Italian Professional Syllabus Fall 2014

Course Description The Professional™ course, a certification program from Italian Wine Central™, is designed as a ten- week program, consisting of nine sessions followed by an exam. The first eight sessions are interactive presentations organized by wine style—very much the same way most people buy and sell Italian . The sessions will cover the following themes and will include wine tastings to illustrate the wines being discussed in that unit.

Course Schedule: Capital Wine School September 28, 2014—Unit 1: Introduction to and Italian Wines October 5, 2014—Unit 2: Northern Italian Reds October 12, 2014—Unit 3: Central Italian Reds October 19, 2014—Unit 4: Southern Italian Reds October 26, 2014—Unit 5: Whites of the Coasts and Islands November 2, 2014—Unit 6: High Elevation and Inland White Wines November 9, 2014—Unit 7: Sparkling Wines, Dessert Wines, & Spirits November 16, 2014—Unit 8: Luxury Wines December 7, 2014: Presentation of Student Projects December 14, 2014: Italian Wine Professional Exam

Descriptions of Individual Sessions Unit 1: Introduction to Italy and Italian Wines A discussion and tasting of Italy’s position and importance in the global wine trade; a brief history of Italy as it relates to wine; the geography, topography, and climate of Italy; the 20 regions of Italy; and Italian wine law and labeling terms. Key wine styles underscoring the labeling laws and the diversity of Italian wine will be tasted. Unit 2: Northern Italian Reds A discussion and tasting of the major red-wine denominations of Piedmont, Lombardy, Trentino–Alto Adige, Veneto, and Friuli–Venezia Giulia: where they’re located, what varieties they’re made from, and their styles and importance, along with an introduction to typical foods of the North of Italy. This unit includes an array of the familiar and not so familiar: , Dolcetto, Nebbiolo, , Lagrein, Refosco, Cabernet, and the Valpolicella . Unit 3: Central Italian Reds A discussion and tasting of the major red-wine denominations of Abruzzo, Emilia Romagna, Marche, Tuscany, and Umbria: locations, grape varieties, and styles, along with an introduction to typical foods of the central regions. comes in many guises and will be joined by the likes of , Sagrantino, and Lambrusco. As in each session, pronunciation will be emphasized as a key to confidence and respect when talking about Italian wines. Unit 4: Southern Italian Reds A discussion and tasting of the major red-wine denominations of Campania, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily, and Sardinia: locations, grape varieties, and styles, along with an introduction to typical foods of the South of Italy. Discovery of new wines and pronunciation practice continues from A to Z with Aglianico, Cannonau, Frappato, Gaglioppo, Negroamaro, Nerello Mascalese, Nero d’Avola, Piedirosso, Primitivo, and Zibibbo.

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Unit 5: White Wines of the Coasts and Islands A discussion and tasting of the major white-wine denominations of the coastal areas of mainland Italy and its islands: locations, grape varieties, and styles, along with an introduction to the bounty of seafood that features prominently in the cuisine of these areas. This unit includes refreshing whites as well as some beautifully textured wines from Coda di Volpe and Greco, Falanghina and Fiano, Pecorino and Passerina, Vermentino and Verdicchio, and more. Unit 6: High Elevation and Inland White Wines A discussion and tasting of the major white-wine denominations of the northern regions, the Apennines, and the southern volcanoes: locations, grape varieties, and styles, along with an introduction to some of the heartier dishes that pair well with these rich, fuller-bodied dry whites. An exploration of wines from farther inland reveals profound wines from Pinot Grigio and Bianco, and Grillo, Arneis and . Unit 7: Sparkling Wines, Dessert Wines, and Spirits A discussion and tasting of the major Italian denominations that produce sparkling wines and sweet wines: where they’re located, grape varieties, production methods, and their styles and importance, along with an introduction to the wide array of Italian desserts and after-dinner drinks. This unit raises a classic Italian brindisi (toast) to diversity: Franciacorta, Prosecco, Moscato, Brachetto, Recioto, Vin Santo, and last but never least, grappa. Unit 8: Luxury Wines This class returns to primarily red wines and focuses more deeply on the most famous wines, including Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello di Montalcino, Super Tuscans, Amarone, and more: why they are special and terms that may appear on labels such as subzones of production and style variations. The class finishes with a brief discussion of two Italian staples—cheese and coffee—followed by a pre-exam Q&A period. Unit 9: Student Project Presentations The ninth session is built around student-led presentations, intended to exercise the students’ research and speaking skills, to enrich the course with new insights, and to let students have some fun and show off their talents and interests. The standard class project will be a 5- to 7-minute presentation to the class about a wine style, wine region, or other topic that furthers the course’s goals. Presentations may incorporate video, multimedia, role-play, or other methods. Unit 10: Certification Exam During the final session, the IWP examination be given. The written test is primarily multiple choice, along with true/false, matching, short-answer, and map identification questions and is worth 100 points. The passing score to achieve the credential is 80 points (90 for honors and for instructors). Class presentation projects are worth a maximum of 5 points, and these points will be added directly to students’ grades. Example: test score = 78, class presentation = 4, total score 82 points, which is a passing grade.

Certification All students who achieve a combined passing score of 80 or higher on the exam and the class project and agree to the terms of accreditation will be designated an Italian Wine Professional and will be able to use the postnominal IWP. A list of active IWP individuals will be maintained on the Italian Wine Central website. Under the terms of accreditation, certificate holders will retain the right to use the IWP title and postnominal indefinitely, provided they (1) maintain membership in the Italian Wine Central Community to stay current and receive updates and (2) complete at least one continuing education seminar approved by Italian Wine Central every five years.

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