Course Review: Champagne Masterclass by Richard Juhlin

Richard Juhlin is a Swedish champagne expert who has published multiple books and has tasted over 15,000 champagnes. In my ongoing quest for more champagne knowledge, I discovered his collection of videos.

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Key Takeaways:

• These beautifully produced videos cost €132/year for online access and also come with 6 downloadable PDFs, including a copy of his Champagne Hiking book.
• This is beginner material, with a little bit of history and production basics. It’s largely focused on tasting champagne, so you’d better enjoy watching him drink a lot of it.
• This is solely a collection of self-study materials – there is no exam or certificate of completion.

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Of my studies, these are by far the most beautifully produced videos – gorgeous settings, helpful graphics and articulate guests who are very comfortable in front of the camera. (A free preview is available here.) Though filmed in 2019, the majority of the information is timeless. While there were quite a few spelling mistakes in the subtitles of the interview with Anselme Selosse, the videos were otherwise very professional, and the highest quality I have encountered in my pursuit for more champagne knowledge.

I did have trouble subscribing via Apple’s App Store and reaching anyone for help was challenging – the contact forms on the website often return error messages and social media doesn’t seem to be moderated. Once that was sorted, it was easy enough to progress through the materials in the unlocked area of the website. The videos inexplicably buffered periodically and there’s no automatic progress tracking, but there were no major hiccups.

The videos are generally 10-15 minutes each, with speed controls for faster or slower playback. You do need to have an active subscription and be online to watch them.

Richard is very knowledgable and covers everything from storing, serving & food pairing through to blind tasting techniques. His passion for champagne is evident, and his tasting experience is undeniably vast. He is joined in conversation with other experts, including Anselme Selosse and Michel Fauconnet formerly from Laurent Perrier.

There is a lot of time dedicated to watching him drink champagne, and while this can be informative, at times I found it tiresome. Tasting along would be much better – if only I could get my hands on a 1985 Leclerc Briant or 1976 Gosset!

The collection also includes links to videos which are publicly available on YouTube – these include a very strange 60th birthday tribute, and several interviews where he explains his many talents in great detail. (Spoiler: he’s not humble.).

All in all, I found the videos a worth watch and the annual subscription includes access to a prolific amount of regularly published posts/articles about Richard’s champagne experiences – I can’t honestly say I’m inclined to read most of them but its certainly good value for the price. Though he’s far-from-modest in his delivery, he does have a lot of knowledge and infectious passion.