Congratulations to Nikhil Bhusal, FWS, for passing the French Wine Scholar exam with highest honors!
About Nikhil:
I am currently in my final year of Bachelors degree at the International Institute of Hotel Management. The institute allows me to simultaneously pursue a BA in Hospitality Management from the University of West London as well as an advanced diploma in international hospitality administration from the institute itself. Through my subjects and professors, I was introduced into the world of wine. The intricacies of a simple yet complicated topic fascinated me and continues to do so. Is it just fermented grape juice? Or is it living art? I like to believe the latter and the best way to appreciate art is to know as much about it as possible, which is why I love learning about geology, history, topography and all the different elements that eventually end up deciding what is in your glass.
I have completed courses with WSET and online courses in wine, wine tourism, and other beverages. More recently I was named the 2nd runner up in India's first ever Young Sommelier Olympiad, a competition for budding sommeliers below the age of 21. It included 3 days of masterclasses followed by assessments. As a result, I was granted participation in the next Indian Sommelier Championship, a platform for me to further showcase my knowledge and skills. I am grateful to Mr. Gagan Sharma and Mr. Magandeep Singh for the opportunities they have created for hopefuls like myself. I am currently enrolled in and on track to becoming one among the youngest Certified Sommeliers (CS) through the Court of Master Sommeliers. I am glad to have done FWS, as a large chunk of the CS examination is regarding France and I see several other candidates struggling with the difficulty of the region. I however, feel the most confident when it comes to French wine and I have WSG to thank for that. I also intend on doing the WSET diploma, in order to continue my wine studies further.
The FWS program is a very well structured and thought out course. It has broken down such a technically challenging subject into digestible material. Being an enthusiastic, knowledge-hungry individual, I am now laying the groundwork to become a successful player in the beverage industry. With FWS in my quiver, along with other well-recognized courses, I intend to make an impact on the industry. Having authored a book (“Wine Made Simple”) as a sophomore in college, the love to share knowledge and stories has and will continue to be a part of me. The ability to understand the liquid to the best of our abilities is key to growing the wine industry, and therefore I intend to learn more in order to appreciate, educate and expand.
