Courses In Italian and International Wines
The Ian D’Agata Wine Academy in Montalcino’s exclusive wine courses offer progressive levels of wine learning (“Connoisseur”, “Advanced” and “Expert”), small class sizes (max 20) for personalized learning, and a stimulating, state of the art experience combining education, accommodation, and Tuscan and Italian culture.
Our mission is to provide high-quality wine courses that blend knowledge, hands-on experience, and the wine expertise of Ian D’Agata in the uniquely high-level location of Castiglion del Bosco in the heart of the Montalcino wine country. In so doing, we hope to enable our wine students to become a key references and leading opinion leaders and experts on Italian wine.
In 2025, two Ian D’Agata Wine Academy Connoisseur levels are scheduled for April 1-3 and November 17-20. Other courses are planned and will be scheduled accordingly.
DON’T MISS THIS!
COME JOIN OUR GROWING WINE COMMUNITY BY BEING AMONGST THE LUCKY STUDENTS ATTENDING OUR FIRST COURSE IN MONTALCINO BEING LAUNCHED NOW!
To sign up for the course and for any questions you may have, please contact Giulia Corino at: giulia.corino@iandagatawine.com
Or:
April 1-3, 2025
CONNOISSEUR LEVEL: ITALY’S MYRIAD NATIVE GRAPES AND THEIR WINES
PROGRAM OUTLINE
Dates: April 1-3, 2025 (just before Vinitaly)
Focus: An in-depth, very complete and detailed, introduction to the diversity of Italy’s native grapes and their wines.
This is an introductory course that is perfect for wine professionals seeking a strong foundation in Italian wine and a good understanding of native grapes and why they are special. The course is easygoing enough that wine enthusiasts with some wine knowledge will enjoy it as well. The course is divided in a series of modules devoted to classroom lectures, extended wine tastings, and winery visits.
Program Highlights:
Day 1: Italian native grapes and wine overview; understanding clones and biotypes; understanding terroir; wines of the North-West (Piedmont, Liguria, Valle d’Aosta, Lombardy), and North-East (Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Trentino-Alto Adige).
Day 2: Wines of Central Italy (Tuscany, ER, Umbria, Abruzzo, Marche, Lazio), Southern Italy (Sicily, Sardinia, Campania, Puglia, Basilicata), and a surprise module focusing on Italian grapes planted elsewhere in the world.
Day 3: Castiglion del Bosco Rosso and Brunello di Montalcino Masterclass with Ian D’Agata and Castiglion del Bosco winemaker, Cecilia Leoneschi, followed by a Winery Tour and Tasting at Castiglion del Bosco Winery and then another local winery.
All educational sessions and tastings take place at Castiglion del Bosco Wine Resort in the beautiful Members Wine Cellar.
Daily Schedule:
Participating students will lodge at the Hotel SI di Montalcino.
Morning: Breakfast is served at the SI di Montalcino. Organized transportation takes participants to the Member Cellar of Castiglion del Bosco, a highly exclusive venue that combines the charm of tradition with state-of-the-art facilities, providing an ideal setting for lectures and tastings.
Daytime: Educational sessions and wine tastings at Castiglion del Bosco. A curated light lunch is provided onsite, offering participants the chance to enjoy Tuscan flavors in a world-class environment.
Evening: Participants are transported back to the SI di Montalcino, where they enjoy free time to explore Montalcino’s culinary and cultural offerings. Optional dinners or activities can be arranged in town or with partner wineries and restaurants.
Day 1
09:30 AM – 11:00 AM: Introduction to Italian wine: grape varieties, appellations, clones/biotypes, terroir.
11:30 AM – 01:00 PM: The wines of northwest Italy (8 wines)
01:00 PM – 02:00 PM: Light lunch
02:00 PM – 03:30 PM: The wines of northeastern Italy (8 wines)
04.00PM: return to hotel and free time
Day 2
09:30 AM – 11:00 AM: Wines of Central Italy (8 wines)
11:30 AM – 01:00 PM: The wines of Southern Italy and Islands (8 wines)
01:00 PM – 02:00 PM: Light lunch
02:00 PM – 03:30 PM: Extra module: Italian grapes and wines elsewhere in the world
Short multiple choice question test and Certificate of participation.
04.00PM: return to hotel and free time
Day 3
Castiglion del Bosco Rosso and Brunello masterclass with Cecilia Leoneschi.
Visit to two local wineries, Castiglion del Bosco and another local one.
04.00PM: return to hotel and free time
Departure early the next morning
Fee:
Course Cost: 490 Euros/person
Signup deadline: March 10, 2025.
Accomodations at: Hotel Sì Montalcino (transfer to the classroom at Castiglion del Bosco included); cost 140 Euros/night (total for three nights: Euro 420)
To sign up for the course and for any questions you may have, please contact Giulia Corino at: giulia.corino@iandagatawine.com
The Ian D’Agata Wine Academy is a teaching institution based in Shanghai, China, that offers wine courses on Italian and International wines. It’s scientific focus is on the authentic characteristics of Italy’s native grape varieties and their wines, but broaches with its courses the varied biodiversity of wine-producing countries everywhere. The Ian D’Agata Wine Academy therefore holds courses not just on Italian wines, but also on international wines from other Old World countries such as France and Germany and New World countries like New Zeland, Australia, Canada, USA, Argentina and more.
The Ian D’Agata Wine Academy aims to provide not just a learning experience, but rather a means of connecting global wine enthusiasts and professionals to the heart of Italy’s winemaking identity. As one of Tuscany’s historic estates, Castiglion del Bosco offers an authentic setting where tradition meets innovation. The estate serves as a bridge between the timeless heritage of Italian wine and the modern passion for learning and exploration, making it an ideal partner for this initiative. In this light, we are extremely grateful to be allowed to use the Castiglion del Bosco Private Member Cellars tasting room as our classroom for the Ian D’Agata Wine Academy courses in Montalcino.
A truly unique teaching institution featuring classroom learning as well as teaching in the vineyards and wineries, the Ian D’Agata Wine Academy benefits from the presence of Ian D’Agata as classroom teacher and wine course creator. Recognized as the world’s most credible and important expert on Italy’s native grapes and their wines today, D’Agata is a multi-award-winning author who has been writing about the wines of Italy and the rest of the world for close to thirty years. With his Academy, Ian is keen to pass on his knowledge to young and not so young wine lovers who will be working in the field of wine in different capacities.
As such, and unlike other courses that feature so-called “ambassadors” and “experts”, the Ian D’Agata Wine Academy aims to create and nurture a community of truly knowledgeable wine students who will have no trouble emerging as Key Opinion Leaders and recognized world experts in their chosen field. In order to achieve this goal, and ensure that his students receive the best possible training, the Academy’s wines are chosen directly by Ian D’Agata. Though the Academy may collaborate with a few meritorious consortiums and winery associations from time to time, in general the Ian D’Agata Wine Academy does not rely on sponsored wines, money from consortiums and other institutions. Wines are chosen based on their merits and what they have scored in the past, for example in the Ian D’Agata Wine Review (www.iandagatawine.com), scores that are also available on Wine Searcher (three months after the date of publication in the Ian D’Agata Wine Review.
