by Adam Chase | Jul 12, 2016
The WSET Level 4 Diploma is one of the most sought after and challenging certifications in the wine industry. Grape Experience is one of the few select WSET providers in the world who have been given approval to offer the Diploma. The course of study involves passing six sub-courses or “units.” It is an understatement to say achieving Diploma certification is difficult. It takes maximum effort and knowing the best strategies to approach the enormous amount of material.
Grape Experience has had tremendous success in getting many of our Diploma candidates over the finish line. We asked those now Diploma holders to share their top study tips. I have grouped them into five key areas below. Following their advice is not a guarantee of passing, but if you are thinking of taking on Diploma, incorporating their suggestions will put you in the best position for success.
Tip 1: Form a study group early on in the program
Everyone mentioned a study group as a main key to their success. Study groups should be not only for tasting, but also for theory. Just about all Diploma holders admitted theory questions were the most challenging part of the exams.
In person or virtual group meetings should happen every month if not weekly, and as long as two people attend, said one Diploma holder, it is worth getting together. For theory, Diploma holders suggest each week preparing a topic from a past exam and sharing essays or essay outlines. This can easily be done virtually with each member of the group submitting their essays/outlines via email or a platform like Dropbox.
Tasting sessions should be used to train the palate and enable you to start to get the key elements of wine styles by region. They also build confidence and cut the expense of having to buy all of the wines you need to taste on your own.
Tip 2. Utilize DAPS and the Study Support Sections of the WSET Global Campus
Most Diploma holders admitted that the Diploma Assessment Preparation Scheme (DAPS) for Unit 3-6 was frustrating. They love the idea that DAPS gives you real personal examiner feedback on exam questions, but noted the system was hard to navigate and that the feedback can range from very brief to overly harsh.
Still, everyone who commented here believed the frustration was worth it. “It forced me to practice exam style timed writing,” noted one Diploma holder. Another person commented that they had a better sense of what examiners looked for even when the feedback was brief. “You are really hurting your chances of passing if you don’t do DAPS,” bluntly stated a third Diploma holder. “Make it happen!”
Along with DAPS, the Study Support materials on the proprietary WSET Diploma web site, The Global Campus, were critical. One Diploma holder summed up the thoughts of most others, “I went through old exam questions each week and picked one to study. Then I figured out how much time I’d have on the exam and limited my writing to that amount. Only when I finished writing did I read what the examiner posted about how students actually did or what they showed as an example of a good answer. “
Some successful Diploma holders used the material on the Global Campus as the basis for a Theory grid for each region: with headings of Grape Variety, Climate, Soil, Viticulture and Winemaking. Other people made flash cards and either took them with them everywhere or used the Quizlet app to maintain them.
Tip 3: Teach Your Friends and Family
Many Diploma holders said that the more they talked with other people about what they were learning, the more it stuck in their head. Writing information in a notebook is not as effective at remembering it as when you have to speak it to someone else. This is likely because you actually have to think about the information you are conveying, respond to questions and organize your thoughts in a way that are not just bullets on a page.
One Diploma holder said that he “bored his partner and friends to death with explaining the techniques for making Hunter Valley Semillon and South African Pinotage.” In the end though, it definitely helped him cement his knowledge and his audience was rewarded with great free wine tasting opportunities.
Tip 4: Don’t Worry About Getting the Wine Right
Many Diploma holders said they often missed identifying the wines on the exam 100% correct, but still passed. It is more important to get the components and quality level of the wines right, rather than correctly stating what the variety and origin is. “The points are in the body of your tasting note – not in getting the wine type spot on,” said one Diploma holder.
Tip 5: Create a Study Schedule and Stick to It
The WSET gives an estimate of the minimum required study hours for each unit. Successful Diploma students said creating a weekly study schedule at the start of undertaking a unit and not diverting from it is critical. This means that you should block time off each week on your calendar for studying and not change it or make it a low priority. One person suggested “treating it like it is a doctor’s appointment that you can’t miss. If someone asks you to do something in that time and it was really a doctor’s appointment, you wouldn’t cancel it.”
Inevitably some study time will need to get cancelled for “life” reasons, but make sure that you build in extra contingency study hours and only give up your study time in a real emergency. At the same time, while you are studying, make sure to keep things in perspective. This is a course on wine and spirits – things that give people enjoyment – and so you too should find some level of fun in the program
Diploma is truly a rewarding experience. You meet other people, build your wine and spirit knowledge to an incredibly strong depth and, if successful, get one of the most respected certificates in the industry. It is also a prerequisite for the Masters of Wine program.
