Congratulations to Stephen Kennard, SWS for passing the Spanish Wine Scholar exam with highest honors!
About Stephen:
I have been passionate about wine since childhood having read my first wine book as a teenager before going on to captain my university team in the UK National Blind Wine tasting championship.
I frequently judge wines, spirits and beer for international competitions and have advised companies on procurement and food matching. Having a background in finance and accounting being an added bonus.
Having already passed the WSET Diploma I decided to continue my studies and I have found the Wine Scholar Guild exams an excellent way to delve more deeply into the specifics of regions and wines. I am proud to say that I have now completed the French, Italian and the Spanish examinations and these are proving invaluable when lecturing and teaching WSET courses or just informally educating colleagues.
Quite rightly the WSG examinations are challenging but this is what makes them rewarding. The manuals are well written and are extensive, covering far more than the syllabus requirements. The sections on local food and traditions as well as the historic (economic and political) aspects puts everything into context. For anyone truly interested in drink these are areas that should be known and understood but are so frequently only covered superficially.
Without doubt the SWS has fueled a renewed passion for Spain: its wines, food and culture. Hidden gems from less renowned areas can now be sought with confidence.
