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XChateau Wine Podcast

Bringing More People Into Wine w/ Jacki Strum, Wine Enthusiast Media

Ep. 178
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With ~2M monthly sessions on their newly unified commerce and media website, Wine Enthusiast continues to be a beacon for the wine industry. Jacki Strum, President of Wine Enthusiast Media, details their new wine review platform and global wine travel directory, democratizing access to wine and wine experiences globally. These initiatives help bring more people into the world of wine, including the younger generations, a critical part of building a vibrant wine industry.  


Detailed Show Notes: 

Covid altered the business model, led to re-structured organization and unified media and commerce divisions on wineenthusiast.com

2022 - WE paused reviews for emerging wine regions to recalibrate systems

Existing tasting process

  • 1 of 2 publications that review every wine blind (high cost), taste in flights w/in region and price brackets
  • Need to store, archive, organize wines, set up tastings (in paper bags with numbers), and hire reviewers
  • 50% of reviews are done at HQ (imported wines), and West Coast wines are done locally
  • The manual process of filling out a pdf and putting that into the box with wines, manually inputted into J Guide (legacy system, 20 years old), then stored and organized for tasting

New tasting platform (Sept 2024) - anyone can submit a wine for review and all will be reviewed

  • New digital platform - bar code scanners, printed tabs, can track shipments and deliveries, a more fluid database
  • Reduces large volume of questions from people submitting wine (can track digitally)
  • It has the same # of reviewers, but a more flexible infrastructure can allow for more wines to be tasted
  • $65/SKU processing fee - all reviewers charge in some way (e.g., require subscription, membership, or advertisement)
  • 6-month processing time (same as before) - hope to reduce this over time, based on the schedule of reviewers
  • Printed reviews selected by the tasting dept, all scores published online for free

Tasting platform benefits for new and small wineries 

  • Opens up reviews to all regions across the globe
  • The US market is still heavily score-driven for distribution (some major retailers, e.g., Costco, Kroger, Albertsons, require scores from major publications)
  • Helps with tasting room and local distribution sales

Media trends

  • Print is still doing well (e.g., books outsold movie tickets last year), and magazine subscriptions are increasing (free tote bags help)
  • Advertising up slightly 
  • Digital media is growing, with a targeted advertising focus
  • Events - biggest growth area - launched Sip of South America, Sip of Italy, and biggest event is Wine Star Awards (25th Anniversary in SF this year)
  • TikTok now allows alcohol advertising, getting Gen Z engaged with wine knowledge

New travel division for WE

  • Tasting room directory, partnered w/ Tock - 1st agnostic travel global wine travel guide
  • Leverages Tock’s wineries as launching list (~1,200 wineries, CA focused), building out globally with WE relationships (~100 wineries reached out in 1st month to be included)
  • The 2nd most trafficked page on the site

WE revenue mix

  • Covid - led to explosive commerce growth
  • Today - back to 2019 levels, ~80% commerce / ~20% media

Getting Gen Z engaged with wine

  • Print enables content absorption without ad bombardment (e.g., book reading bars in NYC)
  • Need to change content for each channel to target audience (e.g., Google as people’s “secret diary,” article on how to hold a wine glass became a top 5 article)
  • Influencers, infographics, video - bring in new consumers (e.g., wine & potato chip parking article led to major influencer doing every pairing on TikTok)


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  • 182. Creating Memories through Experiences w/ Kim Busch & Kylie Enholm, Folded Hills