To begin Diploma you must first pass the WSET Level 3 Certificate in Wine. The next Diploma and Level 3 Certificate courses start at the beginning of August. For more information go to:
https://www.grapeexperience.com/wine-and-spirit-school/beginner-wine-courses/
by Adam Chase | Jun 27, 2016
This August, WSET will launch an all new Level 3 Certificate in Wine, and Grape Experience Wine & Spirit School will be among the first providers to implement the new course. The new Level 3 is the most dramatic and best revision of this sought after qualification I have ever seen in my 20 years as a student and WSET provider.
Everything about Level 3 is new: the course program, textbook, exam, and even the suggested teaching method. Gone are the days of the old WSET Advanced Certificate with its black and white books and formal lectures. The new Level 3 is more relevant, interactive and designed to allow students to immediately put in place what they learn into their daily lives and work.
The new Level 3 utilizes the Socratic approach to teaching – a method familiar to people who have attended business or law school. It is one of my favorite components of this new WSET course. This approach focuses on giving students questions, not answers, to foster critical thinking. Team engagement and debate drives learning. Teachers will guide students through material but the onus will be on each class member to explain thoughts, ideas and apply their own knowledge.
Utilizing the Socratic method may scare some WSET providers. Instead, they may just use the old Level 3 lecture approach and session plans to teach the new course. I believe this would be selling our students and the program short. Grape Experience has spent time and resources to attend in person WSET training programs on the new Level 3 and to teach our teachers how to best deliver the new material.
My goal as a provider has always been to put the highest quality course forward, even if it means we make less profit margin. I know first-hand the power a great WSET course has on a student’s enthusiasm and ability to use information learned. I had that feeling in every WSET course I ever took and I want people who enroll in a Grape Experience WSET course to feel it as well.
The new Level 3 course program spends considerably more time on the natural and human forces at work in the vineyard and winery. It then drills down at how they manifest themselves in similar wines styles and terroirs. For example, white, lesser aromatic wines of Burgundy are studied with similar styles from the Loire and Bordeaux. Rich Mediterranean red wines are also studied together. The old region by region approach is not lost, it is just reformulated to make more sense and to have more applicable across the board relevance for students.
Support materials for the course have also improved. There are now 13 short films that students watch online to review the basics of regions. The text book is more clear, up to date and has considerably more information on viticulture and winemaking. The study guide is larger and contains some of the best and most useful wine maps I have ever seen.
The exam format remains relatively unchanged but with greater onus on the student to explain and apply key production and style drivers. The tasting component no longer requires students to identify a specific wine and price, but rather focuses on the style of the wine. I believe preparing for this exam will help make those students who want to go on to Diploma more successful.
Grape Experience is excited to launch the new Level 3 starting August 8 in Napa and August 9 in San Francisco. Boston will begin on September 26. Classes will meet one night a week for 16 weeks. We feel this format gives students more time to live with and learn the material – rather than cramming the course into 4 weekend days. It also makes preparing for class participation more focused and less daunting.
If you have never taken WSET Level 3 now is the perfect time. If you already have the certificate I hope you will encourage your friends and colleagues to take the course. Information can be found at:
https://www.grapeexperience.com/wine-and-spirit-school/wset-diploma-program/
The people at WSET who spent so much heart, soul and time working to build the new Level 3 deserve credit and appreciation. Your efforts show in a job well done!
by Adam Chase | Jun 4, 2015
Spain continues to soar in the wine world. The country now claims to be the largest wine producer in the world, and the styles and quality of wines from Spain continue to grow. Modern viticulture and winemaking techniques are changing sleepy small ancient regions into modern superstars.
Two producers I recently tasted show the uniqueness, quality and value of Spanish wine. Txomin Etxaniz is a producer I return to time and again, never to be disappointed. Gotim Bru by Castell del Remei is a red wine that at delivers huge taste at an under $15 price. Both of these wines come from two of Spain’s smallest regions and show modern viticulture at its best.
Txomin Etxaniz is from the smallest DO in Spain, Getariako Txakolina. This tiny region in Spain’s Basque region on the northern Atlantic coast plants the indigenous vines Hondarrabi Zuri (white) and Handarrabi Beltza (red).
Txomin Etxaniz has been making wines since 1649. Their vineyards are on chalky terraced soils that overlook the Atlantic. The winery creates white and rosé wines that are light, yet full of character. Txomin Etxaniz white is a perfect seafood wine – which dominates the cuisine of the area. It is crisp and minerally, but with definite notes of citrus – lemon and a hint lime – as well as green apple and grassy notes.
Txomin Etxaniz rosé is bright and packed with light red fruit flavor – cherry, raspberry and plum. It too has the chalky crisp mineral notes. The wine rivals some of the best rosés of the Rhone valley and Provence and offers the taste of summer in a glass.
