Hailing from Australia, Gill Gordon-Smith has been involved in educator training and mentoring programs for many years. With Diplomas in Training Design and Development as well as Vocational Education and Training, she is a WSET Certified Educator, she leads the Vinitaly Academy Educator program, and coordinates the TAFE SA Wine & Spirit School. Not only is she an excellent educator, but she is also a Vinitaly International Academy Italian Wine Expert (IWE) and a winemaker under her own label, “La Madrina”, in McLaren Vale. She has been named Best Wine Educator, Wine Communicator of the Year, and a Woman of Inspiration in her home country. She is a true believer in life-long learning and hard work, to have fun while being serious about focusing on what students need to pass their exam. Teaching WSET 3 in Verona allows her to combine her two great love: education and Italy.

Cynthia Chaplin is a VIA certified Italian Wine Ambassador, a professional sommelier with FIS and the WSA, a member of Le Donne del Vino, and a Professor of Italian wine and culture. Born in the USA, she’s lived in Europe since 1990. Italian wine, in particular rosé, is her passion. She works with embassies, corporations and private clients, creating and presenting tastings, events, seminars and in-depth courses. Cynthia is a wine writer, a judge at international wine and sake competitions, she consults with restaurants and enotecas developing comprehensive wine lists and food pairings, as she advises clients who want to curate an Italian wine collection. She is currently a Project Manager, Educator, and the host of VOICES Series on The Italian Wine Podcast, focusing on diversity and inclusion in the global wine industry.