I took a course on wine and it's changed the way I'll view drinks lists forever

27 October 2023 , 18:00

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I took my WSET Level 2 Award in Wines (Image: WSET)

After studying my WSET Level 1 Award in Wines I felt so much more confident talking about wine but I recently underwent the Level 2 and realised I'd barely scratched the surface. The level 2 is a three day course that you can either take across a number of weeks, evenings or as an intensive three day course where you do all eight modules and your exam within 72 hours.

I opted for the intensive course which was a great and immersive way to learn about wine, however it does reduce the amount of time you have to study between sessions. It's a much more thorough education into the world of wine than the first level.

I knew that wine had notes but had never really understood the difference between primary, secondary and tertiary until now - it turns out they're based on the grape, winemaking techniques and the age of wine respectively. After doing my level one I was certainly confident that I could tell if a wine was dry or not and smell the classic notes, but now I feel confident enough that I can identify a wine in a glass without seeing the label or knowing the grape just from smelling and tasting it.

We studied different regions - with a big focus on France and Italy - and how they are impacted by climate, soil and cultural tastes and just how that impacts what you can expect from a bottle of wine. After three days of studying I feel much more confident picking a wine to my tastes, and the tastes of others, from around the globe and I've already started giving personalised recommendations.

I tried wines I never had before, such as Tokaji Aszu, Pinot Gris (which is very different to Pinot Grigio even though it is the same grape) and Pinotage. With a staggering 43 guided tastings I felt like I have massively refined my palette and I feel significantly more confident tasting wines and that I could even guide a tasting myself amongst my friends and family.

You've been pronouncing your favourite wines all wrong - an expert explains how

There are 43 samples

My course mates were a varied bunch with some being wine enthusiasts, some working with wine and one even owning a vineyard himself. I think if you want to learn about wine to a point that you can really talk about it and more importantly, understand it, this is a great option. People had flown over to London just to do the course although you can study in a number of different schools around the world too.

Honestly having undergone my level two it's sparked an interest in me where I'm sure I'll be back at WSET expanding my knowledge as the school regularly has guest speakers who come out to teach about specific regions and styles of wine. I think this course is ideal if you want to expand your knowledge and don't know where to start, you don't need to have studied your Level 1 to make the most of it.

The classes are quite educational as well as giving you the chance to try different wines

It's the last level you can study in wine without having to do assessed blind tastings, although there is a blind tasting to give you an idea of what to expect. While that might sound intimidating, I felt really confident in my blind tasting and had actually identified the correct wine and technique, so you are taught well enough that you can go into it stress free.

I've been left impressed every time I've studied at WSET, I've undergone wine tasting and comprehension classes in other countries - the most notable being Champagne - which give you a very in depth education on one specific wine, while this is slightly more surface level across a much wider breadth of wines. You even get a gift of tasting glasses so you can lead proper tastings at home. You can book your own course here.

Jada Jones