discover Wine classes in melbourne

Frequently Asked Questions

• What wine courses are available for beginners in Melbourne?

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  Melbourne offers several beginner options. The Beginners Wine Class is a single session covering fundamentals including sight, smell, taste, varietal characteristics, service, cellaring, and food pairing, limited to 10 participants with six Australian wines. The Introduction to Wine Four Week Course provides structured learning across multiple weeks. The One-Night Palate Trainer is a 2-hour intimate class conducted monthly from 6:30pm–8:45pm at $79, designed for both novice and connoisseur, focusing on understanding your palate and identifying wine faults that occur in 1 out of 12 bottles.

• Are there specialized wine tasting challenges available in Melbourne?

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  Yes, Melbourne has multiple challenge-format tastings. The Champagne Challenge features 12 super premium champagnes blind tasted at $199 including supper. The Shiraz Challenge is a blind tasting comparing Grange against 11 other premium shiraz and syrah from New and Old World regions, with a 13th glass paired with light supper. The Chardonnay Challenge ($159 including supper) pits France vs. The Rest in a blind comparison. The Pinot Noir Challenge ($159 including supper) features 12 super-premium pinot noirs from Australia, New Zealand, USA, and France.

• What are the multi-week wine course options in Melbourne?

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  The Introduction to Wine Four Week Course has been rated Melbourne's best and covers champagne, multiple wine styles, and appreciation fundamentals. The Advanced Red Wine Four Week Course costs $299 and features over $2000 of premium red wines from producers including Tapanappa, Delas, Isole e Olena, Cullen, Paradigm Hill, and Bouchard, with in-depth focus on pinot noir, shiraz, and Bordeaux grape varieties. Classes are conducted at Armadale Cellars in the underground cellars.

• What wine education events include food pairings in Melbourne?

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  Several courses combine cooking and wine education. The Duck and Pinot Masterclass is hands-on, teaching duck cooking techniques while learning pinot noir pairings, with a 10% discount on duck and wine products available afterward. The Duck and Brown Brothers Wine Matching Masterclass covers seven duck dishes with Australian wine pairings. Duck 'n' Bubbles Demonstrating Masterclass pairs duck dishes with champagne and sparkling Australian wines. All conclude with indulging in prepared dishes with their matched wines.

• Are there one-off tasting events available, or only multi-week courses?

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  Both options exist. Single-session events include the One-Night Palate Trainer at $79, Understanding Burgundy at $159, Introduction to Whisky, Masterclass and Gin Tasting at $85, and Twenty Wines for $30. Additionally, Armadale Cellars hosts regular winemaker dinners at partner restaurants like Scopri, Kenzan, and L'Hotel Gitan featuring 10 wines with 5-course matching menus. A RIEDEL Sensory Tasting costs $129 and includes $240 worth of glassware to take home.

• What makes the Armadale Cellars courses unique?

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  Classes are held in the underground cellars providing an ambient tasting environment. The venue has hosted wine dinners for over a decade with consistent attendance. Courses feature Australian premium producers like Paradigm Hill, Tapanappa, Cullen, and Levantine Hill. Classes limit participants to 10-12 people for intimate instruction. Courses include strong food components, and participants can redeem gift vouchers toward dates of their choice. Instructors are experienced presenters from the wine industry.