WSET Level 1

We have many opportunities to share wine in 2023!

There has never been a better time to dive into the wonderful world of wine!

For individuals new to wine study, this Level 1 qualification provides a hands-on introduction to the world of wine. You’ll explore the main types and styles of wine through sight, smell, and taste, while also gaining the basic skills to describe wines accurately, and make food and wine pairings. Upon successful completion you will receive a WSET certificate and lapel pin.

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 with intensive exercises. We also delve a bit into grape growing and winemaking, and serving and cellaring wine, topics that are covered in greater depth in Levels 2 and 3. 

Who is this class for?

This class is the ideal 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 14 high quality wines, from Champagne to classics from Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and the United States. 

An important benefit of the Level 1 class is the opportunity to have an introduction to WSET's much-admired systematic approach to wine tasting and evaluation. Prepare to be amazed at the skills you will develop through the day's guided tastings. This approach is expanded on 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. In this course, you will sample wines made from the same grape but two different regions to compare not only taste but regional style. WSET just updated the course and I’m happy to be offering this wonderful new version with an improved text and an expanded (and simplified) exploration of wine and food pairing.

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.

One caveat is in order: as with all our classes, you are well-advised to register as early as possible. It's easy to put things off, but registering early gives you plenty of time to receive all your materials and to prepare for the class. Also, we need to guarantee our meeting space and that usually means knowing a month ahead of time how many students we’ll have so we book the right room with plenty of social distancing. We have an extensive online version of the Level One text you can read before you come to class along with practice exam questions. In class, I provide a hard copy of the text on which you can make notes and keep in your wine library. So, read up and then come to perfect your tasting techniques! I'll have wines from Champagne to Sauternes waiting for you to taste. And this definitely prepares you for the WSET Level 2 course if you wish to continue your wine tasting adventures.

A Note About Whether to take Level 1 or Level 2

I am often asked whether Level 1 is necessary if you already know something about wine. There is no simple answer to this question - it depends. If you already have a good understanding of the basics of wine, you could begin your formal studies directly with Level 2, but if you want a solid grounding, especially relating to WSET's systematic approach to tasting, Level 1 is a great starting point. We also pay much more attention to food and wine pairing in Level 1 than in Level 2 (but you are expected to get the basics of wine and food pairing from the Level 2 text). You can read more about Level 2 here.

My best recommendation is this: Level 1 is perfect for someone who likes wine but feels they know little about its intricacies. In short, this is an ideal introduction. If you have been drinking wine for a while and feel comfortable with some wine basics, like grape types and wine regions and the basics of fermentation, then you do save time by starting with Level 2 (though as noted above, you do miss some of the basics of wine and food pairing). The best option is to do both courses, but it’s your call - both are wonderful courses and either way, you definitely get a lot of coaching in wine tasting!

I’ll post dates here for my next Level 1 course when it is scheduled.