National wine educational centre

The Austrian Wine Academy was established in 1991 as a new, efficient training centre for wine lovers and connoisseurs alike. The Austrian Wine Academy as a non-profit institution, endorses the following philosophy: the more a country develops wine knowledge and culture, the more likely it is that this particular nation will expect and consume high quality wines. Thus, the seminar programmes have a broad range of aims:

• winemakers and sales people wishing to acquire further knowledge in sales and marketing as well as discover other wine growing areas of the world and new grape varieties
• restaurant owners and those in the off trade wishing to sell (more) successfully to their clients
• wine lovers in general, sharing an interest in wine and food and in the history, the varieties and the quality of Austrian wine
• national and international wine journalists and experts who have professional interest in improving their knowledge of Austrian wine
  
  

Offices in Rust and Krems

The Austrian Wine Academy is located in Rust, in the romantic setting of the old Seehof. A second office is based in the town of Krems in Lower Austria. Overall management responsibility is in the hands of Dr. Josef Schuller MW, Austria´s only Master of Wine (MW).

Seminars are held in all Austrian provinces, in more than 30 centres in co-operation with various competent partners including wine hotels, boutique wine shops and adult education centres. Over the last few years, the interest in Austrian wines has reached unprecedented heights: more than 20.000 students enroll in more than 1.000 lectures every year.

The "Weinakademiker" classes

Apart from tasting courses, wine and food sessions and other topics the Wine Academy offers a high quality international qualification on four different levels. Depending on the students previous level of knowledge, they may enrol in any one of the following classes:

1. the Basisseminar, providing basic knowledge on wine (in addition to short seminars and classes). Students have a choice of either evening classes or (more extensive) „wine-weekends“
2. the Aufbauseminar 1 – Weinland Österreich, the Austrian wine regions and viticulture, vinification, wine business and wine tasting.
3. the Aufbauseminar 2 –Wines and Spirits International is an in depth seminar on the leading wine regions and wines and spirits globally
4. and finally, the WSET Diploma Program, a high level qualification at a high academic level. The two year curriculum of the Diploma programme covers wine producing countries, wines, sparkling wines, fortified wines and spirits of the world. The qualification is offered in co-operation with the UK Wine and Spirit Education Trust in the German language.

Once they have successfully completed the curriculum and passed the exams, students are awarded the qualification „Weinakademiker“. Graduates may apply for enrolment in the Master of Wine course, the most reputable international qualification in the field of wine. There are currently 304 “Weinakademiker” from 13 different countries.

International Education

The Austrian Wine Academy has worked in partnership with the German centre of wine excellence, the FA/FH Geisenheim and offers since 2002 the Diploma course in the Rheingau. The Wine Academy will also be offering its courses in the Alto Adige at Kloster Neustift/Bressano as of November 2007. The WSET Diploma will be launched in Zürich, from May 2007 and the course days will be held in four different countries.

Read more: www.weinakademie.at!