Education News

FWM initiates wine scholarship programme for professionals

Sanjeev Bhar - New Delhi

The wine distributing company Finewinesnmore (FWM) is now initiating a wine scholarship programme aimed at training professionals linked to wine selling or promotion about the quality of wines. Talking of this new initiative, Dharti Desai, partner - FWM said, "The scholarship programme that we have planned will be primarily for hotel professionals, bartenders, sommeliers, and other professionals interested to know about wines and related information. We will be targeting catering colleges, clubs and bartending schools as well, to provide an opportunity to them to know about wines."

The programme will be taking place in association with three international wine training schools in France, Australia and New Zealand whereby 10 people will be selected on a merit basis decided by a panel of industry experts. "Applications will be entertained from across the country and selected candidates will travel to three countries depending on the length of the programme - anywhere between three to six months. We are still negotiating with the schools abroad and the contracts are yet to be signed," Desai informed. The selection of the first batch will begin early 2008 and by mid year she expects to see the programme rolling.

"The course will be a complete wine education course from cultivation of grapes to bottling, fermentation, wine tasting and training, serving, food pairings with wines, etc. The premise of the whole exercise is providing an international standard platform for Indian people in order to assist the growth of wine culture in India with optimum knowledge and experience," Desai said.