.jpg)
GWS Silver Medallion (German Wine Society Web Site)
Many German Wine Society members have our bronze medallions with the ribbons in the colors of the German flag, which any member is entitled to obtain and is worn for festive Society events. But sometimes you can also see longtime members wearing gold or silver medallions on their ribbons as well. These medallion colors signify the three classes of German Wine Society membership, as described in our Articles of Incorporation.
The Gold Medallion is available only to graduates of the German Wine Academy, which required travel to Germany for courses that were once offered at the Academy in English.
But the Silver Medallion is not so difficult to obtain. Under the Articles of Incorporation, it is available to “persons who have considerable knowledge of German wines, based on study and/or professional exposure (but who are not graduates of the German Wine Academy).” Any Bronze Medallion holders “can progress to the class of Silver Medallion members upon proof of their advanced knowledge of German wines through tastings and/or other examination conducted by Gold Medallion members.” The German Wine Society still has a limited supply of Silver Medallions available, but our examination for those interested in qualifying for this medallion had been long out of date, with some versions even predating German reunification.
It is time to once again give our members an opportunity to demonstrate their German wine knowledge, and so National Board members Carl Willner and Christian Schiller have collaborated to bring the Silver Medallion examination fully up to date for German wine in the 21st Century, and it has been approved by National President Beth Sheligo, a Gold Medallion holder. The Silver Medallion examination is a written test, which must be taken under the in-person supervision of an officer of any GWS chapter or a National Board member without use of the Internet or other materials during the exam, and is then sent to be graded by those members of the National Board familiar with the exam’s answers. President Beth Sheligo will give final approval to all successful candidates, satisfying the requirement in the Articles for examination by Gold Medallion members. Those interested in taking the examination can request to do so through a chapter officer (or, for at-large members, directly to any National Board member). Examination forms will not be returned, but the taker of the examination will be advised of the score obtained, and if successful, presented with the Silver Medallion.
It is strongly recommended that members not attempt to take the examination “cold” as it is challenging. Rather, to prepare for the test, members should familiarize themselves with current information about the GWS, German wines, wine grapes and regions, and the current German wine law, making use of the National website, and the Wines of Germany and VDP websites as well (links to these are available on the National website), as well as other up-to-date sources on German wines and their own wine experience from attending numerous GWS events. Be cautious about using any older sources to prepare, as much has changed in the world of German wines with the new Wine Law of 2021. Those who are unsuccessful with the exam and want to try again must wait at least a year before doing so. We encourage experienced members to demonstrate their wine knowledge, and look forward to welcoming more Silver Medallion members to the German Wine Society!
Five German Wine Society Members Awarded Silver Medalliuons in Decmeber 2025 (German Wine Society Web Site)
See: Five German Wine Society Members Awarded Silver Medallions in December 2025
On December 12, 2025, at the annual Holiday Dinner of the Capital Chapter of the German Wine Society at the Cosmos Club in Washington, DC. The German Wine Society awarded Silver Medallions to five members of the Capital Chapter. These awards have not been made for many years, as the Silver Medallion examination had to be updated first to cover the many developments in German wines since it was first written decades ago. All awards of the Silver Medallion have been approved by National President Beth Sheligo, who holds the Gold Medallion, the highest level, based on study at the German Wine Institute.
Maria So, who served for several years as webmaster of the Capital Chapter, and Barbara Grofic both took the updated Silver Medallion examination, and were determined to have received satisfactory passing scores. Christian Schiller, Annette Schiller and Carl Willner were also awarded Silver Medallions without examination, based on having otherwise met the knowledge-based criteria for this award. Under the Articles of Incorporation of the GWS, the Silver Medallion is available to “persons who have considerable knowledge of German wines, based on study and/or professional exposure (but who are not graduates of the German Wine Academy).” Any Bronze Medallion holders “can progress to the class of Silver Medallion members upon proof of their advanced knowledge of German wines through tastings and/or other examination conducted by Gold Medallion members.” Christian Schiller, who is Capital Chapter Vice President and a member of the National Board, and Carl Willner, who is President and Secretary of the Capital Chapter and also National Vice President and Secretary, met these criteria through their collaboration to update the questions of the Silver Medallion examination as well as the National GWS website to reflect the new German wine law of 2021 and current conditions of wine production in Germany. Their work has made it possible for other GWS members once again to qualify for the Silver Medallion. Christian Schiller is also a prolific blogger on topics related to German wines. Annette Schiller also met these criteria through her numerous well-researched tasting presentations to the Capital Chapter on various subjects related to German wines, including the new German wine law, German monastery wines, Pinot wines in Germany, comparisons of German wines with ones from other countries such as France and Austria, and explorations of regions in the German-speaking wine world such as the Alto Adige in Italy. She regularly conducts wine tours to the various wine regions of Germany as well as some other European countries.
