discover Wine classes in melbourne

Frequently Asked Questions

• What wine courses are available for beginners?

  +

  Armadale Cellars offers several entry-level options. The Beginners Wine Class is a single session covering fundamentals including sight, smell, taste, varietal characteristics, service, cellaring, and food pairing. Classes are limited to 10 participants and feature six Australian wines with a strong food component. The Introduction to Wine Four Week Course provides more comprehensive training across all facets of wine appreciation, including dedicated weeks on Champagne and other key regions. The One-Night Palate Trainer is a two-hour intimate course designed for both novices and connoisseurs, teaching you to identify specific wine faults that occur in 1 out of 12 bottles.

• What specialized wine tasting events do you offer?

  +

  Armadale Cellars hosts multiple challenge-format tastings where wines are presented blind. The Champagne Challenge features 12 super premium champagnes for $199 including supper. The Chardonnay Challenge (France vs. The Rest) costs $159 and includes supper. The Shiraz Challenge, Pinot Noir Challenge, and other varietal-focused events are conducted in the underground Cellars with participants voting for best in show. The Shardonnay Challenge includes a light supper with a 13th glass of another contender, making it an extensive tasting experience.

• Do you offer wine dinners with winemakers?

  +

  Yes. Armadale Cellars hosts regular winemaker dinners at premium venues including Scopri Restaurant (10 wines paired with 5-course menus), L'Hotel Gitan, Pure South Dining, Kenzan, and Entrecôte. Recent and upcoming events feature winemakers from producers including Tapanappa, Wild Duck Creek, Moss Wood, Levantine Hill, Tolpuddle, Hentley Farm, Langmeil, and others. Dinners typically include 8-10 wines paired with individually plated courses. Bookings are limited to ensure intimacy.

• What food and wine pairing classes are available?

  +

  Armadale Cellars offers specialized duck-focused masterclasses. The Duck & Brown Brothers Wine Matching Masterclass teaches impressive duck dishes paired with Australian wines, concluding with a 10% discount on duck and wine products. The Duck & Pinot Masterclass combines duck cookery with pinot noir pairings, featuring dishes like Smoked Duck Breast with Lentil & Pear Salad and Sticky Marmalade Duck. The Duck 'n' Bubbles Demonstrating Masterclass pairs duck with champagne and sparkling Australian wines, presented by The Bubbles Review's Founder Natalie Pickett.

• What virtual or online wine tasting options exist?

  +

  Armadale Cellars offers online wine experiences conducted via Zoom. The Pikes Virtual 'Tasting for Two' streams live from the underground cellars, with attendees receiving specially-curated wine packs exclusive to participants. The Rustenberg Wine Estate Online Tasting for Two ($99) includes six 187mL wines delivered to your home, with a live video chat session. These options allow participation from anywhere, with wine packages delivered to non-Metro Melbourne locations subject to freight charges and cut-off dates.

• Are there shorter, casual wine tasting options?

  +

  Yes. The One-Night Palate Trainer runs monthly from 6:30pm-8:45pm for $79 and teaches you to identify wine faults. Twenty Wines for $30 is a casual tasting featuring 20 different wines in various styles (Riesling to Pinot Gris, Montepulciano to Pinot Noir, Shiraz) limited to 24 seats. The RIEDEL Sensory Tasting (Performance Series) costs $129 and includes a $240 RIEDEL Performance Tasting Set that you keep, demonstrating how glassware affects wine perception through four premium wines.