J-Term Seminar: Wine, Gastronomy & Sustainability of the Mediterranean

France • Spain • Italy

December 28, 2023 - January 14, 2024

The Wine, Gastronomy & Sustainability of the Mediterranean J-Term Seminar focuses on the appreciation of gastronomy and wine, while exploring regional and local delicacies. Students will learn to appreciate how these products are produced, understand how they impact the environment, and will begin to recognize how our consumption choices may be a potential solution or hazard to the global environmental crisis. In this multi-country traveling seminar, students will have the opportunity to taste French, Spanish, and Italian wines, speak directly with winemakers and industry experts, and visit cultural sites in France, Spain and Italy.

Please note: IAU reserves the right to cancel programs due to low enrollment. Itineraries are tentative and subject to change at the discretion of IAU. Students should consult with an IAU advisor prior to purchasing their flights.

Academics

Students can choose one of the following courses:

• Business/Wine Studies 306: The Global Wine Industry 
• Geography/Marketing/Wine Studies 303: Regional Wine Trade and Economics 
• Hospitality Management/Wine Studies 317: Wine and Food Pairing 
• Marketing/Wine Studies 312: Wine Marketing and Analysis 
• Environmental Studies 375: Environmental Security and Sustainability in the Mediterranean Basin 
• International Relations 375: Environmental Security and Sustainability in the Mediterranean Basin 
• Geography 375: Environmental Security and Sustainability in the Mediterranean Basin

View the syllabus here. All content and the itinerary is subject to change.

Itinerary

• France: Aix-en-Provence, Cassis
• Spain: Barcelona
• Italy: Florence

All details are tentative and subject to change. IAU reserves the right to alter the itinerary.

About the Professor

Professor Anthony Triolo also serves as the Coordinator of the Wine Studies Program at IAU. He received a Bachelor’s degree (Summa Cum Laude) in International Affairs from the American University of Paris, and later earned a Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies (Histoire Militaire, Sécurité et Défense) from IEP, Aix-en-Provence, France in conjunction with Universite Paul Valery III, Montpellier, France. Professor Triolo is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and has several years of hands-on experience managing sustainable and organic vineyards. His scholarly interests are centered around the relationships between international security and global environmental crisis with a particular focus on sustainable agriculture, which he sees as a possible panacea, playing a significant role in mitigating climate change, biodiversity loss, water scarcity and food insecurity.

2024 Program Fees: $6,230

Program fees include tuition for three credits, lodging, daily breakfast, some group lunches and/or dinners, intra-program transportation (by plane, train, or bus), entrances/fees for all scheduled cultural activities and academic visits, orientation, and health and repatriation insurance. Additional student costs include roundtrip airfare, most lunches/dinners, textbooks, and personal expenses.

Students who enroll in a January Term Seminar and the spring semester at one of IAU's campuses consecutively are eligible to receive a $2,000 grant credited to their spring semester invoice. In order to be eligible to receive the grant, students must participate in the Early Start Program during the week between the end of the January Term Seminar and the start of the spring semester. The Early Start Program allows students to move in with their hosts a week before the semester begins, receive language instruction, and participate in local cultural activities! Visit IAU's Scholarship website for additional details.