The Court of Master Sommeliers was established to encourage improved standards of
beverage knowledge and service in hotels and restaurants. Education was then, and
remains today, the Court's charter.
The first successful Master Sommelier examination was held in the United Kingdom
in 1969. By April 1977, the Court of Master Sommeliers was established as the
premier international examining body. It took the Court ten years to perfect its
qualifications, which are recognized internationally.
www.mastersommeliers.org
The Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW) exists to promote the highest level of
educational achievement for the wine industry, culminating in the internationally
recognized qualification of Master of Wine (MW). As a corporate entity it organizes
all aspects of the Master of Wine examination and education program, runs tastings
and other events program, provides membership services to the 264 MWs world-wide,
and information and access to specialist advice for the wine industry in general.
www.masters-of-wine.org
The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) was founded in 1969 to provide high
quality education and training in wines and spirits. Since then, WSET has
grown into the foremost international body in the field
of wines and spirits education, with a suite of sought-after qualifications.
www.wset.co.uk
Outstanding maps of wine regions are hard to find, but the best are available
from VinMaps.com. These are the maps we use at our office and for our tasting events.
Incredible detail and rich color make these better than all maps we've found.
www.vinmaps.com
Demeter is a leader of Biodynamic® certification and awareness, investing in and activating
self-sustaining resources that make an impact on farm communities and the consumers they serve.
www.demeter-usa.org
ECOCERT is a control and certification organisation, whose activities are governed
accordingly by the public authorities and legislation. ECOCERT is accredited for
structure and procedures by COFRAC (French committee for accreditation), in accordance
with guide standard ISO 65 (EN 45011), which requires independence, competence and
impartiality.
www.ecocert.com
The Syndicat international des vignerons en culture bio-dynamique is an association of French
biodynamic winemakers, most of whom are not Demeter members. Wines carrying their Biodyvin logo
must be made from biodynamic grapes and are certified by ECOCERT. The mark is also intended as a
guarantee of quality: all Biodyvin wines are tasted and approved by SIVCBD. Biodyvin wines will
have to conform to a set of rules on vinification once these have been finalized. They are
expected to be more lenient than those for vin Demeter.
www.biodyvin.com
LIVE is a non profit organization providing education and certification for vineyards
using international standards of sustainable viticulture practices in wine grape
production. These practices are based on a score system consisting of basic required
practices, prohibited practices and numerous ecological options.
www.liveinc.org
Slow Food is a non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that was
founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local
food traditions and people's dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes
from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.
www.slowfood.com
Salmon Safe certification is an Oregon-bases initiative to help keep dangerous chemicals
out of the water supply for migrating and spawning fish.
www.salmonsafe.org
In a more extreme interpretation of the Lunar effects it is thought that the 'life-forces'
which give the Earth its vitality are driven by a number of sources. As the Moon orbits it
collects energy from the sun, the planets and the stars which it transmits to the Earth. The
Biodynamic Calendar sets out how to use these rhythms so that cultivating crops can be
timed to best effect. There are 12 constellations and they influence the four elements on
different days - three constellations per element which correspond to the four phases of the
Moon and affect different parts of a plant.
www.astrologie-info.com/mocal.cgi
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