French Wine Scholar ™ online | 15-week Instructor-Led Format
Earn the French Wine Scholar™ (FWS) post-nominal through 15 weeks of self-study fully supported by a comprehensive study manual, interactive e-learning modules for each region, and 8 live review webinars.
This format provides the convenience and flexibility of an online study program with interactive live “classroom” instruction delivered to a global student network via computer or tablet.
We provide true tech support, stellar instruction from world renowned instructors, a flexible schedule of study designed for busy professionals and all the necessary tools to master French wines.
Preview of the Program:
The program launches on June 4th 2019.
Get a head start! Gain instant access to online study materials... followed shortly by your study manual!
The French Wine Scholar™ education program is a French wine course designed to provide committed students of wine with the most advanced and comprehensive specialization study program on French wine bar none! After completion of this program, an educator, sommelier or wine enthusiast can teach, sell or enjoy French wines with poise and confidence.
Register Now What's Included Instructors
How it works Why this format? Schedule of study FWS STUDY TOOLS
The French Wine Scholar ™ online | 15-week Instructor-Led Format includes:

Plus:
- A schedule of study with learning objectives for each region
- The French Wine Scholar™ online exam*
- Access to repeat-after-me pronunciation exercise
- Online quizzes and learning games for self-evaluation
- Downloadable maps
- A list of recommended wines to sample on your own or in a tasting group organized by students enrolled in the online program
- A comprehensive series of webinars on regional wine styles with suggested wine list presented by Jay Youmans, Master of Wine
Price: $790
The program launches on June 4th 2019.
Get a head start! Gain instant access to online study materials... followed shortly by your study manual!
Register Now What's Included Instructors
How it works Why this format? Schedule of study FWS STUDY TOOLS
Endorsed by:

Meet your instructors:

Sharon Mclean, DIPWSET, FWS
- Certified sommelier through the International Sommelier Guild Senior
- Instructor of Wine Scholar Guild and WSET courses on Vancouver Island
- WSET Diploma with the highest marks in Canada
- An accredited Bordeaux instructor

