James Suckling joins MasterClass to teach wine appreciation

American wine critic James Suckling has just been announced as the latest expert to join the popular online education programme, MasterClass, which boasts an array of seminars led by top figures in their field on subjects such as acting, directing, cooking, architecture, and now wine appreciation.

This would make Suckling the first international wine critic to debut his online wine appreciation class exclusively through the MasterClass platform, which streams courses taught by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese and tennis superstar Serena Williams to name a few. 

In his wine appreciation class, Suckling will offer tours through Tuscan vineyards, sharing his passion for wine and teaching students how to appreciate the origin and people behind each bottle. 

Unlike traditional continuing-education classes, MasterClass series uses a star-studded line-up of instructors to teach subscribers through online videos that cost US$180 for access to all the classes on the website or US$90 per class.

“James has an encyclopaedic knowledge of wines, their regions, histories, and ratings,” said David Rogier, co-founder and CEO of MasterClass. “As one of the world’s most influential wine critics, we’re thrilled to have him teach students how to have a new outlook on tasting, pairing, and choosing wines and give us the opportunity to experience Tuscan vineyards like never before.”

With more than three decades of experience as a wine and cigar journalist and critic, Suckling is a former senior editor and European bureau chief of Wine Spectator, former European editor of Cigar Aficionado, and is currently CEO and editor-in-chief at his namesake wine media platform, JamesSuckling.com.

Consisting of 11 lessons for his MasterClass, the wine critic will share his wine tasting techniques as well as the history, and craft that connects the past with the present and urging students to appreciate wine beyond the technical aspects of tasting.

Suckling will explain how to identify different flavour profiles while demonstrating a blind tasting; discuss unconventional food and wine pairings; and serve as a tour guide through remote parts of the Tuscan countryside, meeting iconic winemakers and walking with them through the vineyards their work centres on.

After completing this class, students will better understand what is in their glass so they can refine their palate, read wine lists, and curate a home collection with confidence, according to the course description. 

MasterClass series now has more than 45 classes. The Suckling-led MasterClass is now available for purchase. 

You can watch the trailer here: