Congratulations Andrew Ashurst, FWS for passing the French Wine Scholar with the highest honors!
About Andrew:
''I am an English teacher by profession, but after opening an English academy in the Penedès wine region in Catalunya, we quickly became aware of the potential behind wine education thanks to the help of local companies like Bodegas Torres. It was in 2009, that we delved deep into the subject of wine and created the course books called English for Wine Aspects (for further info please look at www.wineaspects.info, website only in Spanish).
Well, after talking to students and people in the wine sector, I did a course called Sensorial Analysis of wines and cavas. After completing that and thanks to the mentoring of workers from bodegas Torres, I was guided to do a course in winemaking at UC Davis. I wanted to know even more about the world of wine so I did WSET level 3 with a superb school in Barcelona called Outlook Wine with David Molina and Ferran Centelles. After completing WSET Advanced, I went on the internet and looked for more courses to do and this is when I came across the FWS course.
At the moment, I am also finishing a Cava Education course thanks to Institut del Cava and I am also doing a Master in International Commerce as I would like to have a global idea of the market. I am now also looking to carry on studying with the Wine Scholar Guild as I would like to do the Italian Wine Scholar and the Champagne Master Level studies. I am a bit indecisive, as I don’t know which one to choose first (hahaha).
The FWS has given me the foundations to take my WSET level 4 (diploma) in the future, but before doing so I would like to take the Italian Wine Scholar and Spanish Wine Scholar programs to have an in depth view of the 3 leading countries in viticulture and winemaking. As I always say, knowing is fundamental, but knowing well and from reliable sources is priceless. Any wine educator should do one of these courses. Thanks to the Wine Scholar Guild I have the possibility to be a father, work and study at the same time. I would definitely do another course!''
