Vinitaly International Academy is the provider of highly-specialized education and training about Italian wine to industry professionals worldwide, systematically conducting advanced courses that cater to those who have made wine their career. These professionals operate in various areas of the beverage sector around the globe (sales, imports, marketing, wine-making and enology, education, and the restaurant and hospitality businesses, among others) and carry enormous potential to spread awareness and educate consumers in their home markets about Italian wines.

The US is still the largest Italian wine importer in the world and Italian wine specialists are constantly in demand. Italian wine often enjoys notoriety because it is associated with the Made in Italy brand and the Italian lifestyle. Among wine professionals, it is at times perceived as complex, due to the number of indigenous grape varieties (over 590 officially recognized), the highest number of PDO and PGI wines in the world, and a great variety of terroirs.