Winter of 2020 Richard Sagala is active coast to coast in Canada: UBC (University of British Columbia) and train students from Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia; and abroad: Bordeaux.
Richard collaborates as well with the Vinitaly International Academy in Verona, Italy, and France Kedge Business School, in Paris.
Richard Sagala is based in Montréal (Québec) here are some firsts and original contributions from Richard through the years:
1– Incorporation of l’École In Vino Veritas the First independent WSET approved bilingual (French-English) program provider in Québec and Canada (April 2012)
2– Spring of 2012 École In Vino Veritas became the first WSET approved program provider habilitated to teach the WSET Advanced Level 3 in Québec (May 2012)
President of the Accredited Sommeliers Association of Canada ( ASAC) from 2016 to 2019, Richard Sagala is the:
3– First Italian Wine Educator in Québec for the Vinitaly International Academy new Italian Wine Maestro program starting summer of 2019.
4–First Vinitaly Five Stars Wine competition judge from Québec (April 2016, April 2019).
5– Owner & founder of the First butler school in Quebec: AIMM/ IMBA, the International Montreal Butler Academy, l’Académie Internationale de Majordome de Montréal (May 2016).
6– First VIA (Vinitaly International Academy) Ambassador, lecturer and wine judge in Quebec and Eastern part of Canada (March 2015).
7– Creativity: École In Vino Veritas (ÉIVV) is a wine business school with a unique business model leveraging the power of technology for wine training coupled with unparalleled attention to each and every students , offering one-on-one wine SAT (WSET Systematic Approach to Tasting) sessions to help students build a sterling WSET wine tasting technique. This distinctive feature makes ÉIVV the only wine business school in the country operating in such manner and is a First in Canada. Richard Sagala, in other words, built ÉIVV school the way he would have liked to find a wine school when he started his Wine studies some twenty five years ago.
8– ÉIVV, First and only bilingual wine Business School in Canada operating coast to coast at Graduate level (involved in academic research).
9– June 15th 2019, video presentation of the Orford Music fine wines cellar, a First in Québec.
10– First Sommelier nominated by Orford Music with the task of creating and endowing an investment wine cellar for the Arts centre (November 2018).
11– First wine marketing researcher in Quebec published on the AAWE website, the American Association of Wine Economists (February 2013)+ (July 2016).
12– First French Wine Scholar certified wine tutor in Québec (Fall 2014).
13– First teacher of the WSET level 3 Advanced course in Quebec (February-March 2013).
14– First (& only) Wine & Lifestyle/ Art de Vivre combined Columnist in Québec (4 years for Parcours art magazine, June 2008- October 2012).
15– First teacher of the SAQ wine course “Les Terroirs d’Italie” (March 2012).
16– First WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust) Level 3 Certified Educator in Québec (February 2012).
17– First english wine appreciation teacher for SAQ « A world to discover » course (November 2011).
18– First (only) Bordeaux Wine MBA in Québec (October 2011); only two such diplomas (Wine MBA) in Canada.
19– Québec First certified Butler (The International Butler Academy, The Netherlands, November 2001. Diploma awarded with: Distinction.
20– First (& only) Canadian certified from the Rolls-Royce & Bentley Motor Cars School of Instruction (UK, September 2001).
Other Contributions:
– July & August 2019, Honouring Italian wines & Italian Music : Wine tastings/ Gastronomy by Richard Sagala, Italian Classical Music chosen by Wonny Song, Artisitic Director of Orford Music a first in Québec.
– July & August 2013, 2 special events: Vino e Musica blending: Wine/ Gastronomy/ Classical Music chosen by conductor Maestro Jean-François Rivest a first in Québec.
– April 2012, the first Richard Sagala In Vino Veritas wine club becomes operational.
– Richard Sagala was the first invited Canadian Argentine Tango dance teacher by the Beijing Tango Club and organised the first Wine and Tango special dance/tasting event for the Beijing Wine Club (Beijing, China, Summer of 2006).
Post scriptum:
And, while we are talking about firsts, perhaps it should be mentioned that Richard Sagala received a “Premier Prix” (First Prize) from the Quebec Conservatory of Music in…. well, a few decades ago 😉
Two pieces of music played by Richard can be heard: here and here
More details on certificates and diplomas following that link: Sommellerie/ Oenological background/ Diplomas
More in August 2018 article in Forbes magazine: link
