James Suckling Masterclass Review 2025– Is It Worth Your Money??

I’ve always loved a good glass of wine, but I never knew how to talk about it like the pros until I tried James Suckling’s MasterClass.

This famous wine critic invites you into his world, teaching you how to taste, judge, and enjoy wine like an expert. I dove in with zero experience, just curiosity, and came out feeling like I could hold my own at a wine tasting.

In this review, I’ll share what I learned, what surprised me, and whether this course is worth your time. Spoiler: it’s more fun than I expected!🍷✨

James Suckling Masterclass Summary

Details	Information
📚 Course Name	James Suckling Masterclass
👨‍🏫 Instructor(s)	James Suckling
⏱️ Class Length	11 video lessons (2 hours 22 minutes)
🍷 Category	Food, Home & Lifestyle
🎯 Who is this Course for	Lovers of wine, fans of James Suckling, and those seeking wine knowledge. Less suited for complete beginners expecting a how-to guide​.
⏰ Time Duration	2 hours and 22 minutes
🌟 Rating	8.5 out of 10 (Based on user’s original information)
💲 Pricing	Individual Masterclass courses are available for $90 each. For $180 a year, they also offer an All-Access Pass with unlimited access to all courses​​​​​.
👍 Overall Experience	A rare opportunity to learn appreciation from James Suckling himself, with ample demonstrations and a detailed workbook. Suitable for those with some wine knowledge, but offering something for everyone​.

James Suckling Masterclass Overview

James Suckling is considered one of the “most powerful wine critics in the world” and has tasted more than 200,000 wines over the last 40 years.

At his Masterclass tasting, James travels through the legendary Tuscan vineyards and teaches you to explore the stories and the hidden characters behind each bottle.

James Suckling, a critic of influential wine, Masterclass, entered a survey course of 11 lessons on wine videos on topics such as the influence of winemaking with tasting techniques and conservation.

Deepen your knowledge of the properties of each sip, cultivate your passion, and choose, order, and combine wines with confidence.

James Suckling Masterclass Review 2025 – Wine Appreciation

“Wine is a unique product because when you think about what other consumer product in the world has a special place on the planet for a particular one? Can find the time, ” says Suckling.

“I want to show you how to enjoy wine and what to drink. Wine is to stay with your friends, enjoy the moment, and learn something new.”

James Suckling teaches wine appreciation, which is a brilliant masterclass. In this course, you do not learn to cook but to enjoy wine.

You learn techniques such as tasting techniques, conducting a blind test, the main factors influencing the vineyard, and much more.

Next, discover an exclusive excerpt from James Suckling’s Masterclass review, in which he shares his advice on aging bottles in his basement.

Highlight sections of James Suckling Masterclass!

In his Masterclass, James walks through the vineyards of legendary Tuscany and imparts to you the stories, characters, and stories that delve deep behind each bottle.

Your knowledge of the properties of each sip, cultivate your passion, choose, sort, and play wine with confidence.

The course also promises a guide to download wine and the opportunity to answer “questions chosen by students” by the teacher.

The Vineyard

This first video was fascinating. Interestingly, it was not about tasting wine.

Instead, you will be informed about the vineyard and the conditions needed to grow the perfect grape.

For example, James shares information about why the grapes are so good in areas of low rainfall.

It also explains how placing stones around the base of the vine reflects the sun and absorbs heat, keeping the roots warm. Both are good for grapes.

Then, he emphasizes the role that the following factors play in the quality of the grapes and, thus, of the wine:

• The floor
• Drain
• Weather
• Pests and diseases
• Selection of the vine
• Training the vine
• Tasting book by James Suckling

Interestingly, in this lesson, I learned the book of exercises the most. The video lesson was interesting, but the written information was clearer and easier to understand.

I especially liked the section with the terms. It helped me understand what James said.

Therefore, I recommend that you download it before watching the video. If you do it before each video, you can make the most of the course.

What is a wet dog in a phone booth?

Of course, James uses tasting terms during this course. It takes a while to get used to it. You may not understand what you are talking about before you start tasting the wines, and remember one of the adjectives you use. Then, things will click more.

My favorite term was “a wet dog in a phone booth.”

