Vinitaly International Academy Certifies 27 Italian Wine Ambassadors in New York
NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) is proud to announce the certification of 27 Italian Wine Ambassadors, including two who reconfirmed their certification, following the 36th edition of the VIA Italian Wine Ambassador certification program, held on October 25–26, 2026, at Banville Wine Merchants in New York. Organized in conjunction with Veronafiere and Vinitaly.USA, the New York edition, brought together 36 wine professionals and enthusiasts for two intensive days dedicated to Italian wine education, tasting and certification.
VIA in New York
The Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) Italian Wine Ambassador program returned to one of the world's most important wine markets. The two-day certification course ran alongside Vinitaly.USA and the wine2wine Vinitaly Business Forum, also taking in place in New York at the same time. Following the Toronto edition in June 2026, the course, led by VIA Faculty Sarah Heller MW, continued VIA's international commitment, connecting the Italian wine sector with professionals active in the North American wine industry and beyond.
Over the two-day program, candidates explored Italy's diverse wine landscape, from native grape varieties and regional identities to tasting methodology and the communication of Italian wine in international markets. Participants tasted 47 Italian wines across numerous guided tasting sessions held throughout the day.
The course culminated in the Italian Wine Ambassador exam, which included a blind tasting of two wines, short-answer questions and a comprehensive multiple-choice test. Following the exam, the newly appointed Italian Wine Ambassadors were officially welcomed into the VIA Community during the VIA NY Pinning Ceremony, presided over by Sarah Heller MW on Monday, October 26, at the wine2wine Brooklyn room, Pier 36, as part of the wine2wine Vinitaly Business Forum program.
Sarah Heller MW commented: "VIA New York this year brought together a very big, super impressive group of amazing wine professionals from all over North America and beyond. It was a really successful edition, and it was so heartening to see so many determined students come back for a second try and succeed. And it meant a lot to see the ambassador community come out in force to support and welcome the new batch."
The VIA Italian Wine Ambassadors
Vinitaly International Academy is pleased to announce the following Italian Wine Ambassadors (IWAs):
Lindsay Wicka
Surasak Thangwiriyachaikul
Gonzalo Moraga
Pietro Buttitta
Theresa Downs
Josefina Giuffrè
Timothy Hershberger
Alessandro Boga (reconfirmed Italian Wine Ambassador)
Gian Domenico Intermaggio
Hope Cohen
Tong Mu
Gregory Spalding (reconfirmed Italian Wine Ambassador)
Amy Duffin
Aimée Lasseigne New
Rohan Jolly
Jorge Mendoza
Nicholas Jurman
Adriana Zazueta Cousté
Allison Sheardy
Matthew Gaughan
Joseph Shaughnessy
Christian Perreault Hamel
Darcy Ryan
Julie Dalton
Keith Mattrick
Natalie Travis
Robert Genco
Special Awards:
- Best Blind Tasting Exam: Allison Sheardy
- Best Multiple Choice Exam: Pietro Buttitta
- Best Short Answer Exam: Keith Mattrick
- Best Video Project: Amy Duffin, Allison Sheardy and Natalie Travis
Keith Mattrick was named Best Student of the VIA New York 2026 edition.
Congratulations to all the candidates who successfully completed the VIA New York 2026 certification process.
The VIA Community - Building a Global Network
Participating in the VIA certification course opens the door to a global community of wine professionals, educators and enthusiasts. With members spanning more than 57 countries, VIA has become a dynamic international network where individuals can connect, share knowledge and continue developing their expertise in the wine industry.
To date, there are 550 certified Italian Wine Ambassadors, of whom 22 qualify as Italian Wine Experts. The VIA Community continues to grow, now counting more than 1,500 members, who can take part in initiatives such as academic field trips across Italy, judging at 5StarWines – the Book, participating in OperaWine and attending the wine2wine Vinitaly Business Forum.
Upcoming VIA Italian Wine Ambassador Courses
Following the New York edition, the next VIA Italian Wine Ambassador certification course will take place in Verona on April 14–18, 2027. The annual flagship course of Vinitaly International Academy, will continue VIA's mission to bring rigorous Italian wine education to wine professionals and enthusiasts from around the world and welcome them into the global VIA Community.
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 550 Certified Italian Wine Ambassadors of which 22 are also Italian Wine Experts.
SOURCE Vinitaly International Academy
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