    39:51||Ep. 182
    With 600 acres, a polo field, a lake dock, and even a zebra and camel onsite, the Folded Hills Winery and Farmstead in Santa Barbara is able to create unique and memorable experiences. Kim Busch, Founder and Co-Owner, and Kylie Enholm, Director of Operations, discuss how they bring this vision to life through the platform of Rhone varietal wines. From hiring for the “hospitality gene” to having a full-time events manager, Folded Hills is creating memories they hope to get people to tell their friends and add to their wine club program. Detailed Show NotesFolded Hills founding - intended to grow and sell grapes, vineyard manager convinced the Busch’s to start a label, Folded Hills ties into family historyHeritage labels - e.g., Lilly Rose after Lilly Anheuser (grandmother)Photo labels (reserves) - mostly from photos the Busch’s took themselvesFolded Hills overview600 total acres for Homestead, Farmstead, private ranchSouthernmost winery in Central Coast, right off 101The urban tasting room in Montecito, Homestead (winery tasting room), and Farmstead at the wineryRhone varietals (Grenache, Syrah, Clairette Blanche, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc)~5k cases/year98% DTC, would like to increase wholesale to 10% for more exposureHas its own polo fieldVisitation~8-10k visitors/year total~2.5k in Montecito (more club members, a “Cheers” vibe), rest at HomesteadMainly from Santa Barbara, Ventura, San DiegoCreating memories through events differentiates Folded HillsSparkling rose launch party in Montecito - brought in a mini horse with a unicorn hornLaunch vinyl nights (Thurs, Sun) in MontecitoDoes 1 large event/month at estate Homestead - e.g., polo games, tailgate contestOktoberfest - beer & wineAnimal feeding (including zebra, camel)Prices events to primarily cover expenses (range from $15 - 195 winemaker dinners)The focus is on creating memories vs selling wine to create word-of-mouth buzzAndy’s dad said “making friends is our business.” - he created beer and baseball while owning the St Louis CardinalsHospitality differentiation through events and experiencesHas a full-time events managerEnabled by lots of land (600-acre ranch), private lake dock, ATV group tours in the vineyard, animals to feedHomestead appeals to families (w/ Farmstead - U-pick fields, animal feeding)Hires people w/ the “hospitality gene”Wine club benefitsWine is the biggest draw (“purity” of wines believes does not lead to “stuffy nose” or “headaches”)Word of mouth around Folded Hills taking care of club members (access to private lake, private ranch)~10% of club members are local (live w/in 1 hour), next largest group from St Louis (does ~2 events/year, launched brand in St Louis)Get 15% off organic produce at FarmsteadPlan to relaunch farmstays on a adjacent private ranchFarmstead - “heart of soul” of brandBest sellers - animal feed, ice cream, baked goods~30% of visitors go to both Homestead and Farmstead, increasing as tasting room visitors now given free bag of animal feedSanta Barbara wine region differentiation - diversity, 75 varieties grown; unique climate (transverse mountain range)

  • 181. Creating the Wine Experience w/ NA Wines w/ Duncan Shouler, Giesen 0%

    48:40||Ep. 181
    With the health and wellness and moderation trends booming, the non-alcoholic wine market has been growing quickly off a small base. Launched in 2019, the Giesen 0% range has solidified its position as one of the leaders in the NA wine market. Duncan Shouler, Director of Innovation, explains how the 0% range was developed, the critical elements of non-alcoholic wine, the current market conditions, and what it will take for the non-alcoholic wine market to succeed.Detailed Show Notes: Duncan’s background - was in marine biology and shifted to wine ~20 years agoGiesen - family owned, 40 years old, large winery (crushes ~20k tons/year), a broad range of wines from large scale to single vineyardStarted non-alcoholic (“NA”) range 5 years ago (2019)~17% of production today, growingHas a more significant reach and impact on the market vs. regular winesThe creation of the NA range came from a fitness challenge in 2019, when he could not drink alcohol for 1 month and discovered there were no good choices in the NA space. Spinning cone technology (good for quality as it uses lower temps than other processes) also became available in NZ at that timeNA winemaking process - create regular wine, then remove alcohol; for red wine, you need to balance the tannins (need ripe, soft tannins)More expensive to make - costs 15-20% moreNeed to replace ~25% of volumeNeed to go through spinning cone technologyLower cost from no alcohol excise taxesNA taste - loses some of alcohol’s texture, body, heatNA wines age similarly to regular wine (except in cans)NA wine markets - still in growth mode, needs higher quality wines to succeedThe US is ahead of most markets, and the UK is slower with more traditional drinkersMainland Europe is booming, and NZ is behindMost off-premise, some growing pains (e.g., Boisson closed its stores), mostly bought where people buy alcoholOn-premise still embracing category (Giesen launching super premium range to target on-premise)Most large players (e.g., Constellation, Treasury) are looking at NA wineNA wine drinkers - originally abstainers driving growth, now people substituting wine driving growth from moderation trend; broad market from boomers to legal age Gen Z; 35-60 females largest cohortPrice points aligned with regular wine ($9 low end, up to $18/bottle, some products ~$55/bottle)Removed alcohol of high quality can be used for other things (e.g., gin, biofuel)NA wines can have up to 0.5% abv, Giesen wines 0.4-0.5% abvYou need to consume 5 bottles of NA wine to get 1 glass of 13.5% ABV wine.45% abv similar to ripe bananas, some fruit juices, breadNA wine should still be kept away from children as it is still a wine experienceMarketing NA winesLow calorie is significant; Giesen is low in sugar (drives calories), which plays into the health and wellness trendMost effective - social media and influencers - play well with Millennial and older Gen Z’s, essential NA wine growth categoryOlder consumers know Giesen from regular wineNutritional and ingredient labeling - mandatory for regular wine in the EU; NA is a food product and requires itGiesen back labels specific for each wine, the main driver of differences are in sugar contentNutritional data has some positive elements (e.g., potassium)Large serving size (12 ounces, ~½ bottle) driven by US FDA, looking to change back to a 5-ounce glass

