10 reasons why a WSET course is the best wine course you can do:

Monday, 15 October, 2012
Cathy Marston
The UK-based Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) wine courses are recognised as the international standard for wine courses with Approved Programme Providers in over 55 countries around the globe teaching WSET. If you’re looking to improve your knowledge of international wines, whether for business or pleasure, then WSET has the courses for you.
1. Trusted brand – WSET has been offering wine courses for over 40 years and has consistently been the market-leader in wine education during that time.

2. Internationally-recognised – anyone wanting to work in wine or hospitality outside SA or who deals with any wine or hospitality business outside SA will find common ground with employers and customers alike through WSET. In addition, successful Level 3 candidates may use the WSET Approved logo on all correspondence.

3. Up to date – all current material was revised August 2011 to include new legislation worldwide and updates are supplied on an ongoing basis.

4. Comprehensive – the student materials comprise everything you need to pass the exam and use as a reference guide in the future. No need to purchase other expensive wine books.

5. Teaching methods – WSET provides detailed lesson plans and educator accessories such as Powerpoint presentations, slides, tests etc to ensure that students get the most out of the lectures and don’t waste their time.

6. Qualified teachers – all WSET lecturers have either passed the WSET Diploma or are Masters of Wine, or are qualified and experienced winemakers.

7. International wines – the wine courses are primarily focussed on wines around the world with the vast majority of samples coming from outside South Africa – 80 wines will be tasted on Level 3 & over 40 on Level 2.

8. Suitable for industry professionals and enthusiastic amateurs alike – although WSET courses were devised for wine-folk, any wine-lover will gain a huge amount of knowledge and enjoyment from completing one of these courses.

9. Rigorous – all exams are set and marked in London, UK. This means that your qualification is unbiased, impartial and on a par with others around the world. At present Cathy is the only WSET Approved Programme Provider in Africa.

10. Looking ahead – if you are interested in furthering your wine studies, ultimately ending up as a Master of Wine, then WSET is the direct route for all further studies.