International Wine Center

International Wine Center
350 7th Ave.
New York, NY 10001

The International Wine Center (IWC) is literally the center of wine education in the United States, as it serves as the headquarters for the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, the largest international organization for wine and spirits education.

You might have heard IWC if you've read "Wine for Dummies"; Mary Ewing-Mulligan, president of the International Wine Center, wrote the book along with her husband. In the wine world, she is no trifle as she was the first woman in the US to earn the coveted Masters of Wine designation (equivalent in difficulty to a PhD in astrophysics).

The course is extremely expensive, but a requisite gateway for those who want to further advance in the wine trade, and others who are seriously committed to advancing their knowledge about wine. I have taken other courses throughout the years (Astor Center, Best Cellars, Columbia Business School, and even the "Everyday Guide to Wine" course through The Great Courses DVD), and IWC is, without question, the most comprehensive course on wine growing, wine producing, and wine tasting available in NYC.

The Advanced Course consists of 15 two-and-a-half hour classes that thoroughly covers the viticultural and vinicultural characteristics of principal wines around the world. The class consists of a one-and-a-half hour lecture followed by an hour of blind tastings of wine from that region and follow-up discussions. The lectures are informative and reinforce the required reading in the WSET textbook. The guided tastings are absolutely crucial in honing one palate to identify particular aromas and flavors across different varieties and styles of wine.

Linda Lawry, Director of the IWC, is the primary instructor for the Advanced Course. There is no doubt in my mind as to her qualifications as a wine instructor, as her lectures are engaging and her knowledge of even the most arcane details of wine production robust.

To the criticism that the course doesn't offer more expensive wines, I have had my fair share of classic and iconic wines, and from experience, expensive doesn't necessary mean good. Tasting expensive wine may give you bragging rights, but doesn't give you an understanding of what distinguishes good wine from great ones. The selections that that IWC has for each class are designed to allow you to compare and contrast different styles of wine, a necessary skill for wine discussion and enjoyment.

Through taking the course, I feel the veil of mystery behind wine has been lifted. I feel confident walking into any wine store, and to decode the hidden language embedded on most wine labels. I feel I can engage in a serious discussion with the sales rep at most high-end wine store. Most importantly, the IWC has opened a door to enjoying wine that will last the rest of my lifetime.