top of page
french vineyard landscape

FRENCH WINE SCHOLAR STUDY & CERTIFICATION

Become a French Wine Scholar!

The French Wine Scholar™ education program is the most advanced, comprehensive, and up-to-date French wine course available. The syllabus takes a regional approach and discusses all French wine appellations and the factors that shape their identities.

The program provides committed students of wine with an unparalleled set of study tools that are designed to maximize learning and boost knowledge retention.

The French Wine Scholar study and certification program confers a post-nominal to wine professionals and enthusiasts who successfully pass the certification exam (Ex: John Smith, FWS). With a school network encompassing 30 countries on 5 continents, the FWS credential has true international recognition.

It was created by WSG Education Director, Lisa M. Airey CWE, with the support of the French Ministry of Agriculture which knighted her in recognition of the program's exceptional level of depth, accuracy, detail, and academic rigor as well as its impact on the global wine industry.

OUR PROGRAM INCLUDES ALL THE
NECESSARY TOOLS & SUPPORT TO MASTER THE WINES OF FRANCE

French Wine Scholar lapel pin logo
  • Orientation webinar
     

  • Three to Four Day In-person Intensive, including exam
     

  • Tutored tastings (over 40 wines) 
     

  • A comprehensive 330-page study manual with illustrations, maps, and graphics, available in print + e-book formats
     

  • One-year access to our interactive and user-friendly e-learning platform including online learning modules, pronunciation exercises, quizzes and flashcards
     

  • Registration for the French Wine Scholar Exam

In order to bring each region to life, you will taste a total of over 40 different wines over the course of the program.

You must be 21 or over to take the class. This class must reach a minimum number of enrollees to proceed. Registrants will be informed one week before the class if it is postponed or canceled.

Who is this program for?

The French Wine Scholar Program covers French wine law, grape varieties, viticulture, winemaking and all of the French wine regions. This core body of knowledge is important whether you sell wine, buy wine or teach about wine.

The FWS program allows wine professionals to set themselves apart from their peers by specializing in the wines of France.

It is a great resource and supplement for students of wine moving toward advanced general wine study programs such as WSET Diploma, Master of Wine program, Court of Master Sommeliers’ Advanced Sommelier (and up) or Certified Wine Educator.

While not a pre-requisite, we recommend that students successfully complete at least the lower-level course from one of these organizations before entering the FWS program.

 

Stay tuned for registration info and specific details for our next French Wine Scholar session. 

​Locations: Paso Robles: Broken Earth Winery

                    Asheville: Asheville School of Wine (Metro Wines)

Instructed by: Melanie Webber

Tuition: $950 - $1,100

Information and registration: Please email us to be alerted when registration opens.

Schedule of classes: 

ASHEVILLE, North Carolina:

Classes coming in 2023.

​PASO ROBLES, California:

Classes coming Spring 2023.

 

More about the French Wine Scholar Program

Program Providers: The program is exclusively taught by authorized program providers and approved instructors who have passed the exam with honors or highest honors.

Certification Exam: The French Wine Scholar (FWS) credential will be conferred to those individuals who achieve a score of 75 or higher on a 100-question multiple-choice test. Candidates scoring 85-90 pass with “Honors”. Candidates scoring 91-100 pass with “Highest Honors”.

Online Study Program: To complement the manual and classroom experience, enrolled students will have a 1-year access to the FWS online study program. The online platform is composed of multimedia E-learning modules with full audio narration for each region, plus a comprehensive series of webinars on regional wine styles with suggested wine list, review quizzes for self-evaluation, instructor Q&A forum for personal assistance and downloadable maps. Study materials are available 24/7. If you’ve got a laptop and an internet connection, you’ve got a classroom!

Detailed Curriculum: The French Wine Scholar program presents each French wine region as an integrated whole by explaining the impact of history, the significance of geological events, the importance of topographical markers and the influence of climatic factors on the wine the glass. No topic is discussed in isolation in order to give students a working knowledge of the material at hand.

French Wine

FWS program is an in-depth, well-researched certification program that will benefit wine professionals that aspire to increase their professionalism and acquire a deeper understanding of the various French wine regions. You think you know most of the French wine regions? Think again. Take the challenge of the French Wine Scholar program and be a better-informed French wine lover!

LIM HWEE PENG

CSW
International Wine Specialist Singapore

bottom of page