Comité Champagne's Specialist Program is coming to Australia 

The Champagne Bureau Australia has announced the domestic launch of the Champagne Specialist Program, a training course designed to help elevate Champagne knowledge and skills of Australia’s wine trade. Originally designed by Comité Champagne’s dedicated education department in Épernay, France, the program’s debut to Australia coincides with the Comité’s new global education platform and will run on two separate occasions in Sydney and Adelaide prior to the end of 2024. 

"We are excited to bring this specialized program to Australia." said John Noble, Director of the  Champagne Bureau. 

"Australia has a dynamic wine and hospitality industry, and we believe that this program will enrich the knowledge and skills of our professionals, helping them to better serve and understand Champagne."

For the Australian Specialist Program, Champagne Bureau Australia has announced that it will be partnering with two of Australia’s leading wine training institutions, Sydney Wine Academy and Adelaide Wine and Spirits School. The exact dates and locations are as follows:

Sydney Wine Academy:
TAFE NSW: Harris Street, Ultimo
Monday 2 September – Monday 30 September

Adelaide Wine and Spirits School:
TAFE SA: Currie Street, Adelaide
Monday 28 October – Monday 11 November

Drinks Trade recently attended a masterclass hosted by Stéphanie Martel, head of the Comité Champagne’s education division, where she explained the four main missions of the Comité.

“We have research and development, we have the market regulation/the protection of the name Champagne, and [we have] the education of wine professionals,” she said.

“The last mission, it is valorisation… [or] promotion of the whole appellation. We are not here to promote one word in particular/one office; we are here to train, to explain all the appellations, the four departments, [and] all the different families.”

The Champagne Specialist Program involves four structured sessions followed by a final exam. The first session will provide an introduction to the region along with exploring tasting basics and food pairings, the second will explore Champagne terroir, the third will explore the Champagne Method, and the final session will offer advice around service and storage. The overall cost of the training course, which includes three Champagne wines per session, is $595.

For more information, visit the Comité Champagne’s dedicated webpage here.

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