Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/780573
78 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 Now moving into its fourth year, the evolutionary hop this round however is more than slight. CAC has partnered with the Wine Scholar Guild (WSG), an organi - zation that provides study and certification programs specifically regarding the wines of France, Italy and Spain. Says Leicht, "We've always been thrilled to work with the Guild of Sommeliers and their educational focus, but the Wine Scholar Guild represents another layer of bandwidth and another group of people who are interested in wine. Perhaps many of them [WSG mem - bers] are trade, but it's also open to people who are not necessarily wine professionals, so we see this as a nice way to expand the offerings of CAC to a broader audience. We also love the fact that WSG's Italian Wine Scholar program is endorsed by the Italian Trade Commission. This, com - pounded with CAC focusing solely on Cru Artisan's Italian wines, is going to make the whole program very enticing. Italy can be a challenging place in the world of wine. It doesn't always come across as clearly to students, and we really want to give a leg up to the Italian wine scholars." CAC will also have access to the extensive depth of WSG educational resources, one of the very reasons for which the WSG is so widely praised. Says WSG Education Director Lisa Airey, "The Wine Scholar Guild is provid - ing the content for Cru Artisan College's Noelia Orts, Winemaker at Chile's Emiliana Organic Vineyards, offers her personal take on Biodynamics to students of Cru Artisan College in New York City. PHOTO: DOUG YOUNG PHOTO: RYAN STONE Talking Amarone and Brunello in Atlanta (left to right): Lars Leicht; Christian Scrinzi, Chief Winemaker, Bolla; Andrea Sartori, family proprietor, Sartori di Verona; Guest Headmaster Eric Crane, Director of Training & Business Development, Empire Distributors; and Gabrielle Pazzaglia, Castello Banfi Cellar Master. "Each one of the 20 regions of Italy has its own traditions, grapes and wine styles. This makes Italian wine study akin to tackling the wines of 20 different countries."