WINE & SPIRIT EDUCATION TRUST QUALIFICATIONS
Program Details

WSET Level 1

Know the key stages in grape growing and winemaking
Know the types, characteristics and styles of wines made from the principal grape varieties and other examples of wines
Know the key principles and practices involved in the storage and service of wine

I found this course to be a great primer, as I had never studied wine before. It gave me a solid foundation for wine basics, setting me up well for Level 2
I also found WSET's systematic approach to tasting super helpful for assessing wine. Before, I never really knew what to look for, but the approach brings structure to consider many dimensions of taste and experience

Understand the environmental influences and grape-growing options in the vineyard and how these will impact the style and quality of wine
Understand how winemaking and bottle aging influence the style and quality of wine
Understand how environmental influences, grape-growing options, winemaking and bottle aging influence the style and quality of wines made from the principal grape varieties
Know the style and quality of wines produced from regionally important black and white grape varieties
Understand how the production process can influence the styles of sparkling and fortified wines
Understand the key principles of pairing of food and wine

Level 2 was fascinating. It went into far more detail than Level 1, requiring more private study
Once again, I loved the tasting component (and mastered the art of spitting out)
After this course, I felt I had a good understanding of wine for the first time in my life
Level 2 is considered a 'gateway drug' for wine study. It was for me, there was never a question of whether I would move to Level 3!

Understand the key principles and processes involved in the storage and service of wine, and in the pairing of food and wine
Identify and describe the characteristics of still, sparkling and fortified wines produced in the principal wine regions of the world and explain how the key natural and human factors in the vineyard, winery, law and commerce can influence the style, quality and price of these wines
Demonstrate the ability to provide information and advice to customers and staff about wines

Unit 1 of 2 is for theory, and includes 50 multiple-choice and 4 short answer questions to be completed in 2 hours
Unit 2 of 2 is blind tasting of 2 still wines to be completed in 30 minutes
Passing mark requires 55%+ correct answers for each unit
WSET suggests 51 hours of private study outside of class

Level 3 was challenging, but I still loved it! Once again, we covered wines of the world, though in even greater detail than Level 2
Each day we had a different educator, all of whom were amazing and inspirational
Blind tasting turned out to be a lot of fun, in that you apply what you're learning in real time
Definitely the hardest course, but also the most rewarding. I felt my understanding of wine was next level, and I could speak to any sommelier with confidence