THE SCHOOL OF WINE & SPIRITS BUSINESS

A WORLDWIDE BENCHMARK FOR WINE AND SPIRITS MANAGEMENT

Based upon a fast-growing sector where worldwide consumption increased by 10% in volume (for wine) and 50% (for spirits) over the period 2000-16, this truly one-of-a-kind institution is backed by the following major assets: 

• A dedicated teaching centre: a cross-disciplinary approach to teaching is adopted within the School of Wine & Spirits Business, thereby offering students the chance to benefit from training at all levels:  Bachelor, MSc, Specialised Master, MBA, and Executive Education. Delivered in French and English, these programmes attract students and participants from the world over originating from 10+ countries, resulting in especially enriching cultural exchanges and group work.    The teaching staff comprises academics and renowned industry experts (Masters of Wine, leaders of major groups, wine producers etc.) with a combined 80 years of expertise in the area, as well as professors who regularly publish in top-level academic journals, a writer-winegrower, and an author of many books on the subject of wine, among others

• A specialised research department

Research at the School of Wine & Spirits Business is based on two pillars:

• The publication of articles aimed at a scientific community or the general public, and the publication of a reference textbook on wine economics and management,
• The Wine & Spirits Business Lab, a unique and dedicated facility aimed at studying human behaviour in all the stages of wine and spirits production, evaluation and consumption.

A worldwide network: our network consists of reputed professionals from the wine and spirits sector, who make an active contribution within the SWSB, as well as 1,000 alumni based around the world and occupying managerial positions. This targeted network can also call upon the increasingly global, 13000-strong community of BSB alumni, some of whom hold managerial positions within the sector.

• Product knowledge: courses dedicated to winegrowing, oenology, sensorial analysis, the various grape and wine types around the world, WSET diploma levels 2 and 3, and an equivalent of around 100 hours on average per programme on product knowledge taught by staff including Steve Charters (Master of Wine) and Claude Chapuis (wine producer at Aloxe Corton) and in partnership with the Jules Guyot Institute of the University of Burgundy,
• Sectorial knowledge: the strategies and key players within the sector, markets and professions taught by SWSB professors and selected guest speakers,
• Management skills: dedicated Marketing, Management, Law, Finance, and Leadership courses, applied to the wines and spirits sector

Field trips and professional conferences* are among the highlights of our programmes, offering a unique chance for students to acquire a complete understanding of the realities of the sector in the field and also expand their professional network. The relatively small size of the groups in which they work makes it possible to take full advantage of such opportunities and consolidate links with peers and professionals:  

• Field trips in France and abroad to major wine-growing regions (Burgundy, Côtes du Rhône, Champagne, Alsace, Bordeaux, Cognac, Tuscany, Piedmont, Rioja, Priorat, UK…), including direct contact with sector representatives (wine producers, estate owners, negotiators, professional unions etc.) and the leading markets in terms of consumption, distribution, and marketing/communications (London, New York, Dusseldorf etc.). 
• Participation of professionals from the sector and alumni (marketing managers, financers, sales representatives, export managers, entrepreneurs etc.) in industry-specific conferences (including the Wine & Spirits VIP Rooms)
• Trade fairs (ProWein, Vinitaly, Grand Tasting Paris…)

*Non-exhaustive and non-binding list of field trips and conferences