You’ve decided to start a career in wine. Your excited but nervous and keep asking yourself, “am I really qualified and do I know as much as I need to know to be successful?”
Or maybe you’ve just started getting interested in wine, and your friends seem to know so much more than you. Never fear – the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) has a solution that will give you the confidence you need in any situation. The WSET suite of beginner courses are designed to be fun, interactive and, most of all practical.
WSET Level 1
WSET Level 1 is a straightforward one day experience that delivers you the basics on grape varieties, wine styles, service, and matching food and wine. It also provides a primer on how to taste wine to assess quality – no more wondering if you are doing the right things when opening a bottle!
WSET Level 1 gives you hands on experience that literally peels apart a grape to understand how this squishy round fruit is transformed into an elegant beverage. You also experience through trial and error how to correctly pair wine and food flavors. By the end of the day you are armed with the foundational information you need to confidently discuss wine with anyone.
WSET Level 1 is ideal for the person who is just starting to explore the world of wine in their career or their social life. It is also a perfect landing spot for anyone interested in a more structured wine certificate course, but who doesn’t want the commitment of multiple class days.
WSET Level 2
WSET Level 2 is an equally good starting place for a beginner that covers the same information as Level 1 but goes further. You do not need to have taken Level 1 to enroll in Level 2.
WSET Level 2 is a journey into the major grape varietals that are grown around the world. Over eight class segments you learn the basics of what factors impact a wine’s style, quality and price – not just on paper but through actually tasting and assessing over 45 wines.
WSET Level 2 takes you to the original regions for Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling and multiple other grapes. It then shows you how those same vines are transformed when taken to new geographies such as Australia, South Africa or California. Mastering wine labels and decoding terminology is a critical part of the WSET Level 2 course. The result is that you will have the confidence to talk about any major wine, whether you have tasted what is in the bottle or not!
WSET Level 2 is perfect for the complete beginner as well as the person who already has some foundational wine knowledge. If you are beginner this course will give you the tools to move forward with assurance into the world of wine. For the person who already has basic wine knowledge, WSET Level 2 will expand on what you know, fill in any major gaps and set you on a path of more wine enjoyment and authority.
Confidence is the name of the game for both WSET Level 1 and WSET Level 2. Both classes will provide the boost that makes you more self-assured when talking about wine and gives the people around you the sense that you know what you are talking about.
Grape Experience Wine & Spirit School offers WSET Level 1 and WSET Level 2 throughout the year. New Level 2 courses start this month and enrollment details can be found at:
https://www.grapeexperience.com/wine-and-spirit-school/beginner-wine-courses/
Level 1 meets in San Francisco on February 5 and in Boston on April 9 and enrollment details can be found at:
https://www.grapeexperience.com/wine-and-spirit-school/wset-level-1/