The Wine Scholar Guild (WSG) officially launched its Spanish Wine Scholar™ (SWS) study & certification program on October 14th 2019.
Designed to become the reference in Spanish wine education, the program was nearly two years in development at the hands of the WSG Education team with SWS Education Director, Rick Fisher, at the helm.
“The SWS program will give students appreciation for how tradition and modernity perfectly coexist and why Spain is one of the most exciting and enviable countries on the world wine stage,” states Rick Fisher.
The Spanish Wine Scholar™ study program mirrors the unparalleled level of detail and academic rigor offered by the acclaimed French Wine Scholar™ & Italian Wine Scholar™ programs.
“Now covering all three major wine producing and exporting countries in the world, the Wine Scholar Guild has become the world’s leading provider of specialized certification programs” states Julien Camus, WSG Founder and President.
The 315-page, full-color SWS study manual represents today’s most comprehensive and up-to-date resource and definitive reference book on the wines of Spain! It was written by Rick Fisher with the collaboration of numerous Spanish Consejos Reguladores (governing bodies) and copy-edited by Jonas Tofterup, MW, of Iberian Wine Academy.
In recognition of the exceptional depth and accuracy of the program, Wines from Spain (ICEX – Spain’s Trade & Investment Government Agency) endorsed the program. Alfonso Janeiro Diez, Head of Wines from Spain in Madrid states, “Wines from Spain is pleased to have had the opportunity to witness and consult on the development of this much needed and important Spanish Wine Scholar program since its inception. […] The program offers a great opportunity for those who want to widen their knowledge of the wines from Spain.”
Designed for committed students of wine, be they wine professionals or serious wine hobbyists, the SWS program is offered in both distance-learning and classroom-learning format.
A pioneer in online wine education with its first online study program launched in 2008, WSG has created a wealth of e-learning resources to empower SWS students: online modules, quizzes, learning games, flashcards, pronunciation exercises, etc.
Wine educators from WSG’s Approved Program Provider network – currently 60+ wine schools in 26 countries – were trained as part of the SWS pre-launch beginning in January 2019. Many of these educators are now preparing to teach the SWS program this fall utilizing the teaching materials developed and provided by WSG.
Among the 120 wine educators in training, 40 have already passed the SWS exam and earned the Spanish Wine Scholar title. 20 sessions are currently scheduled at partner schools in the US, Canada, UK and Sweden.
About the Wine Scholar Guild: The Wine Scholar Guild (www.winescholarguild.org) provides specialized study & certification programs on the wines of France, Italy and Spain for the professional development of wine industry members and committed students of wine.
