Anyone who has been to Bordeaux is familiar with this signature sweet. It almost defies description: a rich popover dough with a custardy interior, coated in a dark, thin, crispy caramel. It is love at first bite and the souvenir shops know this. They sell the molds. But buyer beware…insiders...

Decanter Magazine’s Andrew Jefford describes the diversity of the Languedoc-Roussillon region’s appellations, geography, and wine styles. Andrew is a Montpellier local, a webinar presenter for the guild, and an immersion trip leader. His enthusiasm for the region and its wines is as contagious as...

Bourgogne has applied some new math to count its AOCs. They have shed their claim to 100 AOCs and reorganized their appellations to fit within a count of 84.

Learn more about the Wine Scholar Guild in this candid interview with Education Director, Lisa M. Airey If you missed our Education Director Lisa Airey’s cameo on the Wine Two Five Podcast last week, you can listen to the recording here:

Rick Fisher, our Spanish Wine Scholar Program® Developer, recently returned from New York City where he was attending the 24th annual Spain’s Great Match, the nation's leading Spanish wine event organized by the Trade Commission of Spain in conjunction with Wines From Spain.

Matt Kirkland was an attendee of the WSG’s first Study Trip to Tuscany with Jane Hunt, MW. Here, he shares some of the insights he gleaned from the trip. Quality in wine can be assessed based upon balance, length, intensity, and complexity (and typicity when not tasting blindly). As the workhorse...

Assisting trip instructor Gerard Basset MW, MS, our Tour Manager Sarah Beck-Graham reports daily on the learnings and encounters on our 2017 Bordeaux wine study trip taking place October 1st through 6th 2017. Sarah lives in Bordeaux and has 15 years of experience in the Bordeaux wine industry. She...

At long last, we have begun development of our Spanish Wine Scholar program! The program is spearheaded by Rick Fisher, a San Diego resident of Catalan descent. Rick’s passion for his Spanish heritage and a desire to educate others about Spanish culture, food, and wine led him to create Bodega:...

Pascaline Lepeltier, MS, discusses the itinerary for the upcoming WSG Study Trip to her native Loire. In this podcast interview with Decanter's Andrew Jefford, Pascaline discusses the Loire’s best and brightest…all of which happen to be estate visits on the upcoming five-day journey she'll be...

Master sommelier and Loire valley native, Pascaline Lepeltier, has been working with key Loire producers over the past months in preparation for the October 2017 Loire Wine Study Trip. Take a look at her notes on this carefully curated list of both iconic and rising star estates/producers in the...

Much has been written about the beautiful Loire Valley, well known as “the garden of France.” The wine region follows the meandering Loire River more than 600 miles through the gently rolling hills of a picturesque countryside. There is an abundance of vines and food crops in this fertile stretch...

I am pleased to share my Burgundy wine tour experience with the Wine Scholar Guild, as it was the trip of a lifetime. My wife and I arrived a couple of days early and enjoyed fine wine and dining in Paris before our quick train trip over to Beaune (via Dijon). We spent Sunday on our own, touring...

The white wines of France offer unrivaled perfection. With few exceptions, every vineyard growing white grapes is so planted not because reds won’t grow well there, but because whites will flourish. France’s white wines are not an afterthought or a consolation prize. These are vinous treasures...

Recently, Barbara Philip MW hosted a virtual food and wine tour webinar for the Wine Scholar Guild. The cuisine of central Italy is as fascinating as it is delicious. This is where tomatoes and olive oil begin to replace the butter and cream of the north. Heavy, stuffed pastas give way to long...

Learn about the French Wine Scholar study formats, learning tools & exam via live webinar on: Tuesday, May 9th, 2017 at 12 noon EST (NYC) 9 am PST Seattle, 5:00 pm UK, 6:00 pm France, 1:00 am Wednesday in Hong-Kong About this webinar: Find out about the curriculum and study options. Introduction...

It is almost here. That wonderful day in March that wine lovers all over the world anxiously wait for every year. Thousands gather for jubilant festivities of the wines of Beaujolais. No, my calendar does not need adjusting. November’s annual harvest fete known as Beaujolais Nouveau Day is a...

The Wine Scholar Guild’s French Wine Scholar (FWS) Program received official endorsement as an approved wine certification program from Skillsfuture Singapore! The Skillsfuture is a national movement that encourages individuals to take ownership of their skills development and lifelong learning....

The Wine Scholar Guild is excited to announce the list of 2016 top exam scorers from around the world! Bravo! French Wine Scholar Program 1. Lillian Lim (California, USA) - Score: 100% ''My certifications include: Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers, Certified Specialist of...

As everywhere, it is the nature of the geography that most influences the food and drink traditions of the Jura and Franche-Comté. The diverse landscape of mountains, dense forests, high meadows, vineyards, lakes and the river plain have all shaped what the local population ate and drank....

Autumn in Champagne is a spectacular time to explore the region. The countryside and vineyards are abounding in rich palettes of color and the intoxicating fall fragrance instills a unique sensorial experience. Champagne is like laughter as it fills my senses with joy, especially when the cork...