Isabelle Legeron presents Journey Into Wine

Isabelle is quite unique in the wine world; French, female and under 40. She is on course to become the first ever French female Master of Wine, the most prestigious and internationally recognised qualification in the wine trade.

Isabelle has something of a dream job that combines wine tasting, with travelling the world and TV presenting. Her singular crusade is to debunk the snobbery around wine and equip viewers with no nonsense tasting tips to impress their friends and family as she introduces some of the world’s most beautiful places and most fascinating people in the trade.

Isabelle is a breath of fresh air in the wine world. Her accessible and unpretentious approach belies her authoritative knowledge and reputation as an exceptional and award winning wine taster. She is currently on course to become on of the first French woman Master of Wine, the most prestigious and internationally recognised qualification in the wine trade.

Isabelle is dedicated to inspiring people about wine and is a popular fixture with events and organisations such as Decanter, The London Wine Show and the International Wine Challenge. She leads sell-out courses at The Wine School which she co-founded with London’s stylish Divertimenti store and hosts bespoke wine tasting and gastronomic events for small groups and City companies.

Growing up on a vineyard in Cognac, Isabelle spent her younger life tending to the vines with her family, in between picking walnuts and figs and making preserves and wine. These experiences have left her with an enormous passion for her work and enthusiasm to demystify wine.

Isabelle now presents her own series “Journey into Wine” for The Travel Channel, a fascinating series of observational documentaries charting Isabelle’s journey around different countries exploring the history and culture of wine. She also regularly makes appearances on UKTV’s Great Food Live, Sky One’s Taste and Destination Lunch as well as appearing on BBC News and Newsnight.

JOURNEY INTO WINE – SOUTH AFRICA

“The more I learn about wine, the more I realise how little I know and the more I am humbled” says Isabelle Legeron

Against the stunning landscapes of South Africa, charismatic wine expert Isabelle Legeron begins her quest to debunk the snobbery around wine as she introduces some of the world’s most beautiful places and most fascinating people along her Journey Into Wine. Her objective is to provide the insights that will help viewers get the most from drinking wine at home, and to inspire them to follow in her footsteps in visiting the great wine regions of the world.

Monday 7th May sees the premiere of this brand new series, produced exclusively for Travel Channel by Travel Channel Productions. The first installment, comprising four programmes on South Africa, starts with taste of the incomparable Cape Town and then goes on to explore the wine-producing areas of Constantia, Stellenbosch, Paarl, Franschhoek and Walker Bay. Combining an infectious enthusiasm with a formidable knowledge of the wine industry, Isabelle Legeron offers an informative and entertaining trip for everyone from baffled beginners to lofty sommeliers.

Journey Into Wine explores the mysterious art of wine-making, taking us deep into the world’s most prestigious and cutting-edge wineries and talking to the most talented of wine-makers along the way. Week by week Isabelle tackles the myths head-on and answers the questions few dare to pose: from letting wine breathe, correct glassware and serving temperature to which wines suit what foods, keeping the ‘fizz’ in champagne and the great swirl, suck and spit debate.

Isabelle Legeron is an award winning wine taster who is on course to become the first French woman Master of Wine, the most prestigious and internationally recognised qualification in the wine trade. Her accessible and unpretentious approach belies her authoritative knowledge of wines, and she makes regular TV appearances on shows including Great Food Live, Taste, BBC’s Newsnight, Destination Lunch and ABC’s News and Current Affairs.

Isabelle said; “We want to open up the world of wine to all walks of life and encourage people to learn about and enjoy wine. South Africa is home to some of the best wines and wineries in the world. We were lucky enough to be given unprecedented access to these, so viewers get to meet the people behind the wines featured in stunningly beautiful locations. We hope the series will erase wine snobbery, demystify the subject and ensure everyone gets more enjoyment out of wine. We want to give people the confidence to be more adventurous with their choices of wine, and to empower them to complain if they don’t like something.”

Isabelle’s describes her top wine tasting tip; “The best way to taste wine is to close your eyes and taste it. Don’t think about it, just trust your instinct. Improving your tasting skills is easy – just get out there and smell. Expand your mental library of odours which will help you recognise subtleties in the wine’s smell and taste. You’ll never be able to pick out gooseberry in a wine if you have no idea what a gooseberry smells like.”

Un-cork the premiere of "Journey Into Wine” on Travel Channel, Monday 7th May at 7:00pm.