Champagne Fundamentals - Napa Valley Wine Academy

Champagne Fundamentals

Discover the world of Champagne with our Champagne Fundamentals Course, taught by Catherine Bugué, Founder and VP of Education at Napa Valley Wine Academy, and created in collaboration with the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin Champagne (CIVC). Champagne is one of the world’s most distinctive sparkling wines, shaped by a cool climate, chalk-rich soils, and the traditional method of production. This course gives you the knowledge, confidence, and a certificate to recognize your achievement in Champagne studies.

Course Highlights

  • Learn from Catherine Bugué, Founder & VP of Education at Napa Valley Wine Academy

  • Created in collaboration with the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin Champagne (CIVC)

  • Understand Champagne’s region, grapes, and growing conditions

  • Follow the traditional method step by step, from base wine to dosage

  • Learn how winemaking choices shape quality, style, and complexity

  • Build confidence in selecting and serving Champagne

  • Self-paced online format, complete in about 60 minutes

  • Earn a Champagne Fundamentals Course Certificate upon completion (Add-On)

  • Designed for students with basic wine knowledge who want a clear, practical foundation in Champagne

Enroll now and deepen your Champagne knowledge. In about 1 hour of total learning time, you will explore:

  • In the Vineyard: How Champagne’s climate and key grape varieties create the base wines essential for sparkling production.

  • In the Winery: The traditional method in detail, creating the Vin Clair, second fermentation, lees aging, disgorgement, and dosage, and how each step shapes final style.

  • Serving Champagne: How to store, chill, open, and serve Champagne properly, and how sweetness terms on the label guide serving choices.

This course is available exclusively to Premier Crew™ members as a complimentary benefit.

Premier Crew™ members only

This course is included with Premier Crew™ membership

It isn't sold on its own. Membership also includes the other eight specialist courses, the WSET exam-prep study tools (flashcards, practice questions and prep packages), and the monthly live Tasting Labs.

Cancel anytime · access starts as soon as you join · Already a member? Sign in to start the course

See everything that's included with Premier Crew™ →

At Napa Valley Wine Academy, we believe wine education should be empowering, engaging, and approachable. That’s why we designed TasteCoach Wine Fundamentals to meet you where you are—with no prerequisites, no memorization of scientific terms, and no pressure to “get it right.”

You’ll enjoy:

  • Flexible learning on your schedule
  • Real-life applications, not classroom theory
  • Instruction from a team that has twice won the Riedel Trophy for the WSET Educator of the Year
  • A reputation for excellence, with more than 53,530 students since 2011

Whether you’re new to wine or simply want to feel more at ease navigating wine culture, Champagne Fundamentals is your invitation to learn by doing and taste with confidence.

Your enrollment includes:

  • Guided video lessons covering Champagne in vineyard, winery and serving.
  • Practical tips for wine storage, opening bottles, and enjoying wine with food
  • Practice questions to reinforce learning
  • Total of 1 study hours

  • An introduction to Champagne: Understand what Champagne is (and isn’t)
  • Champagne Vineyards: Learn about the classic grape varieties that define the sparkling wines of the region.
  • Cellar Practices: Discover how Champagne is produced
  • Champagne Wine Styles & Regions: Learn about the major regions of Champagne, and how some sites are better than others
  • Format: 100% Online, Self-Paced
  • Start Anytime: Rolling enrollment – access begins immediately
  • Wine Kit: Not included (select wines you enjoy based on course tips)

Add-On Certificate Exam $39:

  • Available for purchase within the course upon course completion
  • 5 multi-part questions
  • Completed online from home
  • Unlimited attempts
  • Instant results – no waiting
  • Digital certificate issued upon passing

All attendees must be at least 21 years of age.

PREREQUISITE: No Previous Experience Required

TasteCoach™ Wine Fundamentals or WSET Level 1 Award in Wines recommended as a foundation for this course.

Q: How long does this course take?
A: About 1 hour but you get 12 months access from purchase and can study in your own pace.

Q: Do I need to buy specific wines?
A: Not at all! You’ll choose wines based on your preferences and our guidance, making the course flexible and personal.

Q: How do I take the certificate exam?
A: Available for purchase within the course upon course completion. It’s 100% online and available as soon as you finish the course and you get your results instantly.

Q: Will I get a certificate?
A: Yes! You’ll receive a digital certificate immediately after passing the exam.

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