Congratulations to Susan Lynham, FWS, for passing the French Wine Scholar exam with highest honors!
About Susan:
I started out as a wine enthusiast, fascinated with all things French as I researched my lineage back to a small town outside of Paris. It wasn’t long before I fell in love with French wine, and this casual appreciation grew into a passion of wanting to learn as much as I could about the world of wine. This quest for knowledge led me to my first French Wine 101 class. I knew then, that I wanted to change careers and create an opportunity to participate in the wine industry, but also recognized that I had to pursue an education that would afford me notable credentials. The three institutions that offered courses best suited to my goals were WSET, Society of Wine Educators, and the Wine Scholar Guild. Over the next several years, I immersed myself in these programs, and with the confidence I gained as a result of the exceptional education I received, I started my own business as a wine educator and wine professional. I am truly living my passion in life!
I started with the Wine and Spirits Education Trust program, graduating L2, L3 and L4 Diploma. Additionally, achieved Certified Specialist Wine and Certified Wine Educator credentials from the Society of Wine Educators, and graduated the French Wine Scholar program. I thoroughly enjoyed the FWS program, as I see it as the foundation for my interest in specializing in French wines. It was the deep dive into the French wine regions, wine styles, geography, topography and fun nuances of specific AOC’s, that I experienced details about France that I did not pick up in my broader studies. That was extremely valuable, and gave me confidence to speak more intelligently about French wine. I will also say, that I found the independent format and learning tools to be very helpful with review and study, as it helped with retention of important information, necessary to build upon any foundation.
I will use the knowledge acquired from the FWS as a backdrop for the Master-Level Programs offered by FWS. My next goal as a wine educator is to specialize in the regions of Bourgogne and Bordeaux, and believe these programs will broaden my existing background and help develop my educational skills and knowledge base, and ultimately become a better educator.
