Classes Offered

Instructors




Mary Ewing-Mulligan, CWE, MW
President, Instructor

Mary is the first woman in America to become a Master of Wine, and is currently one of 27 MWs in the U. S. In addition to operating International Wine Center and teaching WSET Diploma-level classes there, she is a freelance wine writer, an author, a speaker and a wine judge. Mary is past president of the Institute of Masters of Wine (North America), and Executive Director of U.S. Programs for WSET. 

She co-authored (with her husband, Ed McCarthy) the book, Wine Style (www.winestylebook.com) and the groundbreaking Wine For Dummies, both published by Wiley & Sons. With more than one million copies sold, translations into 27 languages, and an audio tape, Wine For Dummies is the fastest-selling wine book ever in the U.S. The couple have also authored White Wine For Dummies, Red Wine For Dummies, Wine Buying Companion For Dummies, Italian Wine for Dummies and French Wine for Dummies. Both Wine For Dummies and Italian Wine For Dummies were nominated for James Beard Foundation book awards. 

Mary is a regular columnist for the online wine publication, Wine Review Online (www.winereviewonline.com), and also writes for other publications, including the trade magazine, Nation's Restaurant News. She was the wine columnist for The Daily News in New York City for ten years. She serves as Chief Judge for the Critics Challenge Wine Competition. 

Her accomplishments have been featured in numerous publications, including Food & Wine magazine, The New York Times, The Wine Spectator, Newsday, and Gourmet, and she has made dozens of television appearances. She also frequently judges at major national and international tasting competitions, and lectures to private groups. 



Linda Lawry, DWS, CWE
Director, Instructor

Linda Lawry is the Director of the International Wine Center in New York. She is the primary instructor for the Advanced Certificate, and a specialist lecturer for the Diploma. Her affiliation with the International Wine Center began in 1985.  

She is also an adjunct instructor at New York University; Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, where she teaches the Beverages Course and teaches wine courses at the New School University, both for the past 10 years. 

Linda was the Director of the New York Office of Wine Institute, the trade organization that represents the wines of California. She has lectured widely and has been a judge in many wine competitions. She is a trained chef, with a Certificate with Honors from the New York Restaurant School.  

Her other associations include membership on the Board of Directors of the Society of Wine Educators, a member of Les Dames d'Escoffier and Co-Chair of the program committee of the Culinary Historians of New York.

Linda holds the Wine and Spirit Education Trust Advanced Certificate with distinction, and earned the WSET diploma in 1997. She is a Certified Wine Educator and a Certified Specialist of Spirits of the Society of Wine Educators. 



Mollie Battenhouse, DWS
Instructor

Mollie began her culinary career in Atlanta, Georgia, at Indigo Restaurant and then moved to Partners Restaurants in the Virginia Highlands. She attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y, where she graduated at the top of her class. Her CIA apprenticeship was at the Palace Café, one of the Brennan Family restaurants in New Orleans. She then moved to New York City, and worked for Payard Bistro, owned by Daniel Boulud. 

In 1998 Mollie began her wine career at Best Cellars, an innovative wine retail store in New York City, where she became the Wine and Training Director. In 2006, she became Sommelier at Tribeca Grill. She has been studying wine intensively for the last several years, and currently is a candidate for the Master of Wine credential. In addition to teaching at International Wine Center, Mollie teaches wine classes at the 92nd Street Y and the Natural Gourmet Center, in NYC, and also teaches private cooking classes.  



Cathi Carroll, DWS
Instructor

Cathi Carroll, DWS, passed the Advanced Certificate exam with Distinction, and holds the WSET Diploma. She teaches the Intermediate Certificate Course in Connecticut at Norwalk Community College. For over ten years, she has also taught wine education seminars as part of the Extended Studies Program at NCC. 

