The WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust) is considered one of, if not the, most prestigious routes to wine education available. Lyn will be leading three courses this autumn for Fine Vintage, Ltd, the most comprehensive WSET provider in North America - the first is a one-day Level One course, followed by a three-day course leading to a certification at Level Two. Level Three is being offered as a six-day course taught by both Lyn and Fine Vintage's founder James Cluer, MW, in late May, 2016. That is an excellent opportunity to pursue an advanced wine education with two dynamic instructors.

The Level One course is a "foundation course" that is ideal for everyone who loves wine and wants to understand it better. This full-day course focuses on learning the art of wine tasting (including demystifying the vocabulary you might have once found daunting), pairing food and wine, and exploring the characteristics of the major grape varieties. We also delve into grape growing and winemaking, and serving and cellaring wine.

Who is this class for?

This class is the perfect place to hone your wine sensibility, whether your interest in wine is as an occasional consumer hoping to demystify a wine list when you go out to dinner, or a culinary professional looking to expand your wine knowledge beyond the basics that are part of culinary training. It's a full-day course that includes tasting 16 world-class wines from Prestige Cuvée Champagne to classic wines from Spain, France, Italy and the US. 

An important benefit of the Level 1 class is the opportunity to fully explore WSET's systematic approach to wine tasting and evaluation. Prepare to be amazed at the skills you will develop through the day's guided tasting of 16 wines. This approach is enhanced in Levels 2 and 3 so this is a fine place to build a framework for tasting and, better still, for sharing your impressions of wine.

The course concludes with an exam that, when passed, provides you with a Level One Certification from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust. Increasingly, restaurants, importers and distributors want their representatives to have a verifiable certification of their interest in and knowledge of wine. There is no more respected, nor globally recognized, certification than that from WSET.

For more information on the Level One course, click here to open a new window on the Fine Vintage, Ltd. website. And to register for the course with Fine Vintage click here. One caveat is in order: if you want to take this class, you are well-advised to sign up as soon as possible. It's easy to put things off, but registering early gives you time to receive all your materials and to prepare for the class. You might also consider registering for Level Two as well - that course is on March 12, 13 and 19, and you will be perfectly prepared for the course by taking Level One. We've found that those who take the two courses sequentially have a particularly rewarding experience.