ONAV'S TASTING CULTURE COMES TO UNIVERSITY

IULM University's Master's in Food and Wine Communication has welcomed a new partner: ONAV – National Organization of Wine Tasters, which joins the program for the first time, bringing with it over seventy years of experience in sensory training.

Starting in the 2025/2026 academic year, ONAV experts, tasters, and trainers will hold lessons within the Master's modules, offering students an approach that combines the scientific nature of sensory analysis, wine culture, and an in-depth exploration of Italian regions.

" By joining IULM, we are bringing the culture of tasting as a tool for understanding, communicating, and promoting Italian wine worldwide, " comments Vito Intini, president of ONAV . " Our mission is to train knowledgeable tasters, and today we are happy to also help create communicators capable of describing wine with skill and sensitivity ."

The value of the partnership is reiterated by Professor Vincenzo Russo, director of the Master in Food and Wine Communication at IULM : “ The collaboration with ONAV represents a strategic step for our educational path: students will have the opportunity to have direct experiences with professionals who have embodied the culture of tasting for decades, enriching their communication skills with solid technical and sensorial foundations .”

The intertwining of the world of tasting and education is a project to which ONAV has devoted particular attention, launching a broad program of activities in recent years. In addition to its cooperation with IULM within the Master's program, ONAV is also the promoter of SUMAV, the University School for Master Tasters, and a program of lessons on wine culture, offered to schools.

The synergy with the Master in Food and Wine Communication aims to provide students with advanced tools to understand wine and effectively communicate it. Graduates will be able to pursue marketing, communications, and event organization roles for companies, consortia, and international organizations.

Confirming the educational effectiveness of the Second Master's program are AlmaLaurea data (average 2014-2015/2023-2024), which report an 84.4% employment rate within six months of graduation and highlight that 43.8% find work in a company other than the one where they received their curricular internship.

The shared challenge between IULM and ONAV is to prepare the communicators of tomorrow by developing hybrid, knowledgeable, and international figures: professionals capable of communicating the value of Italian food and wine with passion, vision, and expertise.

Combining the science of tasting with the ability to tell the story of wine means highlighting and giving voice to Italy's food and wine heritage around the world, allowing it to gain the attention it deserves.