Cathi retired after more than thirty years as an executive with IBM. Her vacations while at IBM took her to wine regions in the United States, Italy, France, Australia, New Zealand and Germany. She founded Wine Wanderings, Inc., a consulting company focusing on travel, and wine and food education, in Fairfield County, Connecticut and Westchester, New York. In addition, she is a freelance newspaper wine columnist. 

She is a member of the Society of Wine Educators (SWE). She has been a member of the American Institute of Wine and Food (AIWF), where she was a board member, International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP), American Wine Society (AWS), and the American Society of Enology and Viticulture (ASEV).  



Anne Cavaliere, DWS, CWE
Instructor

Anne Cavaliere is a Field Sales Manager for the fine wine division of Fedway Associates, a premiere wholesaler/distributor in New Jersey.  

With a BFA in music, Anne supported her career by working in restaurants and developed an interest in wine.; she has 10 years experience working in fine-dining in New York City. After completing the WSET Advanced Certificate with Distinction, she moved to the distribution side of wine as a fine wine consultant for Fedway Associates before being promoted to management.  

Anne completed her Diploma in 2007 and in the same year became a Certified Wine Educator through the Society of Wine Educators. She teaches the Intermediate Certificate for the International Wine Center. 



Tad Drouet DWS, CWE
Instructor

Tad Drouet is currently employed as a wine Sales Representative with Michael Skurnik wines, a highly-respected, quality wine importer and distributor in the New York and New Jersey area. He is an instructor and board member for the Sommelier Society of America, and has designed and taught classes in both commercial and private venues. 

Tad is a 1990 graduate of Williams College, with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology. He was bitten by the wine bug at age 21 during a trip to Europe, after tasting a great bottle of St.-Emilion in the town of Bordeaux on Christmas Eve. In 1998 he left a 7-year sales career in the pharmaceutical industry to pursue his passion for wine full-time. 

He holds the Wine & Spirit Education Trust Advanced Certificate with distinction and earned the WSET Diploma in 1999. Tad also holds the Sommelier Society of America (SSA) Certificate and is a Certified Wine Educator, of the Society of Wine Educators. 



Mary Gorman, DWS
Instructor

Mary Gorman is an instructor at Intermediate Certificate and Advanced Certificate levels and a guest intructor at Diploma level. Her specialty is Champagne and sparkling wine. Mary joined the staff of International Wine Center in January 2002, having moved with her husband to New York from Dublin, Ireland. Mary earned the WSET Intermediate Certificate and Advanced Certificate in Dublin, and she successfully completed the WSET Diploma in New York in June 2003. She is now a student in the Master of Wine program. 

Mary graduated from Dublin City University in 1986 with a BA(Hons) in Languages & International Marketing. In 1989 she graduated from University College Dublin (UCD) Graduate Business School in 1989 with an MBS(Hons) in International Marketing – and was awarded both the Dean’s List Award & the Sir Charles Harvey Award for academic excellence in post-graduate studies. Prior to joining International Wine Center, Mary held many senior marketing and business strategy positions in Dublin, Ireland and Paris, France and lectured in International Marketing Strategy at The UCD Graduate Business School. 

Mary’s passion for wine started many years ago when, as a student, she spent a year in Lyon, France and discovered the delights of Cristal Champagne. While living in Paris for six years Mary pursued her passion for wine and visited almost all of the French wine regions. She is now a Master of Wine candidate, and is the 2005 recipient of the Trinity Scholarship, an international scholarship for first-year MW candidates.  



Lisa Granik, DWS, MW
Instructor

Lisa Granik teaches the Intermediate Certificate level class and is also a lecturer at Dipoma level. She is a Fine Wine Manager for Charmer Industries. Previously, she was a consultant for a major New York wine distributor, House of Burgundy, and a regional representative of Premium Brands, an importer of boutique Italian wines. Her current area of specialization is the Loire Valley. 

Lisa was a law professor at Georgetown University, and a Fulbright Scholar at Moscow State University and the Institute of State and Law in Tbilisi, Georgia. She earned her law degree from Georgetown and a doctorate from Yale Law School. 

