I just received the test results for my WSET Level 2 Intermediate Certificate in Wines and Spirits …and I PASSED WITH DISTINCTION!! It took almost 5 weeks to get the results, and I’m already well into the Level 3 Advanced Certificate, but this is a great way to go into the final several weeks of studying.
For those of you who have been following since the beginning, you probably remember that when I started this blog, I was one week into my first WSET course. For those of you who are new, the courses I’m taking are offered by the Washington Wine Academy (WWA), but are actually part of the Wine & Sprits Education Trust, which is based out of London and is internationally recognized. The WSET Level 2 was my first foray into wine education, and I loved every minute of it. If you’re even toying with the idea of taking a WSET class, I definitely recommend doing it. If you’re in the DC area, check out the WWA (both for the class and for their other activities). I learned a lot and tasted some great wines during the 6-week course.
So, that’s my good news. Now, the big question is what to should I open tonight to celebrate?
Congratulations – I hope you enjoyed whatever you opened in celebration.
Thanks! I ended up opening a 2005 Perrin & Fils Chateauneuf-du-Pape Les Sinards. It's not terribly fancy, but I my first Chateaneuf-du-Pape in class and fell in love, so it seemed appropriate.
New to your blog so just learning about WSET. I’d be interested to find out what kind of time and monetary commitment it has taken thus far.
Who would you recommend these courses for?
Wine Road Less Traveled–Glad you found my blog!
I’ve taken both my WSET classes through the through the Washington Wine Academy (WWA), although you can take them online or at various certified centers. This just happens to be the one I chose because it has a wonderful reputation. They were recently written up in Food & Wine Magazine as one of the 5 best places to study wine. http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/5-best-places-to-study-wine
My first class, the WSET Intermediate Certificate class, was 6 weeks long, and we tasted 8-10 wines during each class. There were about 40 of us, and the lectures did a wonderful job preparing us for the 50-question multiple-choice exam at the end. I can't begin to explain how much I learned in such a short period of time. As someone who went into the course knowing nothing about wine except that I liked drinking it, this was definitely a great way to get a good foundation. I would say that about ½ the class had a career in wine and ½ of us were simply there because of our serious interest in it.
Currently, I'm taking the WSET Advanced Certificate class, and there are only 18 of us, which is much nicer than the big, 40 person set-up. We taste 10-12 wines in every class, and I'm loving every moment of it. The course expands on the wine information that was covered in the Intermediate course, so it's an intense 12-weeks. The WWA website says that you don't need any prior knowledge to take the Advanced class, but I have to admit, as someone who isn't in the wine industry, I can't imagine taking this class without having taken the Intermediate level first. I would say that almost everyone in the class, with the exception of a 2 or 3 of us, has a career in the wine industry.
Both courses are a significant financial investment, but between the number of wines that we’ve tasted and the amount of material I’ve learned, I definitely have gotten my money’s worth. All in all, if you're looking for an in-depth classes on wine, it is well-worth the time and money to attend the courses.
I hope that helps, but if you are looking for more specific information, please feel free to send me an e-mail.