There haven’t been many posts as of late. Upon my return from South Africa, the studying began again in earnest as I prepared to write (yet again) the exam for Italian Wine Expert.

After the heartbreaking result of 89 in San Francisco (you need a 90 to even GET to the oral (tasting) portion of the exam, I was once again diving into the books to get to that 90 mark that I just fell short of.  Just a short week ago, I attained that goal and achieved my “gold medal” – the gold pin awarded to those that pass with a 90 or more for the achievement of Italian Wine Expert (IWE).

This was my Journey:

• April 2016 – Verona, Italy – Italian Wine Ambassador
• April 2017- Verona, Italy – 81
• June 2017 – New York, USA – 84
• October 2017 – San Francisco, USA – 89
• April 2018 – Verona, Italy – 92, Italian Wine Expert

Two years ago, I certainly never thought I’d be where I am. I’ve worked hard, gained much more knowledge, made many new friends and acquaintances in the industry, and travelled to places I never, ever thought I would or could. I finished my diploma, did a harvest in South Africa, wine judging, doing more educational tastings and writing a few more articles.

So with that said, some may ask…”well, what’s next?”

Wine Judging – I hope to get more judging experience, both local, national and international. Whatever they throw my way, I hope I can be of service in choosing some beautiful wines. It may be exhausting on the nose and palate, but let’s be honest, it’s pretty fun!

Education – More wine tastings, and not just of Italy, but all regions of the world to help people understand wine better, and then make intelligent buying decisions. Also, I’m part of team that will be bringing a new Italian wine course into the various markets of the world, one geared more towards professionals in the industry, and the other towards consumers, perhaps in a modular format. I can’t wait to see where that takes us all. There’s some steps to be taken before that comes to reality, but Fall is the goal to roll this all out. Stay tuned. And the difference between and Ambassador and Expert? Well, we still need to figure that out too.

Travel– For me, it’s always a thrill to get on a plane and go someplace new. Whether that’s travel for the wine stuff, or personal, or with my family, I look forward to the next stamp in my passport. And the next harvest? Well, rumour has it, I may be in Australia next, but we’ll see what happens!

With all that said, I’m choosing to live in the moment for now…enjoy the spring weather that we are finally getting, dusting off the grill and making some great home-cooked meals, and reading some books, both wine related and non-wine related, and strictly for pleasure! Salute!