Congratulations to Josh Douglass, SWS, for passing the Spanish Wine Scholar exam with highest honors with The Wine House, Los Angeles!
About Josh:
I am the Sales manager for VinIberia Selections. We are a small California based importer and distributor of exclusively small production, sustainable, Spanish and Portuguese Wines from family-owned wineries. I sell our wines directly to some of the best shops, bars, and restaurants in Southern California. Before I started in wine sales, I was actually a television producer for 13 years, however I had a deep interest and love for wine, so I decided to take a step away from TV to follow my passion for wine. I’m very happy in my current role with VinIberia for now but someday I think I’d like to own my own wine shop or bar.
I am a Certified Specialist of Wine with the Society of Wine Educators, and I also hold the Level 3 Award in Wine from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust. I really enjoyed studying for the Spanish Wine Scholar certification because of how in depth it was, which gave me an even better understanding of Spanish wine, which is obviously beneficial to me as someone who specializes in selling Spanish wine.
I have no immediate plans to enroll in anything although I’m sure at some point I will probably pursue more certifications with the WSG and/or possibly the CMS.
It deepened my knowledge and curiosity for Spanish wine which will undoubtedly help me in my current career as a Spanish wine salesman, but I’m sure it will also benefit my ability to speak about, educate, and sell wine in various roles and settings for years to come.
