Hats off to Gregory Crommen, FWS for passing the French Wine Scholar Program with Highest Honors with Asia Wine Service & Education Centre (AWSEC)!
Gregory has been studying wine for a few years now and is about to finish the WSET Diploma.
1) Please let us know more about yourself. Tell us about your passion for wine.
I developed my passion for wine quite late, especially for a French man, and this maturity enhanced my curiosity in all the different types of wines and grape varieties. I’m always eager to learn more and taste new wines.
I started to learn wine in order to understand better what I was drinking, to be more knowledgeable and also as a retirement plan by making my own wine.
2) Please tell us more about your wine studies. What other wine certification programs have you followed and passed? If any, how do you think the FWS program complemented/added to your previous wine studies?
I started my wine studies with the WSET, like most people I suspect.
The FWS is a great complement to the WSET Diploma and I would recommend other students to take it between the Level 3 and the Diploma. This will give them a good idea of the amount of work and knowledge required from them to succeed in the Diploma.
The FWS gave the perfect structure to help me finish my WSET Diploma. As this latter forces you to do your own research, the template used by the FWS (history, geography, geology, grapes, wines) is ideally suited to the WSET Diploma and allows the students to direct and focus their research, and have a systematic approach to every wine region.
3) Please tell us how you think the FWS program will help you further your wine passion/carrier moving forward
As mentioned above, the way to approach every French wine region used by the FWS is of a great help when taking up on other countries. It addresses the most important features about every wine region, helping to understand the different styles. And this is key when deciding which wine to choose!
The FWS is a great complement to any other wine study programs and is one of the most thorough I have encountered so far.
Pic: Gregory with his instructor, Jennie Mack
