Wine & Spirit Education Trust
Encyclopedia
The Wine & Spirit Education Trust, often referred to as WSET, is a British
organisation which arranges courses and exams in the field of wine
and spirits
. WSET was founded in 1969, is headquartered in London
and is generally regarded as the world's leading provider of wine education. The courses given by WSET were originally intended for people in the wine & spirit trade. The WSET programs have increasingly been attended also by non-professional connoisseur
s. The WSET also offers professional certification in the United States, with programs in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington.
techniques.
As of 2008, the levels of courses were as following, using the levels of the National Qualifications Framework
of UK:
WSET's courses are also given by a large number of "Approved Programme Providers" around the world. This has made WSET's course levels the international de facto standard for "practical" knowledge of wine and spirits, outside academic programmes of oenology
, viticulture
, food technology
and similar subjects, where science
and engineering
aspects of beverage production tend to be in focus.
WSET has created a membership body for WSET Diploma holders called "Institute of Wines & Spirits". Qualification at the WSET Diploma level 4 is generally required to be allowed into the Master of Wine
training, which is arranged by a body (The Institute of Masters of Wine) separate from the WSET.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
organisation which arranges courses and exams in the field of wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
and spirits
Distilled beverage
A distilled beverage, liquor, or spirit is an alcoholic beverage containing ethanol that is produced by distilling ethanol produced by means of fermenting grain, fruit, or vegetables...
. WSET was founded in 1969, is headquartered in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and is generally regarded as the world's leading provider of wine education. The courses given by WSET were originally intended for people in the wine & spirit trade. The WSET programs have increasingly been attended also by non-professional connoisseur
Connoisseur
A connoisseur is a person who has a great deal of knowledge about the fine arts, cuisines, or an expert judge in matters of taste.Modern connoisseurship must be seen along with museums, art galleries and "the cult of originality"...
s. The WSET also offers professional certification in the United States, with programs in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington.
Course levels
The course content of WSET courses has its focus on general theoretical knowledge of the world of wine and spirits (countries and regions of production, regulations, their style of wine and spirits, grape varieties &c.), and practical identification of beverages and their flavours, including wine tastingWine tasting
Wine tasting is the sensory examination and evaluation of wine. While the practice of wine tasting is as ancient as its production, a more formalized methodology has slowly become established from the 14th century onwards...
techniques.
As of 2008, the levels of courses were as following, using the levels of the National Qualifications Framework
National Qualifications Framework
The National Qualifications Framework is a credit transfer system developed for qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland....
of UK:
- Level 1
- Level 1 Award in Wines, 1 day wine course provides basic wine knowledge as well looking at how to match food with wine.
- Level 1 Award in Spirits , 1 day course provides basic product knowledge and skills in service and marketing of spirits to prepare a person for their first job in hospitality or the spirit industry.
- Level 1 Award in Wine Service, 2 day course provides instruction in the art of wine service and includes the development of practical skills in a restaurant setting. It includes the Level 1 Award in Wine on day one of the course.
- Level 2
- Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits, This course covers the major grape varieties and where they are grown around the world. Students are taught how to taste wine professionally using the WSET Systematic Approach to Tasting.
- Level 2 Award in Spirits, This spirits course gives a greater breadth and depth of knowledge in the specific area of spirits and liqueurs.
- Level 3
- Level 3 Award in Wines and Spirits, Provides a more comprehensive coverage of the wide range of wines and spirits around the world. The qualification has an increased focus on wine tasting technique.
- International Higher Certificate in Wines and Spirits, This qualification is available through International WSET providers only. It is also available in several different languages.
- Level 4
- Diploma in Wines and Spirits, The Diploma is a specialist qualification where detailed knowledge is combined with commercial factors and a thorough system for the professional evaluation of wines and spirits.
- Level 5
- Honours Diploma, The WSET Level 5 Honours Diploma is an individual research project that enables students to develop skills in research, evaluation and analysis in a wine and spirit related subject of their choice. This qualification is open to anyone holding the WSET Level 4 Diploma.
WSET's courses are also given by a large number of "Approved Programme Providers" around the world. This has made WSET's course levels the international de facto standard for "practical" knowledge of wine and spirits, outside academic programmes of oenology
Oenology
Oenology,[p] œnology , or enology is the science and study of all aspects of wine and winemaking except vine-growing and grape-harvesting, which is a subfield called viticulture. “Viticulture & oenology” is a common designation for training programmes and research centres that include both the...
, viticulture
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
, food technology
Food technology
Food technology, is a branch of food science which deals with the actual production processes to make foods.-Early history of food technology:...
and similar subjects, where science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
and engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
aspects of beverage production tend to be in focus.
WSET has created a membership body for WSET Diploma holders called "Institute of Wines & Spirits". Qualification at the WSET Diploma level 4 is generally required to be allowed into the Master of Wine
Master of Wine
Master of Wine is a qualification issued by The Institute of Masters of Wine in the United Kingdom...
training, which is arranged by a body (The Institute of Masters of Wine) separate from the WSET.