At AWA, the lessons are provided by an enthusiastic group of teachers. All with a different background, but with a huge passion for wine as a common denominator. Meet our fantastic team here!
Wouter is the founder of Amsterdam Wine Academy. In 2020 he graduated as Weinakademiker (WA) at the Weinakademie Österreich. He also holds the WSET Diploma Course (Level 4), can call himself Italian Wine Scholar and he is currently studying for Master of Wine (MW) at the institute “Masters of Wine“. In addition to being a teacher at the wine school, Wouter is the owner of wine bar Paskamer, also in De Pijp. He likes to drink Chianti Classico and Champagne.
Joep’s love for wine started a few years ago with friends. He completed WSET Level 2 & 3 with distinction in 2022 and completed Diploma Course in august 2025. In addition to teaching, Joep is our Academy Manager at AWA and studies Commercial Economics at the HvA.
Favorite wines are Riesling, Nebbiolo and Sangiovese.
Hope discovered her passion for wine while traveling the world and continues to explore new wine regions whenever she can. She holds the WSET Diploma and divides her time between wine education and compliance consulting. While she has a soft spot for Spanish reds and whites from Margaret River, Hope’s heart (and glass) often returns to a classic California Cabernet Sauvignon when visiting family in the United States.
Emilie has been teaching wine since completing her WSET Diploma with Merit in 2018. After several years at Coravin, she took a detour from the industry to co-found a treasure-hunting company, though she never truly left wine behind. Today, she balances her entrepreneurial life with WSET courses and workshops, sharing what she knows with anyone eager to learn. While she’s always looking for great bottles from new places, there will always be a soft spot in her heart for aged Loire Chenin and Champagne.
Olle Swets is an entrepreneur and owner of ‘De Wijnwinkel’ in Amsterdam. An independent importer and distributor of pure wine and leading European winemakers. Olle completed his Diploma Course and Weinakademiker in 2008 and has been a regular WSET Tutor ever since, specializing in Burgundy and Italy.
In addition to his work with winegrowers, Olle and his wife Charlotte Marres have published two books in recent years, ‘De Wijnboer’ and ‘De Buitenkeuken’.
Linda lives and works in Amsterdam. Besides her work in wine bar Paskamer, she does voluntary work in a vineyard and writes about wine on grapefinds.nl. She has a preference for rare grape varieties and lesser-known wine regions. But Linda loves Riesling just as much. In 2019 she completed WSET Level 3 with ‘distinction’ and has been happy to share her knowledge about wine with her students ever since!
Since starting his first WSET course in 2018, he has only become more enthusiastic about everything related to wine. And there is always more to discover! He started the WSET Diploma (Level 4) course in 2021 and passed with merit in 2023. As well as working as a psychiatry resident, he enjoys sharing his passion for wine with friends and, of course, while teaching a course. He loves Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo wines, but you can always wake him up for a glass of Cabernet Franc from the Loire or Switzerland.
Bas is a wine writer and works for large retail organizations such as Gall & Gall, Jumbo and PLUS. He also works as a taster for the De Grote Hamersma team. In 2020 he wrote BURP the other wine book about the labels of wine. Bas initially followed the path of SDEN to vinoloog, but he is now also active with WSET. He loves to travel and has visited dozens of wine regions in twelve different wine countries. But according to him, the end is not yet in sight. He likes to drink champagne, riesling and pinot noir.
Marco was born and raised in Torino, the capital of Piemonte. With a degree in Political Science he landed in Amsterdam where, upon completion of a MSc in Political Communication, he worked at B Corporation as Director of Communications. Nevertheless, he couldn’t resist going back to his true passion for wine and decided to formally embark in wine studies. After a hands-on experience as vineyard and winery assistant at Betuws Wijndomein, Marco completed the WSET Diploma (L4) with merit. He is a WSG French Wine Scholar with highest honours, WSET certified educator and Cava D.O. educator and ambassador. His most recent qualification is the MSc in Wine Management from the OIV. Favourite grape variety? Grenache!