I hope this is an experience you will never experience because if you try, you have to return the wine. This usually means that the grapes used to make the wine have some fungal infection.

The wine quality system of one hundred points is explained.

James Suckling uses a special wine-tasting system. He explains it in detail during his masterclass.

I really cannot fully share the system here, as I’m pretty sure Masterclass.com and James would not be very happy if I did that. But I can tell you that this classification system is very easy to understand and apply.

The class focusing on Tuscany, which opens today, is the first break of the master class in the world of wine.

Sucking, the so-called Rating Scale Wine 100 points and Forbes magazine helped “create one of the most powerful wine criticisms of the world,” creating their tasting techniques and explaining how to identify different flavor profiles while displaying flavors, discussing unconventional combinations of food and drink, Wine and travel through remote areas of the Tuscan wine region, offering all the tools you need to read a wine list with confidence and develop your own winery at home.

James 100 100-point system is another valuable lesson that he will learn. This is an incredible technique that helps you understand the wine better. The best part is that it is very easy to learn and apply in your daily life.

How do you organize your own blind tasting?

In this section of the class, James explains how everything is set up to compare a variety of wines. It was interesting to hear that James does not like the whole blind wine.

But for someone who has just started, it’s really a great way to focus on what’s in the glass.

Wine-tasting techniques explained

This section of the course contains two pretty long videos. The first is an introduction to the tasting, followed by a brief tasting with your child. It’s good, but to be honest, I’ve lost a bit this round.

It was interesting to see how he and his son enjoyed the wines, but I really did not understand what he wanted to teach me. The words made sense, but I did not have enough experience with tasting to see what he was describing.

Interestingly, the second video, in which he tried a selection of wines with some of his students, made a lot more sense to me. I understood the need to recognize the flavors that grew in your mouth.

Of course, once you take a sip, you can try something right away. After one second, you can choose the next flavor, followed by several others. Now, as I try a new wine, I pay more attention to how the taste develops in my mouth, and that’s why I appreciate it a lot more.

Again, the best tips are really included in the workbook. For example, the good order for a wine-tasting sparkling wine, followed by white, pink, and finally red.

Also interesting were the student’s questions.

It also explains little things, like why many modern wines do not have a very deep color. What he thinks about wines with a screw cap and why it was so interesting.

Meet a winemaker

In this video, James Albiera introduces Antinori, who currently heads the Marchesi Antinoro Srl and is one of the country’s oldest winemakers. Wine has been produced here since the 13th century.

This is his legendary Tignanello Super Toscano, which James tried out in this video.

One bottle per decade. A method called vertical tasting. This proved to be an interesting way to follow the evolution of this famous wine.

In this video, you will understand how changing weather conditions and consumer tastes affect the finish of the wine.

The attention to detail is incredible. For example, there are more weeds when the rain does not arrive, so the vines have access to more nutrients trapped in the soil. Or by using different types of vats depending on the age of the vines.

Tasting in a barrel

This section explains the role of oak barrels in the production of wines. In this video, James tests the wine directly from the barrel.

Creation of a warehouse.

For me, it was by far the most informative part of the course. In this section, James discusses:

• What is the right temperature to keep the wine?
• What is the right humidity for the wine?
• How to organize your wines.
• Which wines should you put in your cellar?
• What should be considered when buying wines for your winery?
• How to decide when to drink wine.
• How do I read a wine list?

In this video, you will learn how to read a wine list and select a wine for the table. To do it well, you need enough memory.

For example, if you remember that a red Burgundy 2015 is excellent, you can limit your options and avoid catastrophes.

However, my memory is not very good, and I think that, as James suggests, I’ll go through the wine list online before going to the restaurant. It makes sense to plan for the future, especially if

Combine food and wine.

I was a little disappointed with this section. It was not big enough. With luck, James will create a course on the topic of associating wine with different types of wine.

Many other senior instructors have produced more than a master class when James could. This is one of the reasons why I have invested in one of your complete access badges.

This part of the course is specifically about the selection of wines for a Tuscan lunch.

The only advice I got in this section of the video was to forget the color of the wine. It is not necessary to use only white wine to eat fish. I will also try more red wines with spicy food.

You spend a lot of money on wine.

