Congratulations to Kelly Palmer, FWS, for passing the French Wine Scholar exam with the American Wine School with highest honors!
About Kelly:
I am definitely both an enthusiast and a professional. I have been working in restaurants most of my life, but it wasn’t until I entered the world of “fine dining” that I found a true appreciation for wine. After moving to Chicago from a small town in Michigan I was fortunate to get to work in a number of wine bars throughout the city and it was here that my fascination really began. I started focusing more on the how and the why things are. “Why does this taste the way it does? And how did the grapes get to this point?”. I began reading every wine book I could get my hands on, and my passion quickly turned into a full blown obsession. I want to know everything!
I believe that the best way to improve yourself is through education. Through self study I have passed the Court of Master Sommeliers introductory exam and now the FWS. FWS is a beautifully constructed program. I was lucky to be able to enroll in the instructor led classroom program which at least for me is so much more beneficial than independent study. Before taking this course I didn’t even know what I didn’t know! This in depth course, though sometimes overwhelming has taught me so much more than I ever expected, definitely exceeded my expectations. Everyone with an interest in pursuing a career in wine should take this course
I plan to enroll in the Spanish and the Italian wine scholar program as soon as it is available in my city. I am currently studying for CMS certified exam. And plan to acquire any certification I can in between.
I have no fear of any future exam questions I will be asked about the wine regions of France. My goal is to learn everything I can and then be able to educate others. Programs like this with the depth and attention to detail really give you a true understanding of why and how the wines are what they are. The FWS program made me want to take every other program WSG has to offer.