Lisa M. Airey, CWE, FWS
- Director of Education for the Wine Scholar Guild since 2009
- 24 years of experience in the wine industry
- Knighted by the French government for the FWS program’s significant contribution to the French wine industry.
- Creator of the French Wine Scholar™ program
You can see Sharon's and Lisa’s detailed bio here.
How it works:
- You receive the full-color, 274-page French Wine Scholar study manual for independent reading and study. Work through the material when you have time in your schedule.
- You are provided access to on-line study modules and review quizzes corresponding to the course content found in the manual. These are available to you 24/7!
- Attend 8 live webinars for 15 weeks via webinar accessible from computer or tablet. An opportunity to exchange freely with your instructor and fellow students. We always love to hear from you! Can’t make a webinar live? No problem. All are recorded for on demand replay in webinar or podcast formats…perfect on your way to work!
- Have a question after watching a recorded webinar? Contact your instructors via and Instructor Q & A forum or email her directly. The choice is yours.
- Track your progress through the course curriculum via our online tracking system.
- You have one year from your registration date to take your final exam. When you are ready, please contact one month in advance, WSG Office Manager Celine Camus at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to check on availability and schedule your online exam. The test consists of 100 multiple choice questions. There is no tasting component. All you need is a laptop equipped with microphone and webcam and an internet connection.
- We have structured the curriculum into a three-month program to keep you focused and disciplined in your study. But you have a full year to sit the exam…just in case life gets in the way.
Register Now What's Included Instructors
How it works Why this format? Schedule of study FWS STUDY TOOLS
The program launches on June 4th 2019.
Get a head start! Gain instant access to online study materials... followed shortly by your study manual!
Why this format?
1. It is manageable.
The program is designed to keep you on track…but it is also flexible enough to enable you to catch up should your schedule get interrupted…or even to suspend it should you get derailed. It is designed to accommodate the needs of a busy professional.
2. You have real human support.
Lisa and Sharon are available for questions via chat box during webinars, via the Q&A forum and via direct email/phone. There is also a student forum should you wish to create a study group/tasting group in your area or just interact with your fellow students. You can be as interactive or as independent as you want to be.
3. You are part of a global student community.
Your classmates will hail from every segment of the wine industry from all over the globe and offer very different insights and points of view. The intellectual ferment adds to the depth of your learning.
4. Your classroom is mobile.
If you have a computer, cell phone or tablet, you have a classroom.
Schedule of study:
Week 1 |
Welcome webinar (30 mins) Tuesday, Jun. 4th 2019 @ NOON EST · Meet your instructor and other students · General orientation · How to access online program and log-in to live webinars · How to use the discussion forum Self-study: Foundation Chapters and Alsace |
Week 2 |
Self-study: Jura and Savoie |
Week 3 |
Live webinar (1 hr 15 mins) Tuesday, Jun. 18th 2019 @ NOON EST · Check-in on progress · Review of Alsace, Jura and Savoie Self-study: Champagne |
Week 4 |
Self-study: Champagne |
Week 5 |
Live webinar (1 hr 15 mins) Tuesday, Jul. 2nd 2019 @ NOON EST · Check-in on progress · Review of Champagne Self-study: Loire |
Week 6 |
Self-study: Loire |
Week 7 |
Live webinar (1 hr 15 mins) Tuesday Jul. 16th 2019 @ NOON EST · Check-in on progress · Review of Loire Self-study: Bourgogne |
Week 8 |
Self-study: Beaujolais |
Week 9 |
Live webinar (1 hr 15 mins) Tuesday Jul. 30th 2019 @ NOON EST · Check-in on progress · Review of Bourgogne, Beaujolais Self-study: Bordeaux |
Week 10 |
Self-study: South-West France
|
Week 11 |
Live webinar (1 hr 15 mins) Tuesday Aug. 13th 2019 @ NOON EST · Check-in on progress · Review of Bordeaux, South-West France Self-study: Rhône |
Week 12
|
Self-study: Provence
|
Week 13 |
Live webinar (1 hr 15 mins) Tuesday Aug. 27th 2019 @ NOON EST · Check-in on progress · Review of Rhône Valley, Provence Self-study: Languedoc-Roussillon |
Week 14 |
Self-study: Corsica |
Week 15 (September 9 - 15) |
Live webinar (1 hr 15 mins) Tuesday Sep. 10th 2019 @ NOON EST · Check-in on progress · Review of Languedoc-Roussillon & Corsica
|
Week 16 (September 16 - 22) |
Revision Week |
Week 17 (September 23 - 29) |
Live webinar (1 hr 15 mins) Tuesday Sep. 24th 2019 @ NOON EST · Overall review with sample test questions & exam Protocols |
Register Now What's Included Instructors
How it works Why this format? Schedule of study FWS STUDY TOOLS
The program launches on June 4th 2019.
Get a head start! Gain instant access to online study materials... followed shortly by your study manual!
Don’t let the technology side of the program be a roadblock to your success.
If you’re not tech savvy, we can help. We will walk you through every step of logging on to your virtual classroom with both written and online instruction and orientation. We will take you from technophobe to tech savvy in less than an hour! Promise!
We offer all the necessary tools & SUPPORT TO master the wines of France:
#1 FWS Study Manual (updated in 2017):
The 270-page, full-color study manual (6th Edition) provides all the information from which the test questions are derived. You do not need to research you own study materials; everything you need to know is in the manual.
Comprehensive coverage of France’s 14 distinct wine regions is presented in the following manner:
- Viticultural history, wine culture and traditions
- Location and climate and their effects on viticulture and wine style
- Topography, geography and soils and their impact on the vine
- Grape varieties and their organoleptic profiles
- Viticulture and winemaking practices
- Wine industry trends and economics
- All AOCs with their regulations, wine styles and specificities
Regions covered: Alsace, Champagne, Bourgogne, Beaujolais, Jura, Savoie, Loire, Bordeaux, Southwest, Languedoc, Roussillon, Rhône, Provence, Corsica
Plus: A Foundation Unit covering: French wine law, grape varieties, viticulture, viniculture and a discussion of Old World vs. New World wine styles
French Wine Scholar™ study manual features:
#2 FWS Online Study Modules (updated in 2018):
The FWS online study modules offer interactive presentations that are put into a measurable, meaningful format designed for maximum retention of content and ease of use. Each region of France is covered and dovetails nicely with the French Wine Scholar study manual. Study materials are available 24/7. If you’ve got a laptop and an internet connection, you’ve got a classroom!
French Wine Scholar™ online study modules features:
- Quizzes and learning games for self-evaluation
- Full audio narration to offer new insight and keep you engaged
- Your place is automatically bookmarked/saved to resume where you left off
- A progress bar tracks your accomplishments
*FWS Online Exam:
- The exam is composed of 100 multiple-choice questions and must be completed in 60 minutes.
- The French Wine Scholar credential will be conferred to those individuals who sit the exam and achieve a score of 75 or higher.
- Online exam candidates must have a computer (tablet not compatible), a good internet connection, a webcam and a microphone with speakers for proctoring purposes.
- Candidate has one year from registration date to take the exam. When ready, the candidate may contact 1 month in advance, WSG office manager Celine Camus at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to schedule the exam.
Important notice: Candidates cancelling less than 5 business days prior to their scheduled exam date or not showing up the day of will incur a $85 re-scheduling fee.
Register Now What's Included Instructors
How it works Why this format? Schedule of study FWS STUDY TOOLS
The program launches on June 4th 2019.
Get a head start! Gain instant access to online study materials... followed shortly by your study manual!
Industry Testimonials
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"The French Wine Scholar manual has once again proven why the Wine Scholar Guild is one of the best wine…Nicholas PolettoDirector of Education at Kobrand Corporation"Indispensable for any wine trade professional who works with French wine. Bravo!”Martin SinkoffVP and Director of Marketing, Frederick Wildman And Sons
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