Skip to main content
About HEC About HEC Faculty & Research Faculty & Research Master’s programs Master’s programs MBA Programs MBA Programs PhD Program PhD Program Executive Education Executive Education Summer School Summer School HEC Online HEC Online About HEC Overview Overview Who
We Are Who
We Are
Egalité des chances Egalité des chances HEC Talents HEC Talents International International Campus
Life Campus
Life
Sustainability Sustainability Diversity
& Inclusion Diversity
& Inclusion
Stories Stories The HEC
Foundation The HEC
Foundation
Coronavirus Coronavirus
Faculty & Research Overview Overview Faculty Directory Faculty Directory Departments Departments Centers Centers Chairs Chairs Knowledge@HEC Knowledge@HEC Master’s programs Master in
Management Master in
Management
Master's
Programs Master's
Programs
Double Degree
Programs Double Degree
Programs
Summer
Programs Summer
Programs
Exchange
students Exchange
students
Student
Life Student
Life
Our
Difference Our
Difference
MBA Programs MBA MBA Executive MBA Executive MBA TRIUM EMBA TRIUM EMBA PhD Program Overview Overview HEC Difference HEC Difference Program details Program details Research areas Research areas HEC Community HEC Community Placement Placement Job Market Job Market Admissions Admissions Financing Financing Executive Education Executive Masters Executive Masters Executive Certificates Executive Certificates Executive short programs Executive short programs Online Online Companies Companies Executive MBA Executive MBA Infinity Pass Infinity Pass Summer School Youth Programs Youth Programs Summer programs Summer programs HEC Online Overview Overview Degree Program Degree Program Executive certificates Executive certificates MOOCs MOOCs Summer Programs Summer Programs Youth programs Youth programs

The world of fine wines lies at the frontier of two opposite domains. Is it a culture, only a culture – even an art, free and magical? Or is it a business and what kind of business?

As a luxury product coming from agriculture, fine wine is a specific object. Its history is deeply rooted in our Western way of life and can be told as a part of our civilization. But fine wines are also a product to be sold and marketed. How can we balance these two characteristics? Are they contradictory or synergic?

The current period is critical in the history of fine wines… Competition between the old and new wine world, big corporations and small independent producers, terroir and brand logics are more than ever under question.


At the end of the course, students will be able to:

  1. Discuss with wine professionals using adequate vocabulary and understand the  major problems related to production, consumption, prescription and marketing of fine wines
  2. Identify the different business models and oenophile cultures in France and around the world.
  • Introduction to vine growing and wine making: notions of viticulture and winemaking applied to different types of wines: sparkling, dry white, red, sweet and fortified wines, rosé.
  • Introduction to wine tasting: method and vocabulary
  • The wine market today
  • Historical and economical background: evolution of wine production, exchanges and consumption worldwide.
  • Introduction to French wines segmentation and philosophy:
    1. The system of Appellations d’Origine
    2.  What does terroir refer to? Crus vs brand names
  • Bordeaux great growths: the lessons of history:
    1. What is a “château”?
    2. Bordeaux throughout the centuries
    3. The specific Bordeaux fine wines marketplace: Bordeaux wine merchants (Chartrons) and brokers
    4. The futures sales system: “en primeurs”
  • Champagne, a worldwide example of success:
    1. History of champagne wine making
    2. Process
    3. The range of products
    4. Key success factors
    5. Big companies (LVMH, Marne & Champagne, Laurent Perrier etc.)
  • Other French high-end wines:
    1. Mythic growths: Romanée-Conti and other Burgundy fine wines
    2. Other iconic wines in the Rhone Valley
    3. Other examples: Alsace, Loire, Provence etc.
  • The rise of fine wines around Europe: Focus on a few European fine wines producing regions such as Piedmont, Tuscany, Ribera del Duero, Duro, Mosel, Tokaj…
  • What is the “New world” of wine?
    1. Tour of New World fine wines producing countries such as California, South Africa, Chile and Argentina,
    2. Australia and New Zealand
    3. A different business model
  • Prescription, journalism and wine critics
    1. The importance of prescription given by sommeliers and wine retailers
    2. The wine press and media
    3. The polemic role of wine criticism