Congratulations to Kimberly Holland, FWS, for passing the French Wine Scholar exam with highest honors!
About Kimberly:
I began studying wine seriously five years ago as a hobby. I took a class called, “Systematic Wine Appreciation of the Global Classics,” with Jörn Kleinhans of the Sommelier Company. It inspired me to learn more and I have been obsessed ever since! We converted a coat closet in my house to a wine cellar and I now collect wine. I read and study wine in all of my spare time and of course I enjoy drinking it!
My real job is a High School Principal for a large 3800 student high school, but I also work part time for The Sommelier Company when I have time. My goal is to retire from education in three years and work in some capacity with wine.
I have four wine certifications including WSET Level 2, WSET Level 3, CSW, and now FWS. I truly enjoyed delving deeper into France through the FWS program. The knowledge I gained through the program has allowed me to speak with confidence about French wine regions.
I plan on enrolling in the Burgundy Master Level course this year and complimenting it with a learning trip offered through the Wine Scholar Guild. I also plan on taking WSET Diploma in the next few years. The FWS program has inspired me to delve deeper into Burgundy.
The FWS program gave me in depth knowledge of the history, location, climate, terroir and other important facts of the regions of France. I began with FWS because wine history is so important in France. It was a comprehensive study and I highly recommend enrolling if you want a thorough understanding of the wine regions and the wines of France. I enjoyed the classroom setting because tasting wines from the regions immediately after you learn about them was, for me, extremely impactful.