  • 180. Always have distribution w/ Cheryl Durzy, LibDib

    50:00||Ep. 180
    Having struggled to manage and maintain distribution for her family winery, Cheryl Durzy, CEO of LibDib, decided to start her own distributor. In comes LibDib, a tech-enabled distributor that lets any alcohol producer have distribution in most of the key US markets. Cheryl provides background on the US 3-tier system, the role of a distributor, and how LibDib is helping producers get distribution, enable wine sales, and become a tech platform for other distributors. Detailed Show Notes: US 3-Tier SystemPut in after prohibition to keep one tier from owning alcohol distributionTiers - producer, distributor, retailerUS distribution heavily consolidated into 3 large ones, lots of smaller specialty distributors vs. many distributors in the 70s/80sDistributor functionHelps consolidate suppliers for trade accounts; accounts don’t have resources to manage each supplier separately (e.g., invoices, checks)Pay taxes, do complianceLogistics (heavy, fragile product)Customer service (mistakes, breakage, returns, samples)Sometimes act as a winery’s salesforceGetting a distributor2024 - distributors are shedding brands vs. taking on new onesTypically - look for fit w/in a distributor’s portfolio, pick someone with a good reputationDistributors will ask - what will be your investment in the market? How often will you be here? Do you have feet on the street?LibDib - enables wineries to sell themselves, a tech-enabled distributorStarted as a wholesaler in 2017 (CA, NY), enables distributor for any producerThe platform enables rich content and e-commerceHas license in 9 states, enabled through RNDC in 6 states (e.g., Texas)~1,500 suppliers w/ active accounts, ~700 wineries w/ ~450 actively sellingOriginally focused on spirits, wineries have increased by ~50% in the last few yearsUses FedEx to send wine, integrated API to track status, negotiated good rates <50% of DTC rates; have cold chain, ice pack options for hot temperaturesNew markets launching late 2024 / early 2025LibDib use casesGet wine to specific accounts in a marketEnable wine brokers in other statesImporters sell directly to accountsShip special projects from large wineries that distributors don’t want to touchPros/cons of LibDibPro - always have distribution, good communications/customer service, good technology experience for producers and trade accountsCons - no salesforce, need to be a little tech-savvyBusiness modelMarkup of 14-18% on sales (vs. 30-35% for most distributors) + producer pays for shippingSubscription service (Gold, Silver, Plus) - get lower markups and services (e.g., portfolio management, VIP chain assistance, advertising on platform)~250 subscriptions (of 1,500), mainly on Gold for chain servicesRNDC partnership - OnDemand divisionOnboard w/ both RNDC and LibDib, no sales support28% markup, inclusive of shipping6 states, ~400 suppliersMost people want to get regular distribution, which can act as a trial for RNDCTrade account benefits~30k accounts (~50% active), not including RNDC statesNo minimum shipmentsEnables direct contact w/ wineriesAccess to smaller items not available elsewhereLibTech (launched Jan 2024 in TN)RNDC invested in the last round, and LibDib built e-RNDCSelling e-commerce platform as SaaS to other distributorsLibDib is developing AI tools for suppliers, early 2025 launch

  • 179. Building brand ambassadors through hospitality w/ Meaghan Frank, Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery

