WSET Level 3 Award in Wines

WSET Level 3 Award in Wines qualification is an advanced wine qualification, suitable for people with good basic knowledge (Level 2 or equivalent), both wine enthusiasts and experienced professionals in the hospitality/wine trade.

This qualification provides a detailed understanding of grape growing and winemaking. Upon completion you will be able to assess wines accurately, and use your understanding to confidently explain wine style and quality.

Qualification aims: Holders of the WSET® Level 3 Award in Wines will be able to describe the characteristics of the principal wines of the world and give information on the key factors influencing style, quality and value.  They will consequently be in a position to advise management, to answer customer queries authoritatively, and to make informed selections of wines in a variety of situations.

Learning outcomes:

Unit 1: Theory:

The key factors in the production of wine: location, grape growing, winemaking, maturation and bottling

How these key factors influence the key characteristics of the principal

• still wines of the world
• sparkling wines of the world
• fortified wines of the world

How to apply your understanding to explain wine style and quality

Unit 2: Tasting:

How to taste wines, describe their characteristics and evaluate their quality, using the WSET Level 3 Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine® (SAT).

Course information: For full details download the course specification. 

Assessment: Unit 1 is assessed by a closed-book exam of 50 multiple-choice questions and a short-written answer paper. Unit 2 is assessed by a blind tasting of two wines.  This qualification is regulated by Ofqual.

Course delivery:  This qualification has a minimum requirement of 84 hours of study time, including 30 hours of tuition. Private study required: 54 hours.

A) Blended classroom & online: 11 weeks. To minimise risks associated with the spread of Covid and keep you safe, Premier Wine Training has created a course which blends traditional classes (focussing on tasting), and online tuition: weekly webinars, recorded classes and assessments.  Canvas is the world-class learning platform, used in over 4,000 educational institutions around the world.

There are 5 traditional classes in a classroom, focussing on tasting.  For all the other weeks, you will have a ‘live’ class, delivered by Zoom webinar.  This blended approach also cuts down on your travel time, and allows you greater flexibility, as well as more time to re-watch the recorded classes.

Cost: €690.  Note that students are expected to buy & taste specified wines, and submit 1, occasionally 2 tasting notes each week.

B) 11 week traditional classroom (6.30-9.30pm, once per week for 11 weeks). Cost: €830.

Costs include:

• Tuition
• For blended courses, access to online materials
• Wines (Blended course requires some wines to be bought separately, see above)
• Full study pack (book & workbook & tasting card)
• Traditional paper-based exam.
• Access to a full set of Quizlet-based revision questions.

Most people have a set of 6 tasting glasses from Level 2, so glasses aren’t included.  They can be supplied at a cost of €20 – you can select this option when paying.

Venue for traditional classes & exam:  The Camden Court Hotel, Camden St., Dublin 2. This venue allows for spacious (2m) distance between candidates, with separate desks and safety protocols to safeguard everyone. Importantly, there are procedures in place should candidates be prohibited from travelling/attending the course.

Dates:

• Wed 16 Sept : Blended Course over 11 weeks (all Wednesday evenings) (A) €690.  Exam on 2^nd Dec. Actual tasting classes are on Sept 16&30, Oct 7&28, Nov 25, 6.30-9.15pm. Live Webinars are at 7pm.
• Traditional 11-week course (B) €830: probably Feb 2021

To book: places on all courses are limited, and therefore offered on a first-paid basis.  Payment is required in order to secure a place.  You can book online, using Paypal button, below.  If you’d like to pay by a different method, please get in touch, using the contact form, below.

Entry requirements: This is an advanced course – it is strongly recommended (although not mandatory) that candidates should be at WSET Level 2 before embarking on this course.  Candidates should be over 18 years of age to taste wine.  A good standard of English is required to complete Unit 1 Theory exam.

To use Canvas, you should have basic computer literacy. A computer is recommended over a smartphone or tablet, and your system should have these requirements.

Distance learning option: for candidates who find it difficult to commit to classroom-based study, there is an on-line wine course option at this level.

Next level up: WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines  (This course is run in Dublin by WSET directly, please contact them for details.  WSET Level 3 is required before starting this course).

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