Six Italian Wine Ambassadors appointed as Vinitaly International Academy concludes its Chicago edition during Vinitaly.USA

VERONA, Italy, Oct. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Vinitaly International Academy, the prestigious Italian wine education institute, held the 33^rd edition of its immersive Italian Wine Ambassador certification course from 5-6 October 2025 at Navy Pier in Chicago, certifying 6 Ambassadors.

The Course
Following the 32^nd Verona edition held in April 2025 in Verona, on 5-6 October, 20 candidates coming from ten different US states attended the Italian Wine Ambassador certification course at Navy Pier in Chicago, held within the Vinitaly.USA exhibition. Expertly curated by VIA Faculty Sarah Heller MW, the course involves one intense day of lectures and the tasting of 45 Italian wines in preparation for a challenging two and half hour exam scheduled on the second day of the course. Adolfo Rebughini, CEO of Veronafiere, welcomed the students during the first day and officiated the pinning ceremony as well.

Of all the students that successfully completed the exam, six of them were officially appointed Italian Wine Ambassadors, with one confirming the title.

The VIA Community
The Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) certification course is recognised as the gold standard of Italian wine education. The VIA community comprises over 1500 candidates, of whom 464 have now achieved the title of Italian Wine Ambassador and 22 of those are qualified as Italian Wine Experts. The VIA Community, composed of all students who have studied the program since its inception in 2017, welcomes wine professionals and wine enthusiasts from all over the world, forming a supportive and professional network that extends far beyond the limits of the classroom and includes lasting friendships, an open forum for sharing wine information, and career opportunities. Members continue to participate throughout the year in events such as field trips across Italy, gathering in Verona to judge at 5StarWines – the Book, attending OperaWine and wine2wine Vinitaly Business Forum, and continually increasing their knowledge and expanding their network across the wine sector.

The Italian Wine Ambassadors
The certified Italian Wine Ambassadors are:

• Tanya Zumach
• Logan Chambers
• Gregory Spalding
• Stephanie Schlis
• Luigi De Nuccio
• Eduardo Andrade
• Melissa Graeff IWA (confirming the title)

VIA Faculty Sarah Heller MW says: "VIA Chicago 2025 brought together an exceptional cohort of students, including several MW students, students of the Court and other top wine professionals,  whose level of insight and curiosity was inspiring. It's a testament to how widely the Vinitaly International Academy is now recognized as a definitive achievement in Italian wine education. Re-connecting with so many existing ambassadors at VIA Chicago who were proudly touting their professional achievements since passing the course was a wonderful bonus, and deeply gratifying."

A Special Acknowledgment

This year's Chicago edition was enriched by the involvement of Guido Berlucchi & C. SpA as an Educational Supporter. Romina Castelletti, Marketing Director at Berlucchi, presented a commemorative plaque and a magnum of Franciacorta Docg Riserva Extra Brut "Franco Ziliani" 2008, to Logan Chambers IWA, who earned recognition as the top-performing student in the course.

Upcoming VIA Italian Wine Ambassador Courses
The annual flagship course of Vinitaly International Academy will be held in Verona from 15-19 April 2026 in the days following Vinitaly International Wine and Spirits Exhibition and will involve the participation of 60 candidates. Satellite courses in other locations around the world will be announced later in the year through VIA social media and the VIA website.

About: Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) aims to be the gold standard of Italian wine education. It offers a complete educational path with standardized courses that will teach professionals and educators to master the diversity of Italian wine in a rigorous, organized manner. VIA's main objective is to foster a global network of highly qualified professionals such as Italian Wine Ambassadors and Italian Wine Experts: in turn, they will support and promote Italian wine throughout the world. VIA was founded by Stevie Kim, Managing Partner of Vinitaly. The new VIA ecosystem avails of the guidance of Italian trade associations Federdoc, Federvini, Vignaioli Indipendenti FIVI, and Unione Italiana Vini as members of the Institutional Advisory Board. Italian vine genetics scholar, Prof. Attilio Scienza, oversees VIA's scientific and educational direction as the Chief Scientist. VIA Faculty Sarah Heller MW teaches the flagship Italian Wine Ambassador course. To date, there are 464 Certified Italian Wine Ambassadors of which 22 are also Italian Wine Experts.

SOURCE Vinitaly International Academy