She holds the Wine and Spirit Education Trust Advanced Certificate with distinction and earned the WSET Diploma with Honors in 2001. In 2006, she became a Master of Wine.  



Tracy Ellen Kamens, DWS, CWE
Instructor

A wine enthusiast who loves entertaining a class as much as a good vintage, Dr. Tracy Ellen Kamens, Ed.D, DWS, has channeled her passions into a career as co-owner and Chief Education Officer of Grand Cru Classes wine school on Long Island. 

Along with the WSET Diploma in Wine & Spirits, Tracy holds the Certified Specialist of Wine and Certified Wine Educator credentials from Society of Wine Educators, the International Bordeaux Instructor title from L’Ecole du Vin de Bordeaux, and has attended the Napa Valley Vintners Wine Educators Academy and the Wine Australia USA AusWISE program. 

Tracy has written for Wine Enthusiast, Long Island Wine Press, Long Island Wine Gazette and Wine Sediments, and is the author of a monthly educational newsletter, Grand Cru Grapevine, and the Grape Matter blog. An adjunct faculty member at New York University, Tracy has a Doctorate in Education from University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. degree from Cornell University. 



May Matta-Aliah DWS, CWE
Instructor

May Matta-Aliah is an instructor for the WSET Intermediate Certificate class, as well as a specialist lecturer for the Advanced Certificate and Diploma classes. May has also taught classes for the Schiller International University in Switzerland, worked at NYC’s largest retail store, Astor Wines & Spirits, in addition, she has experienced firsthand the practical aspects of wine-making through time spent working the harvest at Lenz Winery, on the North Fork of Long Island. May also lectures on wine for private groups and organizations.  

In addition to her wine background, May is also a creative director with over 15 years of experience in the field of design and promotions. Since graduating from Pratt Institute with a degree in Communication Design, May has worked at a number of New York City’s top agencies handling such accounts as Moët & Chandon Champagne, Pommery Champagne, Yellow Tail Wine, Ocumare Rum, Foods & Wines from France for such companies such Schieffelin & Somerset, W.J. Deutsch and Sons and Sopexa. 

In February 2005, May created Red Dot Solutions, a full service boutique agency catering primarily to the wines, spirits and luxury goods markets. 

May holds the Wine and Spirit Education Trust Advanced Certificate with distinction and the WSET Diploma, which she earned in 2000. She also holds the American Sommelier Association (ASA) Certificate, and is a Certified Wine Educator from the Society of Wine Educators, for which she was also the Banfi Award Recipient for 2001.  



Steve Miller, DWS, CWE
Instructor

Steven Miller is the Director of Marketing for Lauber Imports, a highly respected New York and New Jersey fine wine wholesaler. He is also a restaurant wine consultant and wine writer. 

Steve has been involved with International Wine Center since 1990, including two years as the general manager. He lectures at the Advanced Certificate and Diploma levels on his specialties, wines of Germany, the Loire and the Rhône. He also teaches the Diploma Preparation class. 

As a consultant, Steve developed and managed award-winning wine lists for several restaurants in the NY area. He serves as wine editor and author for Food and Wine books, and is a regular contributor to the Wine Enthusiast. He also lectures widely to professional and consumer organizations, and has been a judge in many wine competitions. 

Steve holds the Wine and Spirit Education Trust Advanced Certificate with distinction and was the first person to earn the WSET Diploma through IWC, in 1996. He is a Certified Wine Educator, of the Society of Wine Educators. Prior to his involvement with wine, Steve was a principal in two successful New York City construction firms. 



Silvina Guinle Palacio, DWS
Instructor

Silvina Guinle Palacio teaches the WSET Spanish-language Intermediate Certificate class at International Wine Center. Previously a lawyer in Argentina, Silvina entered the wine trade after moving to the United States. Now with nine years experience in the wine industry, she is currently the Public Relations Coordinator for wine importer Frederick Wildman.  

