Maybe you’ve spent years memorizing regions, grapes and vintages just because you love it. Or maybe you pour wine for a living and want the credentials to prove what you already know. Either way, New York just opened a door that could get you there for free.
Vinitaly International Academy is bringing its Italian Wine Ambassador Certification Course back to Banville Wine Merchants in New York City this October, right alongside the bigger trade event Vinitaly.USA. The program starts with online study, then moves into two full days of guided tastings and deep dives into Italy’s native grapes, regions and wine culture, led by wine expert Sarah Heller MW. Pass the final exam, and you walk away with a real title: Italian Wine Ambassador.
More than 525 people have already earned that certification, and this year two respected wine organizations are stepping in to make the course easier to reach.
2 New York Dames get a free path in
Les Dames d’Escoffier New York is covering the cost for two of its own members this year, but the window is tight.
- Covers the full VIA New York 2026 registration fee.
- Open only to Les Dames d’Escoffier New York members.
- Applications close Thursday, July 30.
- Winners to be announced in August.
1 Master of Wine student gets a head start
The Institute of Masters of Wine is renewing its own scholarship, aimed at a student already deep into the notoriously difficult Master of Wine track.
- Awarded to one MW student enrolling in VIA New York 2026.
- The application window remains open through Aug. 31.
- Winner to be announced in September.
Once the course wraps, VIA New York rolls straight into Vinitaly.USA, two more days of tastings, masterclasses and networking at Pier 36. Full applications for VIA New York 2026 are open through Sept. 14, but the free rides go fast. Move quickly if you want Italy to pick up the tab.
Mandy is a luxury travel, fine dining and bucket-list-adventure journalist with expert insight from 47 countries. She uncovers unforgettable experiences around the world and brings them to life through immersive storytelling that blends indulgence, culture and discovery, and shares them with a global audience as co-founder of Food Drink Life. Her articles appear on MSN and through the Associated Press wire in major U.S. outlets, including NBC, the Daily News, Boston Herald, the Chicago Sun-Times and many more.