Known as the Armagnac Academies they will be led in the UK by Edward Bates, a freelance spirits writer, former spirits buyer at Berry Bros & Rudd, who runs The Spirits Authority consultancy.
The academy will entail one day of learning including lectures, tastings and a written exam. The first session will take place this autumn in London at Vinopolis in central London.
Candidates will pay £100 (excl VAT) per person for an in-depth insight into Armagnac, its three regions of production and the soil types in each. They will be made award of how it is made and from which grapes; how the wine is produced and then distilled; the different types of alambic stills used and the rules and regulations surrounding the age categories; the wood used for the barrels employed for ageing and the blends and the vintages.
Successful candidates will get with an official BNIA qualification certified by the bureau.