Prior to joining Wildman, Silvina served as Marketing Associate for Wines from Spain and also worked as a freelance wine consultant. During this time, she collaborated on the second edition of "Wines From Spain Wine Guide 2007,” helped promote Loire Valley and Portuguese wines and taught classes on the wines of Spain, Chile and Argentina. 

Silvina earned her Diploma in Wines and Spirits in 2006 and her Advanced Certificate in 2002. She graduated from law school, the Universidad Nacional del Litoral in Santa Fe Argentina, in 1990. 



Candela Prol, DWS, CWE
Instructor

Candela Prol has been involved in all major aspects of the wine business - retail, wholesale and restaurants - with more than 15 years of experience. After graduating with honors from the Johnson & Wales Culinary School, she worked as a cook, then pastry chef, in Rhode Island. Later, in Key West, Florida, she joined the Pier House Hotel as a sommelier, and went on to become wine director at Louies' Backyard. 

She was a sales representative for Lenz, Palmer and Paumanok wineries, all highly regarded producers on the North Fork of Long Island. She has an ongoing affiliation with Astor Wines & Spirits, is a wine consultant and was a contributing editor for Food & Wine Magazine's Official Wine Guide. 

Candela holds the Wine and Spirit Education Trust Advanced Certificate with Distinction, and earned the Diploma in 1997. She teaches the WSET Intermediate Certificate level class, and guest lectures in her specialty, Sherry and the wines of Spain and Portugal, for Advanced Certificate and Diploma levels. She is a Certified Wine Educator, of the Society of Wine Educators. 



Scott Rosenbaum, DWS
Instructor

While an undergraduate at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at NYU, Scott “discovered” wine in Linda Lawry’s Beverages 101 class. Shortly thereafter, he worked a brief stint in retail at Sutton Wine Shop followed by Eli Zabar’s W.I.N.E.  

Scott earned his baccalaureate in 2005 with his thesis on the epistemology of wine. That same year he began working at the International Wine Center as Director of Operations, while pursuing his M.A. in Food Studies at NYU.  

In 2007, Scott took on the position of Wine Buyer for DrinkUpNY.com, while continuing his role at IWC. He completed his Master's degree as well as his WSET Diploma in 2009. Since then he has started teaching the Foundation and Intermediate Certificate courses. Scott currently resides in Jersey City with his books. 



Robert Scibelli, DWS
National Development Coordinator, Instructor

Robert is the National Development Coordinator of International Wine Center, overseeing the expansion of the WSET Programs in the United States. His affiliation with IWC began in 2001 as an Intermediate Certificate student. He currently holds the Advanced Certificate with Distinction and earned his Diploma in 2005.  

Before to joining IWC, Robert worked for nearly three years as the manager of Vino Italian Wine & Spirits, in New York, a wine retail store specializing in Italian wine. Robert is an expert in Italian wine and lectures on the topic at the Advanced Certificate and Diploma level. 

He graduated from Boston University in 1988 with a degree in finance and economics. Before steering his career into the vineyard, he worked in several aspects of the securities industry and earned his Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 1997. 



John Graham Tucker, DWS, CWE
Instructor

John Graham Tucker is founder and president of Norfleet Press Inc., New York, producers and publishers of fine illustrated books on architecture, photography, and wine. He was previously an editor with Interior Design magazine. 

His wine books include The Wines and Wineries of the Hudson River Valley, and Pauillac: The Wines and Estates of a Renowned Bordeaux Commune. These books have been awarded commendations from The New York Times and the Art Directors Club of New York, and the latter received an André Simon Award.  

In 1991, John co-founded a wine-appreciation group, The Kylix Society and served as its president for seven years. It later became the New York City chapter of the American Wine Society.  

John holds undergraduate and graduate degrees respectively from Washington & Lee University and the University of Chicago. He received the WSET Diploma in Wine & Spirits in 2005 and began teaching at the International Wine Center that year.