Vinitaly International Academy welcomes Guido Berlucchi & C. SpA once again as Educational Supporter for its 33rd Certification Course
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VERONA, Italy, Sept. 15, 2025 ~ The prestigious Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) is set to hold its 33rd edition of the Italian Wine Ambassador Certification Course in Chicago, USA on October 5-6, 2025. This highly anticipated event will bring together wine enthusiasts and professionals from around the world to learn about and taste some of Italy's finest wines.

VIA is proud to announce that Guido Berlucchi & C. SpA will once again be an Educational Supporter of the course, providing the Franco Ziliani Prize for Best Student. This prize, named after the co-founder of Berlucchi, will be awarded to the student who achieves the highest overall score on the final exam.

This year marks the second time that VIA will be held in Chicago, one of the largest cities in the United States. The two-day course will feature tastings, seminars on Italy's top wine regions, and a challenging final exam for candidates hoping to become certified Italian Wine Ambassadors.

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Berlucchi's commitment to supporting VIA is rooted in their history and passion for producing high-quality sparkling wines. Founded in 1961 by Guido Berlucchi and Franco Ziliani, the winery has gained international recognition for their Franciacorta classic method sparkling wines from eastern Lombardy. Today, Ziliani's children - Cristina, Arturo, and Paolo - continue their father's legacy as leaders of the winery.

Cristina Ziliani, CEO of Guido Berlucchi & C. SpA, expressed her excitement about being an Educational Supporter for VIA once again: "The bond between Berlucchi and Vinitaly International Academy is truly special...To celebrate this milestone, my brothers and I decided to pay homage to our father...Thus was born the Franco Ziliani Prize."

The Vinitaly International Academy certification course is considered the gold standard of Italian wine education. Organized by Veronafiere and Vinitaly, the course is carefully curated by VIA Faculty Sarah Heller MW and scientific advisor Professor Attilio Scienza. The focus of the course is on the native grapes of Italy and the unique characteristics of each of the country's 20 regions.

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Since its inception, VIA has welcomed over 1,500 participants from 52 countries, with 458 successfully passing the exam to become certified Italian Wine Ambassadors. Among these ambassadors, 22 hold the esteemed title of certified Italian Wine Expert.

Stevie Kim, Managing Partner of Vinitaly, highlighted the impact of VIA: "We give students the opportunity to join a profound academic and up to date conversation about Italian wines...VIA provides effective tools to communicate these wines and a solid foundation to promote them around the world."

In addition to gaining valuable knowledge and certification, students who take the VIA course also become part of a global community that allows them to continually expand their knowledge and connections in the wine industry. They are also invited to participate in various events throughout the year, such as 5StarWines – The Book, OperaWine, and wine2wine Vinitaly Business Forum.

This year's Forum will be held for the first time in Chicago alongside the VIA Course. With its commitment to promoting Italian wines and educating future ambassadors, VIA continues to make a significant impact on the global wine industry.
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