MBA SPECIALISATION IN INTERNATIONAL WINE & SPIRITS MANAGEMENT
Stand out as an expert with strategic business skills to reach managerial positions within
LOCATION
Courses taught on our campuses in Bordeaux (France)
LANGUAGES
English or French
INTAKE
October 2023
Education goals
In today’s complex, globalised and competitive environment, the Wine and Spirits industry needs intelligent, adaptable managers with international profiles to face future challenges.
Develop your management skills applied to this specific and international industry. You will also gain real knowledge of Wine & Spirits through a professional certification (WSET) and a variety of hands-on events.
> MBA Specialisation in International Wine & Spirits Management success rate in 2022: 100%
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
• MBA in International Hotel Management (French State Certified Degree level 7 RNCP)
• European MBA Degree in International Wine & Spirits Management awarded by Eurhodip
• Wine & Spirits Education Trust Professional Certificates Level 2 & 3 in Wines
Real knowledge of Wine & Spirits through wine tasting sessions, conferences, vineyards and cellar visits, workshops…
Solve real case studies, submitted by our partners (improve user experience, create a wine or spirit product, develop a Wine Tourism Strategy…)
Gain managerial, sales & technical skills: Sales & Marketing of Wine & Spirits, Marketing Strategy, Economy of Tourism & Hospitality…
Finish your studies with a highly strategic 6-month internship, which often turns into your first job opportunity
Get a real hands-on approach: 98% of our professors are active professionals
MAIN JOBS & POSITIONS
Build your international career in a blooming industry as there are so many career opportunities
> MBA Employment rate in 2021: 74.4% (based on 87.7% of respondents)
WINE AND SPIRITS:
Food & Beverage Manager, Sommelier, Oenologist, Wine & Spirits Cellar Manager
SALES:
Wine trader, Export Manager, Brand Ambassador, Commercial Director, General Manager, Wine & Spirits Key, Account Manager, Purchasing Manager, Technical Sales Engineer, CSR Officer, Wine & Spirits head of large distribution
MARKETING, COMMUNICATION, EVENTS:
E-Commerce Project Manager, Community Manager, Marketing Manager, Communication Officer, Wine Tourism Manager, Events Manager
Salary: about €39k within a year after graduation.
OVERVIEW OF COURSES
Main topics:
Sales & Marketing of Wine & Spirits
Marketing Strategy
Economy of Tourism & Hospitality
Brand Management
Market Trends
Wine & Spirits Law
Strategy of International trade in the Wine & Spirits industry
DEVELOP IN-DEPTH KNOWLEDGE OF WINE AND SPIRITS
WITH THE WSET CERTIFICATION
Our MBA allows students to take the Level 2 and 3 Certificates of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) – the most important Wine and Spirits training institute at the international level.
WSET Level 2 in Wines
The program focuses on fundamentals of wine commerce, regulations, tasting, viticulture and winemaking. Students will be inspired to learn to
communicate on these topics objectively and confidently.
> WSET 2 success rate in 2022: 97,62%
(vs International Success Rate in 2021: 93%)
WSET Level 3 in Wines
This program will empower the student and ensure in-depth understanding of wine quality and style; and a highly trained wine tasting palate.
> WSET 3 success rate in 2022: 54,76%
(vs International Success Rate in 2020: 40%)
Veronica Wells, WSET Instructor at Vatel Bordeaux
«In this day and age in an extremely competitive and increasingly international market, WSET qualifications are the international standard for global wine knowledge.
Vatel’s decision and investment in enabling a direct passage to Level 3 Award in Wines includes offering 70% more classroom hours than standard requirements. As a result VATEL is proud to boast a higher than average global pass rate for this challenging qualification.»
A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE LEARNING IN BORDEAUX, THE WINE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD!
4 Vineyards/Cellar Visits & 8 Workshops
Bordeaux, the world capital of the finest wines, is the perfect location to learn about wine and spirits.
During visits and tasting sessions, head off with wine professionals and enthusiasts to discover the most prestigious vineyards.
All the activities are organized and animated by the expert Jean-Pascal Paubert, Director of the Bordeaux International Wine & Spirits Academy & Director of the French SOPEXA exam in Wine & Spirits for South- Eastern Asia, South Korea & Chine.