    46:26||Ep. 179
    As the pioneer of Vitis Vinifera in the Eastern US, Dr. Konstantin Frank is one of the key leaders of the Fingers Lakes region in New York. Meaghan Frank, a fourth-generation vintner, has been leading the charge to evolve its hospitality program to create brand ambassadors for the winery and the region. Its 1886 Wine Experience has won Best Wine Tour by USA Today in the last two years. Meaghan breaks down their hospitality program and its impact on their business. Detailed Show Notes: Finger Lakes region, NY - 150 wineries (of 400 in NY), NW NY State - 5 hrs from NYCSkinny, deep lakes that moderate weatherGlaciers left diverse soilsTourism-driven, seasonal visitors (spring to fall) for lakes, hiking, close to Niagara Falls, Corning Museum of GlassDr. Konstantin Frank - PhD in Viticulture from Odesa, Ukraine; a grape scientist; fled to NY during WWII35 years of cold climate grape growing experience when moved to NY1st to plant vinifera in Eastern USPlanted experiment station in the 1950s - 68 varieties, including Furmit, Pedro Ximenez, and Touriga Nacional) to research what would work bestDr. K Frank Winery17 vinifera varieties → 40 wines60% wholesale, 40% DTC40 states, 9 export markets (5%, incl Japan, Aruba (lots of NY visitors), UK)DTC 60% e-commerce (driven by wine club), 40% hospitalityHospitality programThe goal is to create brand ambassadors and loyalty, get the word out about the Finger LakesInspired by Australian hospitality programs - private, educational~40k visitors/year (#1 PA - 1 hour away, NJ, OH, NY core markets) - all seated, paidPre-pandemic - ~80k visitors/year for free bar tastingsMoved to an experience-driven program with wine educators, take advantage of lake viewThree experiences: Eugenia’s Garden - modeled after great grandmother’s garden, most casual, can do a la carte glasses/bottles/flights; enables people to enjoy the day; targets a younger demographicSignature Seated ($15pp) - most popular, educational, 1 hr, 6 wines, 5 different themes that are part of the winery’s story (e.g., traditional sparkling, Riesling pioneer, groundbreaking grapes, red wines)The 1886 Wine Experience ($75pp) - only May-Oct, 2-2.5 hrs, led by wine educator, a tour of the vineyard, sparkling and still wine cellars, seated tasting of 4 wines with bites, followed by additional tastings; won best wine tour by USA Today last 2 years; lots of 1st-time visitors book 1886 due to unique natureLessons learned - used to do 6 wine flight w/ bites, which was too many; did themed months (e.g., sparkling) - did not work with mostly touristsDifferentiators - spend lots of time, has a separate private space for 1886Wine club evolutionUsed to have people pay upfront for the year - bigger barrier to signing up, always feel like “playing catchup” to ensure value delivered, concentrated work during shipment periodsMoved to more subscription model - quarterly, 3 wines w/ default package, fully customizable, no upfront fee, 20% discount on wines, and get free tastings (no limit)8% club conversion - the only way to get free tastings now, used to waive w/ 4 bottle purchaseLocals small portion of the club - pickup option only 10%, PA #1Avg tenure 1.5 years, seeing it extend with the new club modelPopular winesHospitality - Rkatsiteli #1, traditional method sparklingWholesale - #1 & #2 - dry & semi-dry RieslingRiesling 60% of production, traditional method growingIncreasing issues around climate change - 2023 had the largest spring frost in history, increasing water issues

  • 177. Opening Minds with Wine & Yoga, Morgan Perry, Vino Vinyasa

    34:40||Ep. 177
    During a career sabbatical from wine PR at a yoga teacher retreat, Morgan Perry tried combining wine education and yoga with great success. Her classmates practically forced her to found Vino Vinyasa, which has blossomed into six cities. With a focus on creating great experiences rather than selling wine, Morgan has created a platform where people learn about wine and end up seeking out the wines featured in classes. Detailed Show Notes: Morgan’s background - wine PR, been in wine for ~15 years, became a yoga teacher in 2017Wine & Yoga synergiesBoth are about mindfulness - yoga and the wine tasting processNot for hard-core wellness or yoga peopleVino Vinyasa For the yoga teacher exam, the teacher encouraged something different, tried yoga & wine, and got a fantastic reception6 cities - NYC (2017), Austin (2018), Nashville, Chicago, LA, HoustonVino Vinyasa programming45 min Vinyasa yoga (all levels), followed by wine tasting of 2 winesTaste wine after yoga - people are relaxed and have “yoga brain” in a quiet, focused environment → people may be better tastersEmbed wine facts during yogaA comparative tasting of 2 wines, usually themed (e.g., Rose, Sauvignon Blanc)All instructors have a wine background (min WSET 1)2-3 classes/month, 20-25 people/class for intimacy (capped at 30)~30 classes/themes developed to dateVery intentional class structure, certain poses not suitable for teachingBusiness modelThe core business is to get people to do more classes and events, not be overly salesy with wineDo private events (90% are bachelorette parties)Sell swag (t-shirts), co-branded bottlesLook to be good value (avg class price $30) vs. regular yoga classes (avg ~$20-25, range from $10-35 for drop in class)Students often seek out wines after classesWine selection for classesVenue dependant, venues carry liquor licensesCity Winery (NYC) - chooses the wines based on their selectionOther venues - can get wines donated for classesPrivate events - Customers can select wines/themesHave worked with PR clients for winesSome wineries sponsored virtual classes during CovidMarketingPR background has helped and got early press (e.g., digital Good Morning America), mostly wine marketEmail newsletterIG is the best channel, does some boosting, and is focused on growth during Covid (~11k followers)Digital marketing has focused on both wellness and wine people~15-20% of people have attended multiple classesPrivate eventsBachelorette parties, birthdays, corporate events (e.g., Binny’s in Chicago)The focus area for growthSame format as classesWellness & wine marketOther wine + yoga classes are not educational; some are tied to multi-level marketing wine programs that have long sales pitchesSees more yoga at wineriesThey have been approached by a couple of spas for partnerships, but the economics were not favorable yet (i.e., yoga teachers often are not paid well, ~$30/class)

