If you have ever looked into a wine class, you have probably met the letters WSET. The Wine & Spirit Education Trust, based in London, sets a ladder of wine qualifications that approved course providers teach in person and online, including across the United States. The courses are numbered by level, and the jump from one to the next is bigger than the numbers suggest. Here is what each of the first three asks of you, from the Trust's own course pages.

Level 1: a first look

The Level 1 Award in Wines is the beginner course. It takes a minimum of six hours of guided learning with an approved course provider and ends with a one-hour, closed-book exam of 30 multiple-choice questions. There are no entry requirements.

It covers the main types and styles of wine, the common grape varieties and what they taste like, how to store and serve wine, the basics of matching wine with food, and how to describe a wine using WSET's structured tasting method. It is offered in person or online, over consecutive days, evenings or a five-week online classroom.

Level 2: the one most people take

The Level 2 Award in Wines is the intermediate course. WSET lists 16 hours of guided learning, 11 hours of private study and a one-hour exam of 50 multiple-choice questions, closed book. Again, there are no entry requirements.

The syllabus goes deep on eight principal grapes (Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Syrah or Shiraz): where they grow, how the vineyard and the winemaking shape them, and how they mature. It then widens to 22 other regionally important grapes made in more than 70 named regions, plus sparkling and fortified wines, the key label terms for origin, style and quality, storage and service, and food pairing.

Level 3: a real step up

The Level 3 Award in Wines is advanced, and the hours show it: 30 hours of guided learning and 54 hours of private study, 84 or more in all. WSET recommends holding Level 2 first or having equivalent knowledge, though it is a recommendation rather than a rule.

It is also the first level with a tasting exam. The assessment has two parts: a closed-book theory paper of 50 multiple-choice questions plus short written answers, and a blind tasting of two wines, where you describe and assess each wine without knowing what it is.

Which one to choose

  • You want to feel at ease ordering and buying: Level 1 is a single day or a few evenings.
  • You want to understand why wines taste the way they do: Level 2 is the course built for that, and no prior course is needed.
  • You want to taste analytically and know the regions in depth: Level 3, ideally after Level 2, and plan for serious study time.

Tasting is part of every level, and WSET requires students to be of legal drinking age where they take the course to join in the tastings. Prices, schedules and formats are set by each approved provider, so the next step is WSET's own provider search for a school near you or online.

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