August 3 - Level 3 Wine Workshop
Hartford 9:30 - 3:00 pm.
This is the quarterly workshop I host for all Level 3 candidates. It is the best opportunity to get to taste and learn with me directly for this course. We cover multiple flights of wine all designed to help you calibrate to the WSET tasting style as well as give you a primer on the exam and what to expect for this. We also cover some theory as it relates to tasting. Open to all students currently enrolled in a Level 3 course, or anyone wishing to experience the WSET Level 3 Systematic Approach To Tasting. We always have extra room. Use this link to sign up if you are not already attending. Next workshop will be Oct 19.

August 10 - Level 3 Spirits Workshop
Hartford 9:30 - 3:00 pm.
This is the quarterly workshop I host for all Level 3 candidates. It is the best opportunity to get to taste and learn with me directly for this course. We cover multiple flights of wine all designed to help you calibrate to the WSET tasting style as well as give you a primer on the exam and what to expect for this. We also cover some theory as it relates to tasting. Open to all students currently enrolled in a Level 3 course, or anyone wishing to experience the WSET Level 3 Systematic Approach To Tasting. We always have extra room. Use this link to sign up if you are not already attending. Next workshop will be Nov 9.

Enrollment Deadlines
Please use this link to find access to the enrollment pages for each of the classes listed below
WSET Level 1 Beer
Class running Aug 26, 2024 > Sep 22, 2024 (enrollment deadline Aug 18)
Class running Sep 23, 2024 > Oct 20, 2024 (enrollment deadline Sep 15)

WSET Level 1 Sake
Class running Sep 2, 2024 > Sep 29, 2024 (enrollment deadline Aug 23)
Class running Nov 4, 2024 > Dec 1, 2024 (enrollment deadline Oct 27)

WSET Level 1 Wine
Class running Aug 5, 2024 > Sep 1, 2024 (enrollment deadline Jul 28)
Class running Aug 19, 2024 > Sep 15, 2024 (enrollment deadline Aug 11)

WSET Level 2 Wine
Class running Aug 5, 2024 > Sep 8, 2024 (enrollment deadline Jul 28)
Class running Aug 19, 2024 > Sep 22, 2024 (enrollment deadline Aug 11)

WSET Level 3 Wine
Class running Aug 5, 2024 > Oct 6, 2024 (enrollment deadline Jul 28)
Class running Aug 26, 2024 > Oct 27, 2024 (enrollment deadline Aug 18)

WSET Level 1 Spirits
Class running Aug 19, 2024 > Sep 15, 2024 (enrollment deadline Aug 11)
Class running Oct 28, 2024 > Nov 24, 2024 (enrollment deadline Oct 20)

WSET Level 2 Spirits
Class running Aug 5, 2024 > Sep 8, 2024 (enrollment deadline Jul 28)
Class running Sep 30, 2024 > Nov 3, 2024 (enrollment deadline Sep 22)

WSET Level 3 Spirits
Class running Aug 5, 2024 > Oct 6, 2024 (enrollment deadline Jul 28)
​Class running Nov 18, 2024 > Jan 19, 2025 (enrollment deadline Nov 10)

This past week I had the opportunity to sit down with Gianluca Bisol, the 23rd generation head of the famed Bisol winery in the Valdobiadenne region of the Veneto in Italy - home to the finest Prosecco made. Tasting the Cartizze, which is a single vineyard expression of Prosecco, it is shocking to me how little the drinking public knows of these fantastic wines. Sparkling wine at the very highest level and simply delicious.

The important factor to know about Prosecco, as opposed to Champagne which is the standard bearer of quality in sparkling wines, is that Champagne is based around a yeast forward aromatic and taste profile. Prosecco does not involve a second fermentation, and so the focus on this style is the fruit and grape in the bottle - which is Glera. For those looking for a glorious bottle of wine that easily competes with the top sparkling wines of the world, take a look at the rare but available Cartizze offerings from any producer - they are all good. If you happen to find a bottle fo the Bisol Cartizze - then all the better for you. Here is my conversation with Gianluca...

I am posting this information as I get a lot of students inquiring about exam dates, and often about alternative exam dates. Here are a few key points about WSET exams and why we are sometimes not able to process requests. I am also going to address the time frames fro each exam results as we have been experiencing this past year.

To begin, I think it important for students to understand what WSET is and why it can sometimes take a little time to get results back. The acronym WSET stands for Wine & Spirits Education Trust. WSET is a British-based organization that was begun in the late-1960s to standardize and educate the British drinks trade - at the time it was mainly wine, but spirits were included in the curriculum. Expanding to a global presence over the past 50+ years, WSET has evolved into the largest educational and qualification program in the world with a specific focus on the drinks industry. Because they operate across such a vast region, there has been a need to keep the standards very high and the material updated routinely. What does this mean?

First, it means that WSET is accredited and follows certain standards in educational delivery to maintain it place in the trade, both in Europe and beyond. This is done by reviewing all of the course material and delivery methods, certifying educators and the teaching process, with routine reviews and updates, as needed. They also are certified and reviewed by a third-party system, that acts as a check in the whole process and ensures students everywhere are receiving the same material and exam certifications, as well as course delivery standards.

