20th Anniversary Graduation Ceremony of Weinakademiker

When the first 14 Weinakademiker graduated on October 19th in 1994, this was a major step in the development of Weinakademie Österreich towards becoming the largest wine school on the continent.

The basis of this international qualification has been the cooperation with the British Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and the introduction of the WSET Diploma programme in the German language in Rust in 1992. The Weinakademie Österreich – a 50% subsidiary company of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board - continues to be the only centre worldwide where the diploma course can be taken in another language other than English. This USP has enabled the academy to develop the diploma programme throughout German-speaking Europe.

In 2001 the academy formed a partnership with Geisenheim University in Rheingau in order to offer the Weinakademiker qualification in Germany and a cooperation with Zürich University Campus Wädenswil in Switzerland followed in 2007. Since then, more than 200 WSET Diploma candidates have successfully graduated in Germany and Switzerland to become Weinakademiker. Other strategic partnerships include the long-term cooperation with the Borkollégium in Budapest and the Weinakademie Südtirol in northern Italy. Cooperation with Prague Wine Academy and the Danish Solera Wine and Spirit Institute followed in recent years.

This 20th anniversary graduation on November 15th, 2013 marked the next important development. Among the 20 new Weinakademiker were the first graduates of the “Central European WSET Diploma” English language course that began in 2011 at the Weinakademie Österreich at its headquarter in Rust, Burgenland. The English language programme has positioned the Weinakademie Österreich as a global institution for wine education. A growing number of students from all over Europe and other countries including Russia, China, Singapore and India reflect this development.

For more than ten years the Institute of Masters of Wine has also offered its European education programme at the Weinakademie Österreich campus. Next to Napa and Adelaide, Rust is the only place worldwide where the MW first year programme is held. Another aspect has helped the academy to develop its international reputation. Five Weinakademiker: Caro Maurer, Roman Horvath, Andreas Wickhoff, Frank Roeder and Pedro Ballesteros have achieved the Master of Wine qualification.

The 20th anniversary celebrations were opened with a tutored tasting for 250 guests at Esterházy Palace. The French star consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt and Frank Smulders MW took the audience on the wine tasting “In 18 wines around the world”, which was co-hosted by the academy. This event simultaneously symbolizes the global orientation and the efforts for achieving excellence, both of the Weinakademie Österreich and its graduates, the Weinakademiker.

One of the important supporters of the academy’s international development has been the Domaine Esterházy who has provided study bursaries for students, particularly those from Eastern Europe. The Austrian Wine Marketing Board, Wein Burgenland and other institutions such as the Institute of Masters of Wine offer attractive bursaries and prizes to both support students in their studies and honour outstanding achievements in the exams. The top-student award of 2013 went to Katja Kramer of Germany. She was invited by the Institute of Masters of Wine to attend a course day at the European MW programme in Rust.

Links

Course information - Diploma in Wines and Spirits

Club of the Weinakademiker