Dirk shares his passion for wine with great enthusiasm. He is currently completing the WSET Diploma (Level 4) and is a certified French, Italian and Spanish Wine Scholar. Since 2023, Dirk has also been the owner of De Larense Wijnkoperij in Laren, where many wines are imported directly and close relationships are maintained with producers. His personal preferences lean towards red wines from Piedmont and white wines from Burgundy.
At the age of ten, Dennis already made a school assignment about wine. The wine flame really took off on his first WSET course. He has now successfully completed Level 3 and French WIne Scholar and fills every possible moment in his life, and space at home, with wine and everything related to it. Dennis thinks the most beautiful thing is visiting winemakers and gaining stimulating wine experiences. Dennis also runs CREA, the cultural center of the UvA and HvA (including café), thus combining art, culture and wine. He is a cosmopolitan wine omnivore with a fascination for recent Dutch wine.
Aukje has worked in hospitality for as long as she can remember and lived among the vineyards in South Africa from 2011 to 2016. She works as a freelance sommelier, including at Café De Klepel, became a certified vinologist in 2020 and, fingers crossed, will complete her WSET Diploma (Level 4) in August 2025.
Her wine heart beats fastest for the Loire Valley, with chenin blanc as her absolute favourite. But she’s just as happy with pizza & Champagne, German riesling with sauerkraut, or a plate of pasta paired with Tuscan red. Most of all, she loves sharing her passion for wine with guests, students, and anyone eager to learn more.
Rosemarie, born in Amsterdam. Has been working in the hospitality industry for years, moved from the kitchen to the front and completed WSET Level 3 with distinction in 2022 and the French Wine Scholar programme in september 2024. She currently works as a freelance sommelier at Café de Klepel, Café Parlotte and Kaagman & Kortekaas, among others. She is also responsible for the wine menu at Café de Tros. She also works 3 days a week at Bolomey wine import. A company that matches her love for wine where natural wine and the classic style intersect.
Goos discovered his love for wine during his work in the Utrecht and Amsterdam hospitality industry, including in a Michelin starred restaurant. During this period he successfully completed the WSET Diploma Course. “The beauty of the wine world is that you never stop learning and there is always something new to discover”. He won the international Copa Jerez in 2017 and therefore likes to drink a glass of sherry. He is also a great lover of Champagne, German Riesling and Syrah from the Northern Rhône.
In addition to his day-to-day work as a tax specialist, Mark has a passion for wine. He passed his WSET 3 in wine in 2022 and succesfully completed the French Wine Scholar programme in the beginning of 2024. Mark likes to organize different evenings where wine and food have centre stage. He is enthusiastic about lesser-known wines that are surprisingly beautiful. A guilty pleasure are vintage champagnes.
Monique, to the delight of her French family, has been interested in wine from an early age. She first followed SDEN2, and then with pleasure passed WSET2&3 and the French Wine Scholar programma thanks to the Amsterdam Wine Academy. After a short career as a wine purchasing manager, she now travels around Europe for Research & Education, preferably also for wine. She therefore thinks it is fantastic to be able to pass on this knowledge and share enthusiasm. She is involved in a wine bar in Amsterdam East, where she likes to taste all the gems of the new and old world.
Mattijs has been active in the world of wine and food for over 30 years. After first exploring philosophy and art at university and art school, he found his true passion in the kitchen. He worked for 15 years as a cook and later as a chef in various kitchens.
In 2009, he took over his favourite importer of Italian wines and developed Verkerk Wijnimport into the specialist it is today. Along the way, Mattijs completed the Vinologen Academy, the Cape Wine Academy and, most recently, the Italian Wine Scholar at the Amsterdam Wine Academy. He enjoys wines from all over the world — from France and Germany to, of course, Italy.
Arend-Jaap (A-J) is the owner of Wijn op Dronk, importer of boutique wines from France, Germany, Italy, Australia and New Zealand. Wijn op Dronk’s customers are fine dining restaurants, wine bars and wine-lovers. Arend-Jaap is a WSET diploma graduate and a Weinakademiker. His thesis was on a study on pinot from the Ahr, Germany and Central Otago, New Zealand. As Robert Parker, A-J is a lawyer. After a legal career of 20 years he has turned his passion into a job.
Amsterdam Wine Academy is a WSET and WSG approved program provider.
