The Auswine Forum

The only thing that's really stopped me is that they're quite expensive, and they're not a tax-deduction for me! Has anyone done these courses here in Australia? Comments as to the various levels? Necessary to do the advanced before the Diploma? That kind of thing.

You know if I win the lotto I'm quitting the job and going for the MW....

cheers,
Graeme

Graeme,

Tyson Steltzer has just had his final exam last week for the advance course.

From all accounts the cost is well worth it, with a massive jump in tasting skills and indepth knowledge acquired through the course.

Mark K

Can I just ask "What are WSET Courses?"

obviously wine / tasting based but what else is involved? and where are they carried out / completed?

Thanks

WSET is the London-based Wine and Spirit Education Trust. They run internationally-recognised wine courses of five levels, of which the Master of Wine is the top (fifth) level.

I did the advanced with Tyson last week. Although I haven't spoken with Tyson about its relative worth, I would suggest a word of caution. Why do you want to do the course? In terms of what you learn from it, I felt that if you had the discipline you could easily teach yourself from a few well-chosen textbooks the same (or better) information.

The Advanced and higher levels must be tutored by an accredited MW (i.e. an MW who has been further approved by the WSET). The courses are quite expensive.

In terms of whether or not you need to do them, remember that (as with the MW itself) the course is based out of London, therefore the vast majority of the course material is European focussed. This means not only Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne and Tuscany, but also Bulgaria, Hungary, Germany, Spain etc, and all of their regions in detail. Australia represents perhaps 3% of the course material, and even then it tends to be fairly basic stuff.

Send me a private message if you'd like to discuss this in detail.

Cheers

Stew

I just finished the same course that Stewart and Tyson did. The price was approx $1300 for a 14 week course. I am in agreeance with Stewart as to the value and worth; I think you could very easily teach yourself the technical details by buying the Johnson/Robinson World Atlas of Wine and reading it cover to cover. The tasting instruction is done in a very clinical and some what unimaginative way,but I did feel that I gained something out of it in that respect. The quality of the wines for tasting varied quite a bit, some nights outstanding and others a little disappointing,but in general each night we sampled between 6 and 9 wines,served blind.

I was happy with the knowledge and application of the guys who tutored each session,both were MW's and I would expect to see such a person running it in each state for the course to have credibilty,especially at the Advanced level.

All in all,I learned quite a bit through the necessity of study. I understand a lot more about different wine styles and I think I'm a better taster as a result. Still not convinced about the value for money though, and the course was a little too Anglo-centric to be entirely relevant down here.

Cheers

Is their a course which is a little more relevant to what is available here in aus..as i would be very interested in starting out with a localised course..then progressing to other more exotic and less available wine.

Is there an Aussie equivalent?

Cheers

Paul

Hi there

I thoroughly recommend the WSET courses for anyone looking to develop a detailed understanding of wine in a structured manner.

I have completed the Intermediate and Advanced Certificates and am currently half way through the Diploma. The Intermediate course is designed for people with relatively limited knowledge of the wine, particularly the Old World.

The Advanced Course is a decent step up. It is a prerequisite to be able to study the Diploma. The Diploma course is a BIG STEP UP from the Advanced Course, both in intensity and difficulty. It is a serious challenge designed for wine trade professionals, but interesting and good fun.

The Diploma course has recently been restructured to have a far greater business focus (rather than just assessing knowledge of viti, vini and the major wine producing regions) and tasting skills. Assessment has also changed from being 100% exam (theory and tasting) to a combination of coursework (several assignments, individual project, tasting portfolio) and tasting exam papers. For anyone with a genuine interest in wine it is well worth the effort. Some study by correspondence, but I get so much out of attending classes (in London we are lucky to have recognised subject matter experts as lecturers) that I think I would find the course very difficult if done remotely.

Please don't hesitate to drop me a line if you want any further info!

Cheers
Phil

[quote="Stewart Plant"]WSET is the London-based Wine and Spirit Education Trust. They run internationally-recognised wine courses of five levels, of which the Master of Wine is the top (fifth) level.

A brief clarification, the awards run by WSET actually stop with the Diploma. The Master of Wine qualification is administered by the Institute of Masters of Wine, although there is some collaboration between the two bodies. The Diploma is also considered to some degree to be a prerequisite of admission to the MW programme.

In the UK the vast majority of those who take the qualifications work in the wine trade, or aspire to do so. WSET emphasise this in most of their literature and suggest various other courses that are available for those with a more 'end consumer' interest. Having said this at the Intermediate certificate level you do find many non trade students, this is partly dependent on where you study the course.

I have passed both levels of certificate and am about to start the Diploma. I would say that the courses offer a thorough grounding in most areas of wine knowledge, but can tend to have a somewhat dry style and to a certain degree an old fashioned focus. The New World is as previously mentioned given somewhat cursory coverage.

This said the greatest advantage that the awards have is that they are well recognised and accredited. If you work in or want to move into the wine trade then they offer an excellent way of demonstrating knowledge and willingness to learn. However if you simply want to acquire some more knowledge and be guided in your tasting you may well be better served by seeking out other courses aimed at consumers, or just reading more and tasting as much wine as you can.

Cheers

Tim

Stewart Plant wrote:The Advanced and higher levels must be tutored by an accredited MW (i.e. an MW who has been further approved by the WSET). The courses are quite expensive.

This is not true either, you must be accredited by the WSET and you do not need to be an MW, many are diploma level graduates only.

the WSET exams are a great chance to "either piss or get off the pot"

The primary focus on this courses is however to prepare students for work in the UK wine trade. They are excellent commercial courses that don't really have an equivalent australian qualification.

TG is correct, MW is administered by the institute of MW's - you do NOT need to have completed the diploma to sit your MW. It is unlikely you would however be accepted, or you would know enough to pass the essay entry requirements.

Many people are refused entry to the MW, let alone fail the exam. You cannot just choose to do it, it's a private organisation and if they don't feel you are up to it - you don't get in.