San Francisco Wine School Holds Italian Wine Certification September 23rd – December 2nd, 2014

San Francisco Wine School in conjunction with Italian Wine Central, the most authoritative online source about Italian wine, announces a new program that provides a solid foundation in the wines of Italy for professionals and serious enthusiasts: the Italian Wine Professional (IWP) certification.

San Francisco Wine School is the first West Coast school authorized to teach this comprehensive new program. As Americans continue their decades-long love affair with Italian culture, food, and wine, Italian wine remains the largest category of international wine imported into the U.S. Yet consumers, even those in the wine industry, often find Italian wine confusing. Since the launch of the school, founder David Glancy, MS, CWE, has been evaluating Italian wine educational resources in search of the perfect program to help students successfully tackle the world’s most complex and nuanced wine region.

“Italy has more than 3,000 grape varietals and 400 DOCs and DOCGs. You can’t throw everything there is to know about Italian wine into a class and expect students to retain it all,” explains Glancy. “We knew we needed a more thoughtful approach than what was available – one that would allow anyone passionate about Italy to become fluent in Italian wine in a way that would impact their lives and careers.”

The IWP program is grounded in the premise that the most effective way to comprehend a country as complex as Italy is not by presenting a dizzying survey of varietals. Rather, the program guides the student through the country by style and region, providing fluency in Italy’s reds, whites, sparkling, and dessert wines. As a result, the 400 appellations and 3000 varieties align in a way that is both comprehensive and comprehensible.

With content created by the seasoned educators and wine professionals at Italian Wine Central, who understand both the U.S. market and Italy, the program takes a dynamic, learner-centered approach. Students are engaged with exercises that challenge them to organize and internalize Italian wine knowledge, and tasting flights highlight the most market-relevant wine styles.

The Italian Wine Professional program covers Italy’s importance in the global wine trade, a history of Italy as it relates to wine and cultural aspects as a context for the development of Italian wine styles.

The program features deep-dives into Italy’s regions and styles through tasting exercises of more than 65 wines. It is designed for serious enthusiasts and those working in retail, restaurant, import, or distribution roles, as well as wine writers and educators. Students who achieve a passing exam score will be designated an Italian Wine Professional and will be granted the use of the post-nominal, IWP. Detailed course information is available at Italian Wine Professional Program.

Tuesdays, September 23- December 2, 2014

(No class Thanksgiving Week)
6:00pm-9:00pm
Embassy Suites, South San Francisco

• Full Program: $1,495
• Single Courses: $125