After months of study and shared bottles, I can finally call myself a French Wine Scholar. I passed my exam with the highest honors.
It was a daunting task, learning the culture, history, and geography of another country. It involved learning how to pronounce words and know their meanings. Some may think the stuff outside of wine is unnecessary. However, it’s vital if you truly want to understand the wine.
The Certifying Body
The Wine Scholar Guild offers this certification, along with Italy, Spain, and most recently, Germany. The French Wine Scholar course covers the 14 major wine regions. It’s a deep dive into everything French. Unless you live near wine country, it’s hard to appreciate how integrated the grape and the beverage are entwined into the culture.
Could you imagine a country’s leader declaring a grape variety “injurious to the human creature” as Philip the Bold did in 1395? Gamay, the grape of Beaujolais, was the source of his wrath. I can’t say I’m a member of the Pinotage fan club, but I wouldn’t take it that far.
Studying for the French Wine Scholar certification teaches you about such events, including the story of Joan of Arc. The geography lessons were engaging. Learning that the latitude of Nice in Provence at 43.69 N is not far off the 44.97 of Minneapolis was an eye-opener. It’s easy to understand why the University of Minnesota works on developing cold-hardy grapes.
The Benefits of the French Wine Scholar Certification
This study is challenging. It’s a lot of memorization, flashcards, and reading. The course is not just about wine, either. It also discusses climate change, geology, and wars through the ages. However, all these things have influenced wine’s development. That makes them crucial to study.
I also appreciated the history lessons. World War II left an indelible mark on the history of Champagne. The stories of bravery of people such as those from Moët et Chandon and Taittinger came to light from my interest in learning more about the region. You’ll never look at a bottle the same way.
Champagne. Associated with luxury, celebration, and romanceMy studies allowed me to add more grapes to my growing list of sampled varieties. France has its share of those that prefer to keep their feet in French soil. It also was an education to learn how the industry almost lost everything to three unwanted pests in the country via the United States: phylloxera, powdery mildew, and downy mildew.
Wine drove science to find solutions for these vineyard scourges, paving the way for the American wine industry to solve its problems.
Studying for the French Wine Scholar certification opened doors to new insights. It helped me with food-wine pairings. Once you understand the grapes, picking the best bottle for the meal is less stressful.
The French Wine Scholar program allowed me to share bottles with family and friends. Wine truly brings people together. I’ll always treasure the conversations about the wine we drank together. I’ll wear my lapel pin proudly, remembering all the stories and good times.
Photo by Jean-Luc Benazet on Unsplash
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