Emiliano STRATICO is now Valpolicella Educator

The WiSP team is proud to have a Valpolicella Educator among its contributors, but what exactly is it? A discussion with Emiliano Stratico, recently appointed to this prestigious title! Emiliano is Argentine, holding the WSET Diploma. Graduated from Sorbonne in Foreign Languages and a Master’s in pedagogy specialized in wine, he worked for 10 years for the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He is responsible for promoting Argentine wine and culture in Europe and Asia. Simultaneously, he works as a trainer in top hotel schools and participates in international forums dedicated to wine and gastronomy. In 2014, Emiliano moved to Monaco where he directed Les Grands Chais Monégasques, the main distributor of fine wines and premium spirits in the Principality. Emiliano now works as an independent consultant and trainer. He is accredited to teach WSET, French Wine Scholar™, and Spanish Wine Scholar™ courses. He is also a certified trainer for Cognac and Sherry. Pedagogy holds no secrets for him!

Emiliano, can you tell us more about yourself and your professional journey for those discovering you in this article?

I specialize in teaching modules concerning Italy in the WSET Diploma courses and Wine Scholar Guild’s Italy courses. Of Italian-Argentinian nationality, I have worked in service, sales, distribution, and now I work as a teacher.

You have just been appointed as a Valpolicella Educator, can you tell us what this means?

This is a very difficult certification to obtain. There is already a selection process based on applications from candidates worldwide. This year, 17 candidates were selected to undergo this training in Verona. Only 6 candidates managed to obtain certification following the exams. I am proud to be among them. This certification allows me to have a deeper knowledge of the wines from this region, and subsequently, I will be able to organize specialized training on Valpolicella wines.

What are the tests to become a Valpolicella Educator? How do they unfold?

Following the courses, we have to undergo 5 theoretical tests and a tasting test. The five theoretical tests cover these subjects: viticulture, winemaking, specificities of Valpolicella wines, laws and regulations, trade. You need to achieve 80% correct answers in all 5 subjects. Then, the tasting test involves blind tasting of 4 wines. You need to correctly identify at least 3 out of 4 wines (PDO, style, winemaking, etc.).