In becoming an Approved Program Provider, I had to attend and pass certain ETPs (Educator Training Programs), after passing the various qualifications I was interested in offering through my school. These ETP programs involve training and testing at the highest level, and challenge all educators to understand the delivery of the course as well as the standards expected for handling exam material, personal information, and building an affiliated program under the WSET umbrella. In Europe WSET is considered something similar a vocational educational program where people working in the drinks or restaurant trade are expected to have passed certain levels in order to take a job, for instance.

This is why the exams are held under strict exam conditions, and why sometimes it may take some time to receive your results. For this we apologize, but WSET is processing thousands of exams on a monthly basis from students learning all over the globe. As such, we generally advise and have experienced the following exam results return time frames. This is only a general guide base don what we have experienced, and actual return of gradelists may be more or less in length.

For online exams (Level 1 and Level 2) - we have been getting exam results back the week following the exam. In our program, Saturdays are the standard day to sit an exam, and we are getting results back on the following Wednesday, often. This is the best scenario for quick results, and if you are outside of the Hartford area, which is where we are almost always offering exam sits.

For In-person Exams (Level 1) - these are generally returned in 3-4 weeks.

For In-person Exams (Level 2) - these often take about 6 weeks for grades. We have had some exams come back in line with the level 1 timeframe, but that is not always the case.

What this means is that if you need a result back fairly quick, taking the online exam will be your best option. Just keep in mind that we WSET bills us an extra fee for the third-party monitoring that occurs with all online exams, and this is sometimes reflected in our course tuition fees.

For Level 3 Exams - both wine and spirits - these are always taken in-person as there is a tasting component to the exam and you just be present to sit this portion of the exam. Generally speaking, we are getting exam results back in about 8-10 weeks. 

All in-person / written exams have to be consolidated and shipped via DHL to London for processing. The Level 3 exams are initially graded (tasting section) here before sending to London for final review and grade processing. But, the written theory exam sections are sent to London and then on to WSET grading experts for processing. This is the part that takes time as each exam has to be reviewed (sometimes deciphered) and then processed for grades back to WSET in London. At which time the results of the tasting and theory portions are consolidated and the gradelist is sent to us. We generally turn all grade lists around and notify students as soon as possible of their grades.

Until we receive the final gradelists, there is little we can do to make the process go any faster. Patience is a virtue, of course, but waiting does suck - and we get it. We are stuck with the WSET process, which I will argue has gotten much better over the past couple of years. They really have been working hard to step up the return times. It's really a matter of volume and who is available to grade these papers - of which there are thousands, in a multitude of languages.

FINE PRINT ON EXAM DATES & POLICIES
Please note, cancelling or rescheduling an exam once your class has commenced, will result in a $35 administrative charge.

Cancelling or rescheduling an exam within 16 working days of the exam date will result in the $35 administrative fee plus a new exam fee (this is the same as the re-sit fee for your respective class and exam type). We apologize for this inconvenience but WSET is fairly strict with its registration deadlines and these time frames are out of our control.

We work with our students to ensure they are aware of all dates, but please mark your calendars with all relevant dates/times.

WSET requires us to post and associated exam date on each course offering. Students do have the ability to select an alternative date for their exam, but as detailed above, must do this befor ethe class begins or there will be fees associated with the rebooking.
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For students that are unable to sit an exam due to an emergency or medical situation, WSET does have a review process for these situations. Please be prepared to validate your appeal for an alternative date with a doctor's note or other relevant information - or at the very least a detailed explanation of the circumstance. A busy life does not qualify, but illness, family emergencies, and the like are often dealt with fairly and a new exam date will be offered without penalty.

​PLEASE let us know as early as possible if you are unable to make and exam for any reason.

As we approach the end of July a full effort is underway to load in the new calendar of course offerings to the website and make available for new and return students to enroll. This is an annual effort that we have undertaken now for the 7th year running. We are quite proud of the fact that we continue to be able to offer students the opportunity to continue their educational process in the beverage world, no matter what your level of involvement or need is - whether that be a causal interest for personal enrichment, or as part of a career path in the drinks industry.

​WSET operates its academic calendar from Aug 1 to Jul 31, each year. That means all current, new course enrollments are in the new year. This should basically be a seamless process for students and I only mention it because we are still working to load up the new offerings, and so there may be a few gaps here and there if you are searching for a specific course. This should be rectified over the next few days or week, and all courses for 2024/2025 will be on the website and registrations will be available. Please let me know if something is missing - I am happy to review and send a link to get you on your study path.

One of the major projects that is associated with this process is the building of our academic calendar and when we will host exams, workshops, and other offerings. There will be a post following this one with regard to the dates for the Level 3 Wine and Level 3 Spirits Exam Prep and Tasting Workshops for the up-coming year. I host one of each of these learning days every quarter of the year, so please look at that listing if you are interested in attending a workshop as an enrolled Level 3 student (included with your course tuition) or as a prospective Level 3 student interested in learning more about the exam and tasting aspect at the advanced levels.

​We will also have a post explaining the process for our exam dates, and the options students have to utilize these dates or chose and alternative date. Please read on for this info.