Summary: In this video Justin and Chris explore the world of Rosé, sharing tips and techniques around how to taste quality and starting to make arguments for logical regions of origin. We cover colour, winemaking signatures and what makes a great Rosé through a tasting of three very different wines from the south of France.  Full details of all the wines can be found in the pdf document above. About the

Summary: In this video we'll taste 3 different Syrahs of different styles, quality and origins, and see how we might make some arguments for deciding the variety, where in the world they come from and how good they are using evidence from the glass. All the details about the wines can be found in the pdf link above. About the Speaker: Justin Martindale is the Wine Scholar Guild Membership Manager and one of our in-house Masters of Wine. Justin

Summary: In this video we explore the limitations of the various wine tasting grids, and Justin introduces the cross system as an alternative method. Both systems are perfectly valid, but this might appeal to you if you share the same frustrations and want to give a different method a try! About the Speaker: Justin Martindale is the Wine Scholar Guild Membership Manager and one of our in-house Masters of Wine. Justin passed the notoriously challenging MW

Summary: With more than 100,000 hectares, Bordeaux is the largest wine-growing region in the world, but today it is desperately out of fashion. Bordeaux “bashing”, climate change and a decline in global wine consumption are putting the world's most famous wine region at risk. While a few prestigious Grand Crus retain their appeal, the industry is facing a crisis akin to the phylloxera outbreak. But solutions do exist. In this presentation, we will take an in-depth look at

Summary: Cataluña is one of Spain’s most historically-rich and progressive wine regions. But how well do you know the wines of Cataluña outside of Priorat or Cava? From the majestic Pyrenees mountains to the sun-drenched coastlines of the Mediterranean, the 12 Catalan wine regions serve to highlight the tremendous diversity of the region.   Join Rick Fisher and Ferran Centelles as they introduce Cataluña’s wine regions and highlight what makes these

Introduction  Wine Scholar Guild is pleased to bring you this 5-session course developed in conjunction with Agro-Bordeaux, a public viticulture and enology school under the authority of the French Ministry of Agriculture. The curriculum explores terroir from the ground up, and is designed to give you a thorough understanding of

Introduction  Wine Scholar Guild is pleased to bring you this 5-session course developed in conjunction with Agro-Bordeaux, a public viticulture and enology school under the authority of the French Ministry of Agriculture. The curriculum explores terroir from the ground up, and is designed to give you a thorough understanding of

Wine Scholar Guild (WSG) is delighted to announce that Christopher Martin MW has joined the team as Director of Education. As one of the very most recent individuals to achieve the Master of Wine certification in February 2024, Christopher has a strong background in education, with over 18 years of teaching a range of students from primary schools to graduate-level courses. 

Summary:  What does complexity mean in wine? Many people talk admiringly about complexity as a positive and desirable attribute in wine. However, it is often unclear what exactly they have in mind when using the term. In this talk, I will address various ways of defining complexity, and what experimental evidence has revealed regarding how people – both novices and experts -

After nearly two years of hard work, we are thrilled to present the Wine Scholar Guild’s latest certification course… The Spanish Wine Scholar® (SWS) Program! The program officially launches in October of 2019, but it is already garnering significant attention around the globe.

Where are we headed? This is a question which all of us have probably asked ourselves at some point during 2020, as a global pandemic unfolds chaotically across a planet experiencing runaway climate change. Both challenges have directly affected French wine growers, with trade tariffs imposed by the USA on European winegrowers forming a third stress-inducing headwind.

Summary For decades, Spanish fine wine had been relegated to a handful of producers in Rioja and Ribera del Duero. Today, visionaries have sprung in regions that were hitherto thought of as mere bulk wine areas or just never capable of producing anything worth a detour. Join Álvaro in this webinar in which we will discover some of the most exciting regions in Spain, producing wines to fill any wine geek's

As a member, you are entitled to two free Master of Wine mentoring sessions a year. These are one-on-one sessions with Justin Martindale MW, our Membership & Community Manager to discuss absolutely anything wine-related that you might find helpful. Sessions last up to 30 minutes, and can be booked directly with Justin

 The wine journalist and critic, Andrew Jefford was recently interviewed by Gavin Smith for the blog of wine merchant Fine+Rare. Words from Andrew on this thought-provoking interview: "I asked him to leave out the softballs, as 'polite' or 'respectful' interviews are tedious.  He didn't actually lay

After a generous 2018 French-wine harvest, nature has dialed back on its beneficence by around 12% in 2019: initial estimates put the crop at around 43.4 million hl compared to 49.4 m hl last year.  That’s not disastrous, though, especially since clouds have been gathering over the export scene in the last few months: the USA has imposed 25% tariffs on French wines under 14% abv, while sales to Hong Kong (often the preferred route into China for French fine wines) dropping by 26% over the last six months of political turmoil there.  The generally hot weather of 2019, of course, may give French wines a helping hand back into the US if those tariffs linger: it wasn’t hard to produce wine over 14% this year.

Summary: What do “volatile acidity” and “reduction” smell like? What is the difference between a taint and an off-flavour? Find out at this webinar with sensory scientist Sietze Wijma. Hundreds of different flavour and aroma compounds have been identified in wine. These can be traced back to different grape varieties, winemaking techniques and microorganisms. However, sometimes things don’t go according to plan. The unintentional appearance of

Chris Martin MW joins the Wine Scholar Guild as our new Director of Education. Simon J Woolf spoke to him about his background and what he’ll be bringing to the role. There’s an assumption in the wine world that if you’re knowledgeable in your subject area, ergo you can teach. Chris Martin MW wants to challenge that idea. Unusually for the sector, he started out in the world of education and latterly cross-trained in wine.

Meet Géraldine Gossot, Director of l'Université du Vin in Suze la Rousse, new French Wine Scholar® program provider in France! The first FWS session at l'Université du Vin is scheduled to begin December 2nd 2019, more information and registration HERE L'Université du Vin is one of the oldest wine education centers in France... Can you tell us more about the University, its origin, mission and importance in wine education in France?

Meet Jeni Wilson, founder of Vintage Class in Aranda de Duero, first wine school to launch the French Wine Scholar® in Spain! Their first FWS is scheduled to begin January 22th 2020, more information and registration HERE. Vintage Class will also offer the Spanish Wine Scholar® in 2020! Could you give us a bit of background on your personal and/or professional history in wine and what made you decide to move into wine education?

Meet Jörg Philipp, founder of Degustar in Stuttgart, first wine school to offer our brand new Spanish Wine Scholar® program in Germany! Your company, Degustar, is based in Stuttgart, Germany but you also work in Shanghai, China. Can you please summarize all the activities offered by Degustar in Germany and in China?