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Italian Wine Scholar

A bottle of wine, a glass of red wine and the Italian Wine Scholar study manuals for unit 1 on the wines of Northern Italy and unit 2 on the wines of Central and Southern Italy.

IWEG was awarded the Italian Wine Scholar Program Provider of The Year by Wine Scholar Guild in 2017.

In-class

Course details

The Italian Wine Scholar is an extensive two-unit specialist certification focused on the diverse wines and wine regions of Italy. It is designed by the Wine Scholar Guild to provide current, accurate information on all of the wine regions of Northern, Central and Southern Italy, and to validate proficiency in the wines and wine regions of the country.

Unit 1 is 16 hours and covers Northern Italy and Unit 2 is 14 hours and covers Central and Southern Italy. The course provides detailed coverage of Italian wines, as well as an introduction to Italian history, geography, viticulture and winemaking. The units can be taken in any order and are sold separately ($1150 for each course).

You will:

  • Develop specialist knowledge of DOC and DOCG wines of 21 Italian regions
  • Appreciate the cultural context of Italian wine
  • Consider the vineyard and winery factors that contribute to wine styles
  • Taste and assess a range of Italian wines, which illustrate regional or grape varietal typicity, as well as diversity of styles by authorized Wine Scholar Guild instructors

Prerequisite: None. However, WSET Level 2 Award in Wines is recommended, and WSET Level 3 Award in Wines is preferred.

This course includes:

  • A study manual and workbook
  • A full-year access to all Italian Wine Scholar online resources (videos, interactive quizzes, webinars, pronunciation exercises etc.)
  • Exam registration fee
  • Tutored tasting of over 40 wines per unit  
  • Diverse hands-on group activities designed to enhance recall and address different learning styles

In addition to classroom instruction, you are expected to spend 25 to 50 hours of preparation and review over the duration of each unit outside of classroom hours.

Upon successful completion of a 100-question multiple-choice exam with a passing score of 75 per cent or higher for each unit, you will receive the Italian Wine Scholar credential, certificate and lapel pin.

The course is taught by authorized Wine Scholar Guild instructors Kim Berdusco, Robert Miller and Bruno Meneguzzi.

Upcoming courses

Central and Southern Italy (Unit 2): Thursdays, September 21st - November 9th at 6pm - 8pm. Exam on Thursday, November 23rd at 6pm at IWEG, 211 Yonge Street, Suite 501.