IDEAL WINE WORKING ENVIRONEMENT
7,000 wine estates
20 minutes from the world’s best vineyards and wineries
10 minutes from the city center by tram and 10 minutes from the famous la ‘‘Cité du Vin’’ museum
ADMISSIONS & FEES
To apply for the MBA program at Vatel Bordeaux, applicants must follow the application process available here and comply with the appropriate entry requirements:
• Direct Entry: Bachelor’s degree in Hotel & Tourism Management or Bachelor’s degree in Business, Management or Sales
• Preparatory Course / Foundation Year: According to your profile, you will need to register for one of these programs, in order to be admitted to the MBA
• To study in English: Equivalent to CEFR B2/C1: IELTS 6.0, TOEFL iBT 90, Cambridge CPE B2, TOEIC 945 points, CAE B2 or FCE Grade B
• To study in French: Equivalent to CEFR B2: DELF / TCF B2 (minimum) DALF C1 (recommended)
All the fees are available here.
TESTIMONIALS
Morgane Jay - Alumni 2020
Project Manager at Bernard Magrez - Bordeaux, France
"Thanks to the Vatel Bordeaux and the different guest speakers, we learned about the reality in the field, with tours of châteaux, meetings with the region’s winemakers, management of wine tourism projects and more. This was truly enriching, both personally and professionally, and, at the end, we had the chance to get our WSET Level 3 Award certification. These three years of studies were punctuated by moments of sharing, sociability and encounters that, for me, confirmed my choice of career path. Nowadays, I feel fulfilled in my role as Project and Social Media Manager for Bernard Magrez and am ready to explore new facets of the wine and spirits sector."
Adrien Cascio - Alumni 2016
Head Sommelier at Château Lafaurie Peyraguey - Bordeaux, France
"Thanks to Vatel Bordeaux’s internship opportunities, I had the chance to work in some of the leading institutions in the international hospitality industry such as Royal Monceau Raffles Paris and learn from famous Parisian Sommeliers. In 2016, I became Head Sommelier at le Gabriel restaurant, at Place de la Bourse in Bordeaux. I was in charge of serving wines and other drinks in the gourmet restaurant and bar area. I handled the supply, management and accounting tasks for the entire wine cellar on a daily basis. As semi-finalist in the 2017 Trophée Duval Leroy - Best Young Sommelier of France Competition, more and more professionals of the region have confidence in me and recognise my expertise. In 2018, I took over the sommelier activities at the Restaurant Lalique, part of Château Lafaurie- Peyraguey in Sauternes."
Alexia Becq - Alumni 2019
Wine Tourism Manager & National / International Market Activist at Chateau Bouscaut - Cadaujac, France
"As Responsible for Wine Tourism and the activation of the French and International markets for Château Bouscaut, I had the opportunity to travel a lot around the world by accompanying the promotional tours organized by L'Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux. These missions consist in making discover the most recent vintages to its current distributors and to potential buyers. The International Wine & Spirits Management specialization of Vatel Bordeaux brought me a lot, because it provided me with the necessary ringing to describe and sell a wine for professionals in the field with ease and in English. Also, being able to compare the different production techniques applied in vineyards around the world, enriches the exchanges that a brand ambassador could have with his foreign interlocutor. When I am not traveling, I welcome visitors to the property. These are then individuals, wine lovers, who often seek to learn about tasting. Thanks to the systematic approach to wine tasting learned during the WSET, I can now accompany them in their initiation. Finally, this training made me discover the various trends and innovations in the wine world and made me understand the current expectations of the consumer, which facilitates my sales strategies."
Mohamad Kabbani
MBA student in International Wine & Spirits Management
"Wine isn’t a liquid, it’s a book… a fascinating, ever-changing story. I decided to close out my education at Vatel Bordeaux with the specialisation in Wine & Spirits. I had a thirst to learn more about the industry and wine tourism. Bordeaux is a symbol of that sector. When asked to describe the specialisation, the word ‘experience’ comes to mind. In parallel to the knowledge we gained from our classes, workshops, and preparation for the WSET Level 2 and 3 Awards, we met with winemakers, visited lots of wineries in the region and had the chance to taste wine from all around the world."
Hugo Lucas - Alumni 2015
Grand Cru Wine Broker at Bureau Leveque & Associés - Bordeaux, France
"International MBA in Wine & Spirits Management at Vatel Bordeaux was a great foundation to enter the industry. I am currently a Grand Cru wine broker at Leveque & Associés. Today, I still find the theoretical and practical classes very useful. Having professional and knowledgeable teachers was also a determining factor in the choices I made for my career. I can only be thankful for their passion and support throughout the whole course."
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ACCESSIBILITY
Our first priority: an inclusive sense of service
We are committed to offering a personalised welcome to our students with disabilities.
If you have a disability, please contact us so that we can help and guide you in your application and procedures.
CONTACT
Lucie Fuentes
International Recruitment
Director
Bianca Bekker
International Recruitment & Admissions Assistant