Marblehead Resident Earns Elite Honor in World of Spirits

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Marblehead resident Geoffrey Kleinman, editor of the popular online spirits and alcohol magazine DrinkSpirits.com, was awarded the honor of Cognac Educator with Gold Distinction by the BNIC (Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac) in Cognac, France.

With this distinction, Geoffrey became one of only 73 professionals worldwide to achieve certification as a Cognac Educator, and among an elite few to get Gold Distinction. The 2015 Cognac Educator’s program represents the fifth time the BNIC has held this educational summit, a program that was started in 2010, and now boasts representatives in 14 different countries.

For the 2015 Cognac Educator’s program, twelve candidates were selected by a panel of Cognac producers from applicants around the world. These twelve finalists, only two of which came from the United States, traveled to the Cognac region of France for a four-day intensive hands-on training workshop.

Over the course of the four-day intensive, prospective Cognac Educators learned about all aspects of the Cognac production process, including Viticulture and Winemaking, Distillation, Maturation, and Aging. The culmination of the program is an extensive exam that tests the knowledge and understanding of Cognac, including a formal presentation during which the candidate must teach a panel of Cognac experts one core aspect of the spirit.

Gold Distinction is given to candidates who achieve a ranking in the 90th percentile or better on the complete exam. Geoffrey Kleinman plans to use his certification to help teach New England consumers and trade about Cognac and help de-mystify what is often seen as a complex spirit.

Photo: Vincent Chappe (left) BNIC President awards Geoffrey Kleinman (right) Cognac Educator Certificate with Gold Distinction.