Gotim Bru is a wine my brother introduced me too as one of the best value wines he has ever tasted. This wine comes from the DO Costers del Segre in Catalonia. The producer dates to 1780 and was started by Bordeaux families who introduced Cabernet Sauvignon to the region.
Gotim Bru is a blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The sunlight and granite soils of the region mark the wine with a dense fruit quality – fresh and dried cherry, strawberry and current notes. Carefully utilized French and American oak add flavors of chocolate, toffee and smoke to the wine. Gotim Bru just can’t be beat for its layered quality, and Spanish elegance.
by Adam Chase | Jun 4, 2015
I’m always looking for something new to serve at a summer party. There is only so much Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc I can take. This 4th of July I thought why not Gavi? This Italian white wine is light and has the crispness, and lemony, slightly grassy flavors that go so well with summer foods.
The wine worked! People initially thought Gavi was a brand of Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. When they realized it was actually a unique wine from an Italian region in Piedmont made from the Cortese grape they were pleasantly surprised. This revelation was a conversation starter – trips to Italy, Italian food and, more importantly to me, how many people are looking for something new to drink.
A disclaimer: if you are looking for an under $10 wine, Gavi will not be it. But, if you are willing to spend a little more than this is a wine worth trying. Most Gavis start at $10 and can go as high as $25. Three I have recently tried are described
Batasiolo Gavi DOCG is a wine that defines balance. Ripe Meyer lemon and lively acidity sit together on a light, yet slightly creamy body. The wine is easy to sip and in particular compliments cold seafood especially well.
Cristina Ascheri Gavi DOCG has a freshness and elegance that is a hallmark of all of Ascheri’s wines. This Gavi is subtle and lingers with its lemon, herb and mineral flavors over a long finish. It is great with creamy cheeses and fish.
Araldica La Luciana Gavi DOCG also has that strong mineral backbone along with a slightly lemon lime flavor and tartness. This is another versatile wine that pairs well with almost any food.
by Adam Chase | Jun 3, 2015
More and more bars, pubs and restaurants are focusing on their cocktail lists with the result that a customer has a huge range of options from which to choose. I like the trend of many smaller restaurants specializing in one particular type of spirit – Bourbon, Scotch, Rum and Tequila. It allows us to try different brands without committing to an entire bottle.
Some of my favorite recent cocktails have been at San Francisco’s Range and Hard Water, and at Boston’s Ribelle and Number 9 Park. The cocktail lists at these restaurants are creative and really show the great palate and skill of each bar’s mixologist.
At Range “The Remedy” is a great way to start an evening. This layered, spicy cocktail is based on Diplomatico Rum; Venezuelan rum that is often made in pot stills and aged in oak to induce more rich flavors. The rum is enhanced by combining it with ginger, sugar, lime, and, to give it a bit of a kick, chili. The key to this drink’s success is that it combines a refreshing component with a bit of heat on the finish. The result is a sensation of flavors that evolve on palate and makes you actually think about what you are tasting. Well done!
Hard Water focuses on Bourbon and offers flights for customers so that you can actually try several styles of this American whiskey in one sitting. As for cocktails, I’d recommend starting with “The Presbyterian.” This is a mix of 101 Wild Turkey Bourbon with ginger, lemon and soda. It is light, crisp and at the same time has real depth from the Bourbon and ginger mix. Adding the lemon here surprisingly gives this cocktail an extra bit of dimension that sets it apart from just being a simple mixed drink.
At Ribelle in Brookline, Massachusetts Hustle & Cuss is a cocktail that combines Amontillado Sherry, Browns Bourbon, a shot of espresso – called Ristretto – and honey shrub syrup. This may sound like a list of things that you might never combine, but it really works and shows incredible craft and daring. The Amontillado has a nutty slightly citrus flavor that is and enhanced by the dried fruit caramel notes of the Browns. The ristertto adds depth and richness, while the honey shrub keeps everything from becoming bitter. Definitely this is a drink to try!
Number 9 Park is one of Boston’s top restaurants. Wine director Cat Silirie is one of the best in the business and the list is fantastic. But the cocktail list here, managed by Bar Director Ted Kilpatrick, is what I love. There are actually two lists: one that is at the bar, the other that you need to ask for.
Every cocktail at No 9 Park shows creativity and craft, but the one that will stop you cold is “La Vie du Canard.” This is a drink made with Foie Gras and Bourbon. Yes, you read correctly, Foie Gras. It may not sound appetizing and certainly there is real debate about using this duck liver, given the way the birds are treated, but surprisingly it really works here. The drink is rich, but the addition of the Italian aperitif, Cocchi Americano and bitters such as Cynar make it lively and slightly spicy. This is a drink you sip slowly and think about long after the glass is empty.
