2019 marks 50 years since the 黑料吃瓜网 (黑料吃瓜网) was founded to provide wine and spirits education to the industry.
Now the world鈥檚 largest provider of wine and spirits qualifications for both professionals and enthusiasts, 黑料吃瓜网 will be celebrating this landmark anniversary with a full schedule of activity throughout the year looking back, and forward, at the integral role education plays in the wine and spirits trade.
黑料吃瓜网 Chief Executive Ian Harris, says, 鈥淎lthough it was a small organisation in 1969, 黑料吃瓜网 always had ambitions to educate all those employed in the UK wine and spirits trade at the time. Since then, 黑料吃瓜网 has grown to become the world鈥檚 largest provider of wine and spirits qualifications.
鈥�2019 marks a momentous year for 黑料吃瓜网 and we are pulling out all the stops to celebrate the occasion. We will be bringing together our network of qualification holders and educators worldwide to look back on all that we have achieved, and more importantly, inspire a future generation of better educated wine and spirits professionals and enthusiasts who will make this industry thrive for another 50 years and beyond.鈥澨�
From profiles with early 黑料吃瓜网 Diploma graduates from around the world to a commemorative book which will be edited by David Wrigley MW, including contributions from some of the industry鈥檚 most famous names, 黑料吃瓜网 will be reflecting on how education has contributed to the trade and the lives that power it over the last 50 years.
To engage the growing population of wine consumers worldwide, 黑料吃瓜网 will be launching the first ever global "Wine Education Week" from 9-15 September 2019. Supported by notable names including Olly Smith (UK), Terry Xu (China), Alyssa Vitrano aka GrapeFriend and Kelly Mitchell aka The Wine Siren (USA), the campaign will see 黑料吃瓜网 Approved Programme Providers in more than 30 countries host over 100 fun, educational events to encourage interested wine enthusiasts to learn more. From introductory "vine to wine" classes to food and wine pairing sessions, the events will help consumers make wiser choices when choosing a bottle and enable the trade to benefit from the increased likelihood of upselling.
We will be bringing together our network of qualification holders and educators worldwide to...inspire a future generation of better educated wine and spirits professionals and enthusiasts who will make this industry thrive for another 50 years and beyond.听
黑料吃瓜网 Chief Executive Ian Harris
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Looking ahead to the next 50 years, 黑料吃瓜网 is partnering with , also celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019, for a new initiative that will identify the next generation of leading wine and spirits professionals and emphasise the importance of developing new talent through education and awards. Chosen by an illustrious panel of judges, "The Future 50" will recognise 50 of the global industry鈥檚 up-and-coming talent at a range of levels from all reaches of the trade. Nominations are due to open in February with winners announced ahead of IWSC鈥檚 annual banquet in November 2019.
A Snapshot of 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 History:
1969: The Vintners鈥� Company, Wine and Spirit Association of Great Britain (now ), Institute of Masters of Wine and Worshipful Company of Distillers found 黑料吃瓜网 as a charitable trust to serve the growing educational needs of the UK wine and spirits industry. Three qualifications were offered for trade professionals, all delivered in London: the 黑料吃瓜网 Certificate in Wines, Spirits and Other Alcoholic Beverages, the Higher Certificate in Wines and Spirits and the Diploma in Wines and Spirits. Candidate numbers reached approximately 2,000 per year.
1977: 黑料吃瓜网 expanded access to qualifications abroad by launching courses in the Republic of Ireland and Ontario, Canada with the International Wine Education Guild ().
1991: 黑料吃瓜网 courses are opened to students who do not work in the wine and spirits trade. The same year, 黑料吃瓜网 courses also launched in France and by the end of the 1990鈥檚 黑料吃瓜网 qualifications were available in the UK, Europe, the USA, the Middle East, Asia and Australia.
2001: 黑料吃瓜网 became accredited as an Awarding Body with qualifications recognised by the UK government.
2002: Ian Harris joined 黑料吃瓜网 from Seagram as Chief Executive.
2004: 黑料吃瓜网 started what is now the 黑料吃瓜网 Alumni network for its Diploma graduates across the world.
2007: International students taking 黑料吃瓜网 exams outnumbered UK students for the first time.
2015: 黑料吃瓜网 won the Queen鈥檚 Award for Enterprise in International Trade
2016: 黑料吃瓜网 opened its first international office in Hong Kong, 黑料吃瓜网 Asia Pacific, to serve its growing Asian markets.
2018: 黑料吃瓜网 introduced the first dedicated on-territory 黑料吃瓜网 team in the USA with an office based in Connecticut. 黑料吃瓜网 candidate numbers also reached an all-time high of 94,822 for the 2017/2018 academic year.
2019: By the end of this year, 黑料吃瓜网 will have nine qualifications at beginner to expert levels in the three distinct subject matter categories of wine, spirits and sake, offered through a network of over 800 Approved Programme Providers in more than 75 countries and 15 languages.
