In April, the first U.S.-based Champagne Specialist certification program launched in California with an intensive two-day workshop. The course, created by the Comité Champagne, focuses on understanding, recommending and serving Champagne. Program participants learn about Champagne pairing, Champagne terroir, Champenoise Method, optimal storage and serving of Champagne, how to interpret Champagne wine labels and how to assess and describe Champagne wines. Tastings include Champagnes produced by growers, houses and cooperatives to expose participants to a wide spectrum of styles. Students who complete the course and pass a final exam are certified by the Comité Champagne as Champagne Specialists. Comité Campagne and the Champagne Bureau USA will partner with wine schools and university programs across the nation to make the course more widely available to wine professionals, students and enthusiasts. The Comité Champagne is a founding member of the Wine Origins Alliance, a group of winemaking regions from around the world that work together to eliminate trade barriers on wine and promote the adoption of trade protections for wine regions.