July 23, 2024 – New for 2024, Wine Scholar Guild (WSG) has partnered with Villa Bogdano 1880 an historic estate producing organic wines from old vines in North East Italy to offer a fully-paid enrolment onto the WSG Italian Wine Scholar and Italian Wine Essentials courses.
‘Why are Italy’s old vines worth preserving?’ and ‘Why does Italy’s wine-growing past matter to its present?’ were the essay questions asked of applicants entering to win the Italian Wine Scholar and Italian Wine Essentials courses respectively and the two winning essays will be published on Wine Scholar Guild’s blog in the coming weeks.
The judging committee, consisting of Domenico Veronese, owner Villa Bogdano 1880, subject specialist and co-founder of The Old Vine Conference Sarah Abbott MW, and Andrew Jefford, Academic Advisor at WSG, selected the winning applicants and awarded the scholarships to:
Pietro Buttitta (USA) winner of WSG x Villa Bogdano 1880 Italian Wine Scholar Award
Natalia Parashchenko (Germany) winner of WSG x Villa Bogdano 1880 Italian Wine Essentials Award
“At Villa Bogdano we feel passionate about producing fine wines respecting nature and the consumer. We are committed to supporting education as a powerful means to increase knowledge. This is why we are so honoured to begin a partnership with WSG that shares and promotes these precious values worldwide”. Domenico Veronese, owner, Villa Bogdano 1880.
Emphasising Villa Bodgano 1880’s commitment to wine education the two winners have also won a trip to visit the beautiful Villa Bogdano 1880 estate where they will be emersed in a learning program focusing on the ancient autochthonous vines, their biodiversity projects, organic and sustainable viticulture and learn about the work they are doing to preserve the genetic heritage of their old vines for the future.
“Wine education should be accessible to all. Our scholarships open doors to transformative learning experiences, enabling aspiring wine enthusiasts and professionals to deepen their knowledge on the most influential wine regions of the world. Partnering with Villa Bogdano 1880 on these awards will allow the two lucky awardees to bring their theoretical knowledge to life via their own experience in the region.” Preston Mohr, Managing Director at WSG.
Villa Bogdano 1880’s partnership with Wine Scholar Guild Scholarship marks the start of the wine estate’s market investment program under the guidance of Sarah Abbott MW.
Villa Bogdano 1880
Villa Bogdano 1880 is an historic estate producing organic wines from old vines on the border of Friuli and Vento, NE Italy. Certified organic since 1993 Villa Bogdano 1880 is widely considered to be one of the leading organic wine producers in Northern Italy. Villa Bogdano 1880 is a founding member of The Old Vine Conference and is home to 18 ha of old vines, the vast majority planted between 1943 and 1960. Among these are 117 vines that date back to the end of the 19 th century and were the subject of a meticulous recovery operation lead by Domenico Veronese, owner of Villa Bogdano 1880. Villa Bogdano1880 includes 12 hectares of forest, including 5.60 ha of a rare Medieval woodland, a biodiversity oasis and certified EU Site of Community Importance Natura 2000. Dedicated to preserving the biodiversity of the estate and the surrounding area Villa Bogdano 1880 is undergoing ambitious biodiversity ventures including a regenerative project aimed at increasing functional biodiversity, planting specific species that are synergic with the cultivation of vines.
Wine Scholar Guild
Wine Scholar Guild offers immersive, region-specific wine education through online, in-person and study abroad certification programs. WSG certifications set the industry standard for up-to-date and in-depth information through three distinct levels of study: Essentials, Scholar and Masters.
www.winescholarguild.com
Prize details:
Italian Wine Scholar, Villa Bogdano 1880 Scholarship Award includes:
Full one-year registration in the online certification program, eBook and printed study manual, one exam sit, 1-year WSG Membership and a 2-3 night visit and stay at Villa Bogdano 1880 in Italy.
Italian Wine Essentials, Villa Bogdano 1880 Scholarship Award includes:
Full one-year registration in the online certification program, eBook and printed study manual, one exam sit, 1-year WSG Membership and a 2-3 night visit and stay at Villa Bogdano 1880 in Italy.
