Forget the cake, bring on the wine

This past week, the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) celebrated an extraordinary anniversary – 50 years of providing internationally recognized education to wine lovers around the world. What is amazing to me is not so much that WSET is 50 years old but that it is only 50 years old – prior to that there was only a modicum of reliable education available to wine professionals (or wine lovers for that matter).

Founded on October 17, 1969, the WSET built on a foundation established by legendary wine writer and retailer André Simon in 1908 with the creation of the Wine Trade Club. Simon recognized the need for quality education for wine professionals who, until that time, relied mainly on apprentice-style on the job training. WSET changed that with a serious program that now spans 75 countries and last year provided wine education not only to the wine trade, but to thirsty consumers as well. 

Having first been a student of WSET then, for the past five years, an instructor leading WSET courses in several cities, I have particular admiration for those who created and now continue to develop the course programs. Speaking at the London banquet celebrating the anniversary Wednesday night, WSET CEO Ian Harris noted many changes over those 50 years, including the growth of the student body (more than 100,000 people took WSET courses in 2018), accessibility (the courses are offered in 18 languages) and the impact the courses have on the wine-drinking public.

In my own classes I have seen wine lovers change careers to indulge their passion and become importers, retailers and sommeliers. Perhaps most importantly, I see every day how someone who likes wine becomes someone who loves wine, gaining the sort of insight into their own preferences that allows them to find even more wines to love. And it continues to get better every year. If you love wine and haven’t yet discovered the exhilaration of taking a course to enhance your passion, this birthday celebration might be just the impetus you need! 

You’ll find more information on the WSET courses I lead right here on the Wine Course Page. You can keep the birthday cake, I’ll have a glass of wine!