  • 176. Evolution, not Revolution w/ Giampiero Bertolini, Biondi Santi

    29:30||Ep. 176
    Taking over an iconic estate can be both exciting and terrifying. When EPI purchased the iconic Brunello di Montalcino producer Biondi Santi in 2017, they asked Giampiero Bertolini to take over as CEO. Giampiero was excited to join the “Champions League” of wine but also had to convince the local community that this outside investment would be good. He delves into how Biondi Santi has been pushing toward creating more value for the brand while maintaining its core essence.  Detailed Show Notes: Biondi Santi’s historyFamily invented Brunello di MontalcinoFounded in 1888 - Ferruccio Biondi Santi had a vision of quality wine with longevity during a time when people focused on quantity with wine as part of the dietBottled in Bordeaux-shaped glass (a sign of quality) vs. standard Tuscan fiascoTancredi Biondi Santi - one of the top consulting winemakers of the time, was asked to write appellation rules in 1967Franco Biondi Santi (“the doctor”) - selected the BBS11 clone in the ‘70s and organized a 100-year vertical tasting (1888-1988) in 1994 with important wine writers that boosted the image of Brunello. One writer gave the 1891 vintage 100 pointsLa Storica (wine library) - has all vintages since 1888, releases one old Riserva with a current Riserva each yearPath to Iconic StatusThe vision of the family - be good winemakers, high-qualityIn the global market regularly → elevated the Biondi Santi to a different levelThe wine offered to Queen Elizabeth II in 1967 was a favorite of Frank Sinatra’sEPI acquired Biondi Santi in 2017 and installed Giampiero as CEO; the community was skeptical of French owners for an iconic estate had to convince neighbors by being transparent about what they were doing at the estateBefore the takeover, prior 20 years, the business was not run wellRebuilt global distribution, did not have US distributionRe-connected with trade, critics, and consumers/collectorsWhat they kept the sameReinforced market positionStyle of the winesWhat they changedNew vineyard philosophy (regenerative), replanted vineyards to improve quality, conducted soil studiesIncreased communications and more selective to the right people and thproperht channelsManaged pricing to reposition the brand to increase demandKeeping the brand freshwant s to be closer to the trade and consumer, spend more time in the marketStorytelling of what is happening at the estate, not just the history, but today’s actions that protect the futureLa Voce di Biondi Santi - started 3 years ago, selects one word each year that is part of their philosophy (this year is “respect”); creates novel/audiobook based on a keyword (e.g., Joanne Harris, author of Chocolat) and podcasts with winemaker and Giampiero around the keywordThe most effective initiative so far - repositioning the brand by increasing price → gave higher credibility and put the brand up another step, old vintages increasing in price on the secondary market, high demand on Liv-ex (one of few growing while price increasing), one of the top 35 wines in the world on Liv-exGrowth for Biondi Santi = value growth; volume is complex to growValue-driven by increasing distribution globally to rarify the brand further, not just taking price, but increasing value, which is a consequence of many conditions, and not rushing value creation in the marketBiondi Santi is now in 2.0 after 1st five years, and the next step is to increase the quality of its presence in the world and be closer to partners and consumers

