Three weeks in China to explore the soul of Chianti DOCG and intertwine it with local cuisines and cultures. This is the spirit of Chianti Academy 2025, the training program developed by the Chianti Wine Consortium. From August 22nd to September 20th, the program will visit four key cities in the Chinese market: Guangzhou (August 22nd-23rd), Shanghai (August 29th-30th), Chengdu (September 5th-6th), and Beijing (September 12th-13th).

“The Chinese market represents both a challenge and a great opportunity for us,” says Giovanni Busi , president of the Chianti Wine Consortium. “With the Chianti Academy, we want to go a step further than simple promotion: we train professionals who can become ambassadors for our wine and tell the story of Tuscany in an authentic way.”

The program combines lectures, guided tastings, and discussion opportunities: an immersive narrative of Chianti DOCG that unites wine and gastronomy. In each city, there will be prominent speakers from the Chinese wine scene: in Guangzhou, Jerry Chen , professor at the Asia Wine Service & Education Centre training school and holder of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) diploma; in Shanghai, Stephen Li , among the first Chinese to obtain the WSET diploma and active in professional training for over ten years; in Chengdu, Marshall Chen , manager of the largest wine training center in southwest China; and in Beijing, Jeff Gong , editor-in-chief of WineITA.com and certified sommelier of the Italian Sommelier Association (AIS).

The Chianti Academy is part of the Consortium's strategy to consolidate Chianti's presence on international markets: a project that annually engages high-profile buyers, journalists, trade professionals, and enthusiasts, fostering dialogue between Tuscan wine and the world's diverse gastronomic traditions.