Italian Wine Scholar Unit 1 Distance-Learning Package

The Italian Wine Scholar Program Unit 1 offers an in-depth learning experience of the Northern Italy wine landscape. The study material is extremely well researched, up to date and relatively easy to understand. I would recommend this program for anyone who wants to become more familiar with Italian appellations, native grapes and the history behind the complex but exciting wine industry Italy has become.

Overall I enjoyed and learned a lot throughout my studies. I completed French Wine Scholar as well but Italy as a region was quite challenging to me. Their grape varieties except few are found nowhere. Coupled with an old and rich history this region has the most to offer than any other in the world.
I was exposed to ancient viticulture and how Etruscans, Romans,Greeks and other old civilizations shaped the viticulture across the world.

The online learning module is the most effective tool to learn fast.
With a strong foundation build through this program I am sure my extensive WSET Diploma unit 3 will become easier to me.

You haven't asked about the exam.It is difficult to comment about it in detail as I don't have it in front of me but some of the questions did seem to me to be rather marginal to a good understanding of the subject matter. I had the impression that some questions were trivial but It maybe that I am jaundiced because I did not know the answers.
Incidentally when are you going to run a course on the wines of the USA-that should be something.
Best Wishes

The course in general I thought was excellent, and I really enjoyed it

However I am very critical of the exam questions and materials, which I thought poor to very poor for the following reasons

1) Almost no coverage of the flavour palate of the grapes, DOC and DOCGs. I don't understand this, surely this should be the main of the course, and is covered extensively in the materials and in the classroom. I suspect many students for example come away from the course for example knowing that Roero Arneis has to be specifically labelled within Roero DOC but couldn't tell someone what it would actually taste like

2) Some of the questions are bizarre, as to the relative importance of studying Italy and Italian wine. It's almost like they are put in there to fill out the exam. For example questions on the relative geography (most northern etc), no of MGAs, names of rivers etc require "parrot" or "rote" learning and I would really challenge the relative importance of these facts to many of the things not covered on the exam but included in the course

3) Finally an exam in 2019 that is on paper, and is multiple choice with the questions and answers is absolutely bizzare. If nothing else it opens up the possibility fro transcription errors not relevant to the exam

One other point of positive feedback, my classmates and I all thought the online materials were really great and very helpful addition to the classroom materials

Happy to elaborate on any of these points

Tim

Great course, super comprehensive and enjoyable. Suitable for professionals and enthusiasts. Highly recommended.

Excellent program with easy to understand format along with world-class instructor. Highly recommended.

It's better to send us more recent changes of each appellation.

I loved IWS! The amount of information available to you is wonderful. For the first time as a student of wine it actually felt like I was set up to succeed by a school.
The textbook is incredible. The material is presented in such a way that you are able to get a deep understanding of each region; From culture to history, grapes to styles. It will make a nice reference book for the future.
The online resources offered are like that of no other school. It was incredibly helpful to have videos, slides, quizzes and forums, especially come review time.
Our instructor is what made the class though. Sharons depth of knowledge is incredible. She’s an outstanding teacher who brings years of research and travel to her presentations. Her passion for wine, and the people that make it, is infectious.
I can’t wait to continue my study with the WSG!

The program is very helpful for the wine lovers who wish to learn the appropriately detail knowledge on Italian wines.

As my last name shows I have italian origin so it was a great pleasure for me to learn about Italian wines. The material, maps, flashcards and all other informations give me a more precise knowledgment about italian wines. Amazing history and details that, for sure, will transform any wine lover person in an Italian wine lover. I really had a great time doing IWS.

The Italian Wine Scholar course provides a comprehensive, fascinating account of Italy's wines. It covers history, geography, climate, grape varieties, winemaking techniques, wine laws, and much more. Both its printed and online materials are highly professional. I would recommend the course to anyone interested in an in-depth look at the wines of this intriguing country.

Well thought out with clear and concise delivery. IWS provides a much broader and deeper understanding on wine-related aspects of this intricate country. An extremely insightful, challenging and rewarding course! Salute!

Discovering the wine regions of Italy is no easy task - nor should it be. The Italian Wine Scholar does a fantastic job of supporting you through the journey of learning about these regions, in a manner that is challenging, engaging and enjoyable.

Best possible way to learn in depth about Italy and its wines!

It is a course that allows you to study and understand in depth the Italian regions and their wines, In addition to its history and culture.

If you are following wine studies, the study guides and programs of the WSG are the most compressive and straight forward, they are fundamental building blocks on the stairs to the highest levels of wine education.

looking forward to the Spanish wine course.

is there any plan for a Germanic area course or Slavic course? those would be great, not to mention eastern mediterranean since those areas are now a hot topic and coming into world recognition.

IWS unit 1 is a well thought out program that illustrates the different regions and grape varietals as well as some background Italian history and culture. Even though I have done WSET diploma, this course furthered my understanding and I will definitely be taking unit 2.

Really enjoyed Unit 1. Really appreciated the maps. I thought things were clearly outlined and the information available online per unit nicely summed things up. Always nice to have quizzes to self-evaluate along the way. Would definitely take another course soon.

Italian Wine Scholar Unit One: Northern Italy is an excellent and challenging detail-oriented course for those wishing to learn about Italy and Italian wines in more depth than what is covered in other wine programs. The Italian Wine Scholar program provides a well-rounded look at all the aspects that combine to make Italy such a special wine country: history, geography, climate, production methods, language, culture, grapes, and of course, wine.
Rayna D Corner, Territory Manager at Quench! Wines, BC, Canada

The study guide and online material is fantastic. I am so impressed by the study guide - it's so clear and incredibly up-to-date. I also loved the FWS guide when I took it. Looking forward to Unit 2!
This course was so needed! Italy is such an important and complex wine country- far more complex than France. I learned more about Northern Italy in this class than I did in WSET Diploma! I would highly recommend this course to anyone in the wine industry. Again, looking forward to Unit 2 and perhaps Spain in the future!
Greg MacDonald, VINTAGES Product Manager New World Wines at LCBO