This section also contains information about the emerging wine regions and some of the latest vintages.

Buy wines by the glass.

That’s an interesting idea. We will definitely try the restaurants that sell in the glass.

You pay more, but it’s a great way to reliably identify a bottle of wine that tastes good with your meal.

In addition, some companies offer wine tours. Three very small glasses of wine with which you can taste a few bites.

It is an even more reliable way to select the right wine and a great way to sample and experience more wines.

My look at James’ Masterclass in viticulture

In general, I liked this course. It isn’t easy to teach wine tasting with written words and videos. So, I probably expected too much from this course.

I learned a lot, but not as much as I would have liked the wine. However, the course made me think and encouraged me to buy and enjoy more wine.

No doubt, we will make more visits to vineyards and maybe even join a wine-tasting club if we find one in our area.

James Suckling’s Masterclass Workbook

In this master class, the coursebook is essential to really understand what James is teaching you.

In this book, you can find a list of different words for sampling, descriptions of Italy’s various wine regions, the types of shades, the flavors the wine may have, and several other items.

You can also find a list of all the wines used in this Masterclass in this book so you can fully appreciate the lesson.

James Suckling Masterclass Pricing Plans

Individual Masterclass courses are available for $ 90 each. For $ 180 a year, they also offer a pass for all accesses with unlimited access to all courses, including culinary experience chefs such as Thomas Keller,

Wolfgang Puck and Alice Waters, in addition to photography classes taught by Annie Leibovitz, Courses of Interpretation with Helen Mirren, and fashion classes with Marc Jacobs.

There are two ways you can purchase a Masterclass: a single Masterclass and an All-Access Pass for any of the gurus on the platform.

• Single Masterclass: $90
• All-Access Pass: $180 per year

What Will You Require in James Suckling MasterClass?

While you don’t need any special equipment to complete James Suckling’s MasterClass, the workbook suggests a few items to get the most out of the experience:

1. A Corkscrew: Essential for opening bottles and starting your tasting experience.
2. Wine Glasses: Proper wine glasses are important to absorb the wine’s flavors and aroma to the fullest.
3. A Distraction-Free Environment: A quiet space helps you focus and truly immerse yourself in the tasting and learning process.
4. A Notebook or Note-Tracking App: Keep track of your tasting notes and the key points you learn during the class.
5. Access to a Good Wine Shop: You’ll need a place to purchase the recommended wines to practice the tasting techniques.
6. A Friend to Taste With: Wine tasting is more enjoyable when shared, so having a friend to join you can enhance the experience.

These items will help you make the most of your wine journey and give you a more interactive and enjoyable learning experience during MasterClass.

James Suckling Masterclass: Pros & Cons

My Experience with James Suckling’s MasterClass

I had a blast taking James Suckling’s MasterClass; it taught me so much! I’ve always enjoyed wine, but I didn’t know the first thing about tasting or judging it properly.

This course fits me perfectly. James, a real wine pro, opened my eyes to tasting, sniffing, and understanding flavors in ways I never imagined. He keeps things simple, breaking down tricky stuff so even a newbie like me could follow along.

I loved how he pushed us to use all our senses, sight, smell, and taste to really get wine. Before, I’d sip and move on, but now I pay attention, and it’s way more fun.

His tips on pairing wine with food, checking out its look, aroma, and taste, and learning about wine regions? Super useful. The course covers a ton, and the workbook he includes is packed with info I can revisit anytime.

That said, it’s not perfect. The MasterClass subscription costs a bit, around $10 a month if you pay yearly, and that adds up if wine’s your only interest.

You get all the MasterClasses with it, but I didn’t care about the rest. Also, it moves fast. James explains the basics, but some technical bits felt tricky without any wine background.

You really need to taste along with him to get it, which is hard if you can’t grab lots of different wines.

One more thing: the videos look great, and the content rocks, but I wanted more action. Other masterclasses let you connect more, like sharing feedback, but I missed comparing my tasting notes with others.

All in all, James Suckling’s MasterClass rocks for wine fans who want to level up. The price and difficulty might trip some up, but it’s still a rich, awesome ride with a top wine expert guiding the way.

James Suckling Masterclass Student Reviews