DIPLOMA IN WINE & SPIRITS

WSET DIPLOMA IN WINE WITH
GRAPE EXPERIENCE

What’s the best part about Diploma with Grape Experience?
We have created an easy-to-follow way to understand Diploma and ensure your success.

Here you will find –

• Information on what you get with your tuition
• Brief explanations of each Diploma unit
• Calendars for new students and existing students

Grape Experience is one of the oldest and most knowledgeable providers of the WSET Level 4 Diploma program. Our successful track record of offering WSET Diploma has made us experts in the best ways to succeed in this challenging program. In Summer 2019 Diploma was completely redesigned.  The program is now more focused on helping candidates build critical knowledge and skills to be a thought leader in wine. The next initial start date is August 5, 2024 with an enrollment deadline of July 28, 2024 at https://www.grapeexperience.com/events/d1-d2-online-course-with-live-zoom-sessions-5/

Course Includes:

• 3 Live Zoom Sessions to review the key Diploma D1 and D2 concepts
• Access to the new WSET Online Classroom with global certified tutors
• Access to a second proprietary Online Platform with video lectures and study support
• Feedback tests replicating D1 and D2 exams
• Access to Grape Experience teachers at any time via text, email or phone

What basics should you know about Diploma?

Diploma is a two-year program for anyone who has achieved the WSET Level 3 Certificate in wine. It is one of the most respected and admired wine certification qualifications in the world. Diploma is incredibly rewarding but also highly challenging and will take your wine education to an elite level. The WSET Diploma program is also universally viewed as a pre-requisite to the Master of Wine qualification.

The WSET Diploma is comprised of six individual course units, each with their own exam or written assessment. Students need to pass all six Diploma program units to achieve certification. Students have three years to complete all segments, but extensions are possible for a fee should more time be needed. The WSET estimates a minimum of 500 study hours over this period are required to pass and acquire your Diploma.

WSET Diploma is ideal for people in or outside of the wine industry who wish to advance their skills and knowledge base. The program offers in-depth study of the business, winemaking, and consumption trends in the world’s wine regions. Graduates will have the product knowledge and analytical tasting skills to confidently explain and to accurately evaluate wines.

What makes Diploma with Grape Experience unique?

Our more than a decade experience of being one of the few organizations privileged to offer the Diploma has enabled us to understand the best way to achieve program success for a diverse group of students, each with their own learning styles, needs and preferences. We provide students several ways to study:

• In-person classes
• Hybrid classes
• Online study
• A combination of in-person and online study

Our Diploma graduates have the knowledge and confidence to analyze and evaluate the trends and structure of today’s wine and spirit industry and to use this in leadership. Diploma is ideal for people in or outside the wine industry who wish to advance their skills and knowledge base.

As part of their tuition, students who enroll with Grape Experience get access to:

• Feedback tasting and theory exams which are reviewed by examiners so that they never go into an exam unprepared
• An exclusive web site with recorded lectures and study support
• A diverse faculty including several Masters of Wine, Master Sommeliers, wine makers, importers, retailers and other industry experts
• Individual attention to help plan and schedule the Diploma program with the rest of their personal and work life including monthly online office hours
• An opportunity to combine for each/any unit the weekly study plan and support of the WSET Online Classroom with in-person traditional classroom attendance

WSET DIPLOMA PROGRAM UNITS

The Diploma is broken into two Foundation and four Product Knowledge Units taught at various times and locations (including online) over two years. Units D1 and D2 are sold together and must be taken first. You are not required to pay for all six units at once which allows you to spread out the cost of the Diploma. We offer payment plans.

The fee for Units D1 and D2 also registers you for three years with WSET and grants access to the proprietary Global Campus—a unique site with critical study support and special offers. WSET Diploma Units D3 through D6 are not always taught in numerical order.

Foundation Units

UNIT D1: WINE PRODUCTION

Students will gain further understanding of what the vine requires to produce grapes for wine production and grape growing options. You’ll learn how natural factors in the vineyard influence the vine’s ability to produce grapes for wines of different styles, quality levels and prices, as well as winemaking and post fermentation options. Assessment to pass D1 is a 90-minute short written answer exam.

