A team of recognized experts
Our experts work in France and internationally, holding diplomas and solid experience in the worlds of wine, spirits, and tasting beverages. Selected for their expertise and teaching skills, they pass on knowledge rooted in real-world experience with passion.
Thierry Dorge
Expert in French wines
Meticulous, serious, and always attentive, Thierry Dorge has been teaching courses at the École du Vin de France for many years. And one thing never changes: all the students adore him. Outside of the school, Thierry is constantly on the move—visiting a wine estate here, a wine fair there… Some might call him a workaholic; for him, wine is a passion, so devoting time to it is above all a pleasure. Thierry also puts his personal philosophy into practice: live each day as if it were the last. A mindset acquired under dramatic circumstances, when a motorcycle accident once nearly cost him his life. Since then, our instructor has enjoyed sharing the keys to tasting, class after class, course after course. Because tasting and appreciating a wine is a matter of analysis, but above all of feeling—and a matter of self-confidence. Having passed a great many exams and training programs, he knows perfectly well: technical skills matter, but the pleasure of tasting comes from trusting your own palate. An enduring pleasure for the wines of Burgundy, which remain his favorites. A pleasure for beautiful things: a vintage car he takes care of, an old Coteaux-du-Layon to share with a few friends, and life is good. Simply that.
Vinny Mazzara
Expert in wines, spirits, and sommellerie
When it comes to wines as well as spirits, Vinny Mazzara readily admits it: she's a true romantic at heart. For her, no dogmas, and absolutely no getting stuck in stereotypes. She loves to travel deeply, both in life and in the glass, and every tasting is for her a chance to explore new territories.
It took successful tasting evenings, estate visits, and a few particularly inspiring encounters: more than 25 years ago, this accomplished professional traded her engineering studies for a sommelier diploma. French vineyards drew her in irresistibly. She embraced her calling and left her native Italy without hesitation to complete her training. Working as a sommelier in prestigious establishments like the Hôtel Bristol and Caves Taillevent, Vinny quickly became well-versed in excellent wines from around the world. And because passion is only fully realized when shared, the young woman joined the École du Vin de France: its courses and training programs are a wonderful playground for her to share her knowledge of Italian wines—ovviamente!—or of geo-sensory tasting. Her natural curiosity and thirst for discovery drive her to taste, explore, and question herself… always with great humility.
Laurent Tépélos
Expert in wines, spirits, WSET educator
For Laurent Tépélos, wine has long been a cultivated passion. While studying to become an agricultural engineer, he discovered the world of wine through fieldwork conducted with the Young Winegrowers of Côte d'Or. Years later, his intellectual curiosity and passionate spirit led him to take a new path and turn professionally to teaching wine and spirits.
Passion, sharing, transmission: three words that sum up his approach as a teacher. Far from being a dull or preachy instructor, he loves taking his students along on his travels and experiences, with lightness and a caring rigor. His playground? Vast, one might even say endless. With an admitted soft spot for Champagne, fortified wines like Madeira, and Italian wines from Piedmont and Etna. And on the spirits side, a strong taste for rum, not forgetting mezcal.
Laurent Tépélos champions a simple approach to wine and spirits: whatever the bottle (and its label!), there's a wine for every moment, as long as it's honest and well made. As for spirits, there's no need to reserve them for an elite of connoisseurs. The instructor aims to help his students feel confident in their own ability to appreciate wine and spirits.
His philosophy borders on paradox: the more you learn, the more you travel, the less certain you become. Letting go of preconceptions and shedding certainties—an excellent reason to keep exploring.
Isabelle Ogier
Instructor at the École du Vin de France
For Isabelle, wine has never been mere decoration. It was always there, simply set on the family table, often of fine origin, without unnecessary talk. As a student, Isabelle worked several summers at a wine estate and took part in the grape harvest in Vosne-Romanée: these were formative experiences. After finishing business school, just as she was about to enter the workforce, her grandfather told her about a specialized graduate program in Beaune—a highly technical course open to international students. Isabelle was admitted, and that year confirmed what she had already sensed: she would work in wine. She began her career in spirits, notably Armagnac, and never left that world. Passing on knowledge, sharing, exchanging: that's what guides her approach as an instructor today. She encourages her students to look beyond the label and trust their own senses instead. Learning to trust your own palate is already a great deal. Rooted in Côte d'Or, the land of her ancestors, Isabelle sees wine as a crossroads of cultural, historical, and human exchange. And while wine is a deeply human adventure, our instructor never forgets that tasting a great vintage remains a privilege, one to be savored with humility. As for the future of wine, she views it with clear eyes: yes, the world is changing, and the wine industry is facing difficult times. But this sector, having already weathered so many changes, will no doubt reinvent itself once again.