  • 175. Wine Business, The Italian Way w/ Stevie Kim, Vinitaly

    41:42||Ep. 175
    In part 2 with Stevie Kim, Managing Director of Vinitaly, she explains how parent company Veronafiere invested in the various Vinitaly products and allowed her to experiment.  Stevie also dives into her prolific content strategy, including the Italian Wine Podcast, which has over 2M downloads to date and where she sees value in marketing.  Detailed Show Notes: Italian Wine PodcastInitially created to develop content for VIA candidatesSomething different every day - up to 9 episodes published / weekExample shows: Ambassador’s Corner - Italian Wine Ambassadors go deep with their favorite Italian producer; US Market Focus - different perspectives on the US wine marketNow ~2,000 episodes, they had to switch podcast distributors to Megaphone (Spotify) as most only host up to 500 episodesAudience - early on, was ~80% US & English speaking countries (the podcast is in English), and VIA students~6M total downloads with a broader audience than Vinitaly attendeesFunding the Vinitaly complexSignificant investment by Veronafiere, which is majority-owned by the city of VeronaItalian Trade Agency subsidizes some events - e.g., pays for transport for judges for 5 Star WinesSome ticket sales and sponsorship revenuePodcasts funded by Stevie personallyVeronafiere saw value in investing in Vinitaly productsWanted to become more internationalAllowed Stevie to experiment with new products and invest in themStevie’s team has a large staff of content producers (video, social media)Document everything they doCreate tons of content, of which only ~50% is usedStevie believes in being prolific - promotes discoveryMarketing productsNever advertise on LinkedIn - it is too expensiveInstagram - sometimes does advertising, conversion doesn’t happen on IG, try to drive to the website to convert, more for attention vs. conversionFacebook - most wine producers on FB, more effective and efficient, can get ~$100k subscription revenue from ~$5k ad spendLess concerned with “vanity” metrics like views and engagement, more interested in conversionsLooking forward - wants to bring more people to Italy and Vinitaly - it is the best way to convert people to Italian wine

  • 174. The Vinitaly Marathon w/ Stevie Kim, Vinitaly

    45:12||Ep. 174
    As the world's most prominent Italian wine fair, Vinitaly attracts ~4,000 producers and turns the entire city of Verona into Vinitaly. As Managing Director of Vinitaly, Stevie Kim has built a vast, international community around Vinitaly and its many other products surrounding it, becoming a "Vinitaly Marathon." Stevie goes into depth about why each product was started and how it plugs into the entire Vinitaly ecosystem in part 1 of this 2-part series. Detailed Show Notes: Stevie's background: born in Korea, grew up in New York, married an Italian, and moved to Italy; Veronafiere recruited her to lead VinitalyThe Vinitaly "Marathon" (2025 schedule)Vinitaly Int’l Academy ("VIA") - 5 days 5 Star Wines - 3 days (April 1-3)OperaWine - 1 day (April 5)Vinitaly - 4 days (April 6-9)Also, do events outside of Verona (New York, China, Hong Kong)Vinitaly - established in 1967 in VeronaIt started as ½ pavilion, now 14 pavilionsLargest Italian wine event, primarily B2BThe entire town of Verona becomes VinitalyVinitaly in the city events for consumers~4k wineries (~60% of export market), accessories, winemaking equipmentAbout building long-term relationships - "the Italian way" - not just about doing business vs. Prowein's more business-orientedOperaWinePartnered with Wine Spectator as the most influential entity for Italian wineThe winemaker or principal must pourBy invitation only, each producer chosen (130 producers) gets 10 invitesVIA1,300 candidates so far, 398 certified Italian Wine AmbassadorsUsed to do Vinitaly tours and masterclasses globally, now transformed to VIADeveloped based on Stevie's experience building a medial master's program that created a deep communityFaculty - Sarah Heller MW, Attilio Scienza - vine geneticistDifficult exam, deep and wide syllabus primarily based on grape varieties, uses Italian Wine Unplugged 2.0 as the textbookHas a course that includes 4 days of tasting ~300 wines before the examRequires a group video project to ensure ambassadors can speak about winesCreates a big community around candidates and ambassadors - more important than the material itself5 Star Wines (fka Vinitaly Int’l Competition)Gets international judges & VIA community opportunity to taste and rate Italian winesHelps producers - 90+ scores get a diploma during Vinitaly to display, which helps attendees navigate boothsDid a masterclass for producers w/ top scoring wines on why they scored highly, which helped them understand quality betterEvery tasting panel has an enologist, enabling the international community to connect with Italian winemakersWine2Wine business forum (Nov - after harvest, before Christmas)The goal is to help producers better prepare for VinitalyHistorically, they had 40-70 workshops on business topics2023 - did tastings where wine critics taught how they assess and rate wines2024 - getting an overhaul, no parallel session, 8 plenary sessions, 6 tastings, new structured networking - rooms led by specialists w/ 10-12 attendees