UNIT D2: WINE BUSINESS

Students learn about the business factors of the wine industry, including the economics of grape growing, winemaking, transportation, importation, and sales and marketing strategies, that contribute to the price of wine. Social and economic factors, production, legislative (tax, duty, minimum pricing & labelling laws, etc.) and political factors affecting supply and demand, and options for getting wine to point of sale are covered. Assessment requires a 1-hour short written answer exam.

Cost is $2150 for hybrid courses that combine Online and Zoom classroom study.

Product Knowledge Units

UNIT D3: WINES OF THE WORLD

This unit enriches students in understanding how grape growing, winemaking, maturation, wine law and wine business influence style, quality and price of wines around the world. You will learn the ability to taste and evaluate the quality of wines from the principal wine regions accurately. The exam happens over two days. Day 1 requires three hours and 20 minutes of essays to a range of theory questions. Day 2 requires three hours of blind tastings of 12 wines. Cost is $2650 for Online study; $3050 for Traditional Classroom and $3650 for a combination of Online and Traditional classroom study.

UNIT D4: SPARKLING WINES

This unit covers how grape growing, winemaking, maturation, wine law and wine business influence the style, quality and price of the principal sparkling wines of the world. Ranges cover Australia, Europe, South Africa, South America, UK and USA. Students learn to demonstrate the ability to taste and evaluate sparkling wines accurately. Assessment is a 90-minute exam combining blind tasting and short answers.  Cost for the Unit is $1050 for Online study; $1150 for Traditional Classroom and $1295 for a combination of Online and Traditional classroom study.

UNIT D5: FORTIFIED WINES

This unit is a thorough review of the production techniques of the major types of Fortified wines, as well as an in-depth examination of the major producing countries and regions. Assessment is a 90-minute exam combining blind tasting and short answers. Cost for the Unit is $1050 for Online study; $1150 for Traditional Classroom and $1295 for a combination of Online and Traditional classroom study.

UNIT D6: INDEPENDENT RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT

This unit requires students to demonstrate understanding and analysis of a specific subject based on source materials. Two topics are available to choose from each year and students will be required to submit a 3,000-word research paper which develops ideas and arguments to reach an informed conclusion. Cost is $425

Exam Schedule: With the exception of the Unit 2 exam, all exam dates are set by WSET and cannot be rescheduled.

Prerequisite: Candidates are required to hold the WSET Level 3 certificate in Wine and Spirits to study for the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wine and Spirits.

Note: Prices are subject to change. There are no refunds for Diploma courses.

Questions? All students considering the Diploma should review our Frequently Asked Questions. Please contact Adam Chase with further queries. For more information on the Diploma program from a global perspective, browse the WSET website.

Diploma via the WSET Online Classroom 

Each Diploma Unit is offered in an Online format. Although there are no set times to log into the course, each unit of the course follows a weekly structure and it is important that the students keep up with the work set for that week. A global educator runs the Online program. The course is also designed to progressively build upon knowledge gained from the previous weeks, so the student should not skip ahead.The student can contact the educator any time for the duration of the scheduled course, should they have any questions.

The online Diploma course includes a series of independent and group activities. These require the student to analyse key issues and subjects within the wine industry, applying the in-depth knowledge and skills they acquire during the course. Students are regularly assessed through tests and feedback tests. The structure and frequency of these varies depending on the unit. Each unit includes a series of independent and/or group activities that require students to look in depth at the wine industry, applying subject knowledge and professional skills to analyse key issues. Each unit also includes a feedback test or tests depending on the unit e.g. D1 and D2 have one feedback test. D3 includes 10 theory feedback tests and 4 tasting feedback tests; D4 and D5 have one theory feedback test and one tasting feedback test.

Online Courses: Students may choose to do some units online and others in person or a combination of both formats.  Online Unit 2 courses require in-person participation in an induction day that covers Diploma basics and tasting technique.

Exam Schedule: With the exception of the Unit 2 exam, all exam dates are set by WSET and cannot be rescheduled.

Prerequisite: Candidates are required to hold the WSET Level 3 certificate in Wines and Spirits to study for the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines and Spirits.   Please Note: Prices are subject to change. There are no refunds for Diploma courses.

Questions? We recommend that all students considering the Diploma take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions, but please do not hesitate to contact Adam Chase with any further queries.  For more information on the Diploma program from a global perspective, we recommend browsing the WSET website.