Congratulations to Marc-André Alain, IWS, for passing the Italian Wine Scholar exam with highest honors!
About Marc-André:
I have been a wine enthusiast for many years, but my real interest to learn more about this subject, including the understanding of where the wine I buy comes from and how it is produced, really started to develop throughout some of my travels. I have had the chance to visit vineyards and wine producers in many countries, including some well-known regions like Tuscany and Burgundy, but also in lesser-known areas like Moldova and Armenia. I still intend on making more travels oriented toward wine discoveries, as it combines some of my two biggest interests!
In November 2018, I graduated with distinction from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 2. I feel like this program really gave me all the necessary tools and information needed to undertake the more advanced programs from the Wine Scholar Guild.
In October 2021, I graduated from the Spanish Wine Scholar (SWS) program with highest honors.
The Italian Wine Scholar (IWS) program really contributed a lot to my knowledge on wines. In addition to making me discover so many wines and grapes that I had never heard of before, it also provided me with a very deep understanding of the wine production in Italy and what influences the wines of each region (and sub-region). I was not expecting to learn so much about climates, soils and geography.
I am currently enrolled in the French Wine Scholar program. Many of my favorite wines come from France, so I cannot wait to learn more about all the factors that can influence the production and the taste of the wines in this country, like I learned about Spain and Italy.
The Italian Wine Scholar program really made a world of difference in the way I approach the wines from this country. I used to only pick wines from well-known appellations, but now I can explore all the other regions and have a pretty good idea and understanding of what I am going to get, only with little information.
