling insecure. Yet nothing breaks down barriers and brings us together as we take notice of the relationships built and conversations held over a glass of wine.

Our Books

The topic of Wine is filled with a mythology built on rules and intimidations, leaving us feeling insecure. Yet nothing breaks down barriers and brings us together as we take notice of the relationships built and conversations held over a glass of wine.

Our Books

The topic of Wine is filled with a mythology built on rules and intimidations, leaving us feeling insecure. Yet nothing breaks down barriers and brings us together as we take notice of the relationships built and conversations held over a glass of wine.

Our Books

‘Peter has shot like a comet through the wine-skies over the past 50 years. People all over the world of wine have looked up suddenly to see this mysterious light, brighter than any satellite, whizzing by…’ ~Hugh Johnson.

To impart the feeling of enjoying wine, our aim is to beautifully break it down through story and imagery united by a passion to learn more whether you are a collector, taster, buyer, or enthusiast.

Discovering the authentic voice of a particular terroir requires study.

Matt Kramer

author of Making Sense of Burgundy

A Good Read
Should Inspire

 
Our intention is to be evocative offering valuable resources, always believing a good read should inspire you to think about the things that initially got you into wine, further building your knowledge by exposing you to a whole new world of possibility.

OUR PARTNERS

Academie du Vin Library