Presentations of the Silver Medallions were made by John Edmonds, himself a Silver Medallion holder and one of the longest-serving members of the Capital Chapter, with the authorization of the National President.
Earlier this year, the National President also approved the award of Gold Medallion status to Mike Wassenberg, a very experienced member of the Capital Chapter, who had undergone the required course of study at the German Wine Institute years ago when those courses were still offered, but had never claimed his medallion. He was encouraged to do so by seeing the posting on the National website about the return of the Silver Medallion exam, and satisfactorily demonstrated to members of the National Board that he had done the required work to qualify for an advanced medallion. He has been presented with a Silver Medallion pending a new supply of Gold Medallions being made.
The German Wine Society encourages all interested members holding the Bronze Medallion to consider taking the Silver Medallion examination and qualifying for this recognition of advanced German wine knowledge. The exam can be administered by any chapter officer, and must then be graded by members of the National Board familiar with the answers, final award of a Silver Medallion being subject to approval by the National President. It is highly recommended that members not attempt to take the test cold, but prepare for this challenging exam through reviewing relevant up-to-date materials on German wines, including the National website and the links to other sources on German wines found there.
The 2025 Holiday Dinner of the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter) took place at the prestigious Cosmos Club in Washington DC. The event was sold out.
We enjoyed a 3-course dinner with 8 German and 2 Finger Lakes wines.
Annette and I received the German Wine Society Silver Medallion for superior knowledge of German Wine and joint the exclusive group of I believe 10 German wine lovers in the USA who have received the Silver or Gold Medallion so far.
Jean P Froehly, Minister, Head of Economic and Financials Affairs, who attended with his wife Dr. Justina Budginaite-Froehly, represented the German Embassy in the USA and delivered remarks.
Overview: Germany Rhein-Mosel-Nahe 2024 by Ombiasy Public Relations and Wine Tours led by Annette Schiller - Facebook Day-by-day Postings
Summary: Loire 2024 - Châteaux and Wine - by ombiasy WineTours, led by Annette Schiller
Summary: Germany "From Berlin to Frankfurt" 2023 (Saale Unstrut, Sachsen, Franken, Württemberg) by ombiasy WineTours
Summary: From Lyon to Paris - Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours (July 02 - 13, 2023)
Summary: Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours - 12 Days: May 28 - June 08, 2023
Christian Schiller`s SCHILLER-WINE Blog on Corking Wines` Top 101 Wine Writers of 2020 List
The 2024 American Wine Society National Conference in Winston-Salem, North Carolina/ USA with Annette and Christian Schiller: Seen Through Christian Schiller's Camera Lens
2022 Annual Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in McLean, Virginia, USA
Massive Tasting of Bordeaux 1982 - the Vintage that made Robert Parker a Star, USA/ France
Kékfrankos - Blaufränkisch - Lemberger: A Grape’s Immigration Story From Central Europe To The US West Coast - Seminar at the 2023 American Wine Society National Conference in St. Louis/ Missouri/ USA led by Annette Schiller
schiller-wine Blog of Christian Schiller Top Washington DC Alcohol Blog (December, 2024)
2024 Annual Meeting of the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, a 45 Years Old Wine Brotherhood in the Famous Wine Village Hochheim, Rheingau, Germany, with Annette Schiller, Founding Member, and Christian Schiller
Masterclass - The Wines of Germany: Presentation by Annette Schiller at the German Embassy in Washington DC/ Consular Conference March 2024
The New German Wine Law of 2021 - Shifting from the Sugar Level at Harvest to the Wine's Geographic Origin
Dinner at JAN in Munich, Germany, with Jan Hartwig, one of the ten German 3-star Michelin Chefs (September 2024)
No comments:
Post a Comment