The Wine&Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and the Austrian Wine Academy are happy to announce a new Diploma course in Central Europe. It will be offered by the Austrian Wine

Academy, conducted in the English language, and will commence in May 2011. It offers a unique opportunity to combine learning about international wines and spirits with practical first hand experience in viticulture and wine-making and all of this in the unique and picturesque environment of the Academy’s training centre in Rust in the Burgenland wine region. The Austrian Wine Academy – a not for profit organisation – was founded 20 years ago and is offering wine courses all over Austria. Since 1993, the Austrian Wine Academy has been a partner of WSET and has been offering Diploma courses in German language in Rust. The Academy also operates satellite Diploma course centres in Germany (Campus Geisenheim), Switzerland (Campus Wädenswil) and in Südtirol/Alto Adige, but to date the language medium has been only German. The very first Diploma course in the English language will commence in Rust on 11th May 2011. The WSET Diploma in Wines and Spirits is globally the most recognized professional qualification in

the international wine trade and also recommended by the Institute of Masters of Wine as a prerequisite to the MW study programme. The syllabus covers the wine countries of the world and the most important wines and spirits. This qualification is established in 17 countries – from London to New York, from Oslo to Tokyo.

Dr. Josef Schuller MW, managing director of Austrian Wine Academy comments: “This Central European Diploma programme is special in many respects. There will be a particular emphasis on the Central European wine regions through in depth lectures but also through visit programmes to different wine growing areas.”

In Austria workshops will focus on areas such as Wachau and Kamptal or Styria, but also on indigenous varieties such as Blaufränkisch and noble sweet wines in Burgenland. In the wine cellars of Palais Coburg in Vienna – probably the finest wine cellar in the world – students will be introduced by Masters of Wine to the finest rare auction wines from prestigious chateaux. Individual course days will also be held in Hungary and study trips will take international Diploma students to areas such as Tokaj, Eger or Sopron. All these visits are included in the course fee of €4900.-.Graduates of this Diploma course may also be awarded the prestigious title “Weinakademiker” on completion of a thesis and a viva-voce exam. Successful graduates are requested to sign a code of conduct and may join the international alumni association “Club of Weinakademiker”. This title is very well established in Germanic countries of Europe but more than 500 members come from 21 different countries.

Various bursary schemes will be available that support Diploma students in their studies for this Central European Diploma, such as scholarships from Austrian Wine Marketing Board, Wein Burgenland and other institutions. One of these bursaries is the Austrian Wine Academy Bursary which covers 50 % of the course fee. It will be awarded upon application to a candidate from Central Europe.

For more information please contact Mag. (FH) Irene Bachkönig (e-mail: Ez a cím védelemre kerül a spamrobotok ellen, engedélyezze a Javascript használatát, hogy megtekinthesse or +43 (0) 2685 6853-15) at Austrian Wine Academy. For more

information see also www.weinakademie.at/english.php