Congratulations to Peter Arijs, SWS, for passing the Spanish Wine Scholar exam with highest honors!
About Peter:
Some people call me a wine geek. As an engineer I want to understand how things are made, and the same goes for wine. Not only do I love to learn about wine, but also to share this knowledge. This is what got me started as a wine educator at WineWise where I teach the Spanish Wine Scholar program and WSET courses, as well as at SYNTRA where I train aspiring sommeliers. I am also an active member of several wine associations.
I am a WSET Level 4 Diploma graduate and award winner, and I followed the Spanish Wine Scholar program in parallel with my WSET studies. I believe the two are highly complementary: WSET takes a more broad and analytical approach to the wine trade, while the Wine Scholar Guild has a more topical and in-depth focus on countries and regions. Also the blended learning approach with interactive and visually attractive online study materials makes the information really stick.
Before my WSG and WSET studies, I also followed a sommelier education in Belgium, which also gives me the view from the on-trade and hospitality side of wine. I am also a certified Rioja Wine Educator, as I have a keen interest in Spanish wine, which is also why I followed the Spanish Wine Scholar program.
The SWS program will in the first place help me as a wine educator with a focus on Spanish wines, as I also started teaching the program. I strongly believe in education, not just to increase knowledge and understanding of wine at a personal level, but also at a commercial level to grow and promote brands and regions. I hope to pursue my career along this path, as a wine educator or brand ambassador for a region or winery in Spain.
