Program Description
MASTER THE WINES OF ITALY: An in depth program designed by the Wine Scholar Guild with the support of the Italian Wine DOC/G Consortia.
"I am quite impressed by the high quality and professionalism of the courses taught at San Francisco Wine School. The school offers a fantastic location wherein to learn the complex world of wines, the wine educators are extremely competent and highly prepared... I'm honored SFWS is offering the Italian Wine Scholar, I'm confident they will do an excellent job and they will be able to guide the students through the amazing diversity of the wines of Italy."
Italian Wine Scholar - Southern Italy is 1 part of a 2 part credential. These two parts can be taken in any order. In this course, students will receive 18 hours of instruction, and the official full-color Italian Wine Scholar - Southern Italy study manual, in addition to 1 full year of access to the Italian Wine Scholar Online. Students will taste over 35 wines in the program. Learn more about Italian Wine Scholar - Northern Italy.
Beginner Students should consider taking our Wines of Italy workshop, our Intro to Italian Wines workshop, and/or Italian Wine Scholar Prep program before attempting the more rigorous Italian Wine Scholar curriculum.
2021 Session Dates & Times
Session 2
Mondays 6-9pm
Oct 25 to Dec 13
no class Dec 6
2022 Session Dates & Times
Session 1
Mondays 6-9pm
May 9 to June 27
no class May 30
Formats Available
Hybrid - Room/Zoom - NEW!
We've recently invested in some serious AV technology upgrades to create an integrated Hybrid Room/Zoom experience for all students. Both "Roomers" and "Zoomers" are able to engage with us and each other during these live classes. Recordings are also available after the class. Whether you are excited to return to our beautiful venue in person or are enjoying the convenience of home learning, you can choose the experience that's right for YOU! Learn more...
In-Person Location
San Francisco Wine School*
415 Grand Ave #301
South San Francisco, CA 94080
View parking, public transit, dining & hotel information
*See our latest COVID Safety Information
Guided Blind Tasting
Students will taste over 35 Italian wines to bring learning objectives to life and practice blind tasting techniques. All wines are selected by Master Sommelier David Glancy and our instructors to represent a broad sampling of the classic wines of Italy.
Roomers will have wine in their glass in the classroom. Zoomers will have tasting kits they can either pickup or have delivered for an additional fee. View wine pickup and delivery options.
Syllabus
Italian Wine Scholar South consists of 6 three-hour classes. The first class within the full program will be available as an a la carté workshop. This is a great way to preview the program. If you decided to continue, your workshop fee will be credited towards the full program tuition. Click on the link to learn more about that workshop and sign up!
- Toscana/Tuscany
- Marche & Umbria
- Abruzzo, Molise, Lazio & Review
- Campania, Basilicata & Review
- Calabria, Puglia & Review
- Sicilia, Sardegna & Review
- Italian Wine Scholar Unit 2 Exam (Southern Italy)
About the Certification & Exam
This is Unit 2 of 2 in the series. Unit 1 covers Northern Italy and Unit 2 covers Central and Southern Italy. The two units can be taken in any order.
The Italian Wine Scholar South exam is one hour long and consists of 100 multiple choice questions. The exam must be taken in person at San Francisco Wine School. Online exam upgrades are granted by Wine Scholar Guild on an exception basis only and require an additional fee.
Candidates need a composite score for Unit 1 and Unit 2 of 75% to receive the credential, i.e. the scores from both exams are added together and averaged for final assessment. Students with a composite score of 85-90.5 pass with HONORS. Candidates scoring 91-100 pass with HIGHEST HONORS.
Those who follow the in-depth curriculum and achieve a final passing score on both Unit 1 and Unit 2 will earn the title of Italian Wine Scholar (IWS). Following this achievement, students are encouraged to use the post-nominal IWS as part of their professional signatures. This IWS certification provides a validation of your Italian wine expertise and enhances your resume; it also serves as a point of distinction within the wine trade.
The curriculum and teaching materials for the Italian Wine Scholar Program are the same regardless of whether you study in California or Calgary. Our industry leading instructors will make the difference in your learning experience.
Tuition
$995pp
*Installment plans available. Discounts are available for parties of 2 or more. Contact help@sfwineschool.com for more information.
Enrollment Includes
- IWS Exam Fees
- Official, full-color Italian Wine Scholar Unit 2 - Southern Italy study manual
- 1 full year of access to the Italian Wine Scholar Online
- San Francisco Wine School Water Bottle
- IWS pin and certificate upon successful completion of the complete program
- Tastings of over 35 wines
Requirements & Recommendations
All attendees must be 21+ years
Italy is one of the most complicated regions to study and Italian Wine Scholar is one of the most difficult credential programs offered at San Francisco Wine School. It is designed for strong intermediate and advanced students. Those who want to strengthen their foundational knowledge of Italian wine before attempting this certification are encouraged to take the Intro to Italian Wine Program - an Italian Wine Scholar Prep course.