​L3Sp is in my opinion the hardest and most content-heavy course in WSET world. The exam is not like the L3W exam, in that the quality assessment in tasting is a written justification for the assessment, not simply a statement as it is in L3W. There are also a significant number of options in the spirits world with still types, many raw materials, and other applications, including all the Asian spirits, that add to the level of knowledge. You will learn a lot, but its a great course - especially if you are industry.

My personal journey with the drinks industry and WSET began a long time ago. I was bartending and working in restaurants after college and had my first bar manager job in 1993, had to run the wine list so that's where I really started to learn about wine. I also worked in a retail shop for a bit and then in 1995 went to work for a fine wine wholesaler - and stayed there until 2011.

I started taking courses and teaching wine classes in the early 2000s, I guess. First with SWE and then really with WSET. I finished my Diploma in 2011. This was all really before or just early on with the internet and wide-open access to information. Everything was paper-based and book studies. I intended to start an APP at some point but in 2011 I changed jobs to my current position (I work for a restaurant group as the corporate beverage director - we have 12 locations) and with kids and work and life my studies and progress took a little back seat.

In 2017, I was accepted to the MW year 1 program and spent the next year studying for that exam, scheduled for June 2018. The little situation that occurred was that my mother was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in May of 2018, about 1 month before my exam, and went into the hospital about 2 weeks before my exam - not the best set-up for taking a huge exam. I went to San Fran and took the exam. Results came back in mid-July, and I had passed theory but missed on tasting. I had to make a decision to continue and redo year 1 by Aug 1, 2018, but my mother had a very difficult summer and by the beginning of August, we were ready for Hospice. It was too much up in the air as to what would happen and just decided that I would not repeat it at that point. But, I am happy to say that my mother is still alive (last last-minute younger doctor stepped in and suggested immunotherapy as a treatment and it literally took only a few weeks to go from making funeral arrangements to the cancer retreating). By October she was definitely doing well, and I decided to change course a bit.

Instead of spending loads of hours studying and more importantly loads of money (I think MW year 1 cost me 500+ hours of study and in the area of about $7-8000), I would use my qualifications to make some money. I chose two tracts: the first was to get the WSET APP done, and the second was Court of Master Sommeliers Advanced (I did Certified a year or two before and liked it, plus I work in restaurants and it seemed to fit better).

In December 2018, the WSET APP / ETP was offered in Hartford, right where I live, so I took a week off and knocked that out nice and cheap with no travel and no hotels. This gave me the ability to go through the process of opening an APP - much paper-work still to come though - and also got me the Certified level for Wine. The same week, I applied for and passed the entry to CMS Advanced course which I attended in Dallas in the spring of 2019. Simultaneously I created the LLC and opened the NEWA APP with a corporate client as my first student group.

I was originally supposed to take the Advanced exam in Oct 2019, but punted as I did not feel prepared, and moved it to March of 2020. Well, some things happened in Mar of 2020 and that never happened. But, in the Spring of 2020, WSET, which had already been beta testing an online delivery option for most courses, fast-tracked the program and intro'd it right in time for Covid delivery - we were off to the races during Covid and had many students working via remote option.

I went back in the winter of 2021 (Queens, NY, this time) and took the ETP for Spirits L2 (L3 was not offered quite yet), and added L1 and L2 Spirits to my offerings for courses.

Working through the Covid period, I eventually got my Court Advanced exam in Oct 2021 in St Louis and passed on the first attempt. One of only 3 Advanced in the State of CT.

As a study aid during my run to the Advanced exam, I took and passed WSET Sake 1 and Spirits 3, simultaneously, passing both. In November 2021, I had to take the Spirits 3 ETP (Educator Training Program) as a top-up in order to offer L3Sp in my APP. So here we are a few years later and I offer all wine, all spirits, and no longer offer Sake (no one takes that class), and am working on the new Beer qualification.

The difference between the Certified Educator and a Registered Educator is that a Certified can offer classes in their APP and have Registered Educators teach under them. Certified still has to be in an APP but they can be their own APP, like me. So if you want to run classes in your part of New York, we can create a partnership and you get registered as an educator and run it under NEWA. That would save you the $6000 needed to become an APP, and relieve you of all of the administrative hassles in running an APP. You can also run remote classes with an APP, and therefore have a broader audience. (I am actually serious on this front - I have a former student who is teaching L1Sp classes, and she is Registered in order to do so.)

So there you go- my life in an email.

It's expensive to become an APP. They do not offer training sessions that often so it's difficult to get it coordinated, sometimes. And you have to hustle to make some money at it. I still run this as a side-gig because my market is kind of small, I work a full-time job, and I primarily offer online courses. But, I am one of a handful that does offer L3Sp, so I have a lot of business from that. I also have strong relationships in the industry and when I do in-person sessions, it's almost always for distributor groups. I have several national teams working on it right now.

​Do orange wines sell?
That was the question I had in mind the other night due to the fact that a couple of my managers in one location were asking to do a dinner in the new year featuring the "hot, new wine category" called Orange Wines. Now, I did not want to be dismissive of this enthusiasm, but at the same time I've been around the block with orange wines and know they are not really for everyone. In fact, unless you are in a restaurant or bar with some very knowledgeable staff who can guide you accordingly - this category can be a bit of a minefield and many of these wines are not for everyone.

I would like to point out that I do not hate this category at all. But, I generally try to avoid them from a business point of view. Mostly because the restaurant wine lists I manage do not have guests who are seeking these wines or these style out on a regular basis. To be blunt, I have never had an inquiry from a guest in the 13 years I have managed these lists. Granted, the locations I work for are in suburban areas where steady habits tend to reign. I will say in my defense a little, though, that I do not create wine lists which are bought and paid for by the big companies (I actually take no deals whatsoever). I am located in what is called independent markets, with no SG, RNDC, etc., and I tend to stay clear of the very mass produced labels from some of the biggest players who dominate many suburban wine lists and store shelves - much to my staff's annoyance.

I actually go out of my way to not list these wines. Although, I have selections that satisfy my guests' style, I am not one to simply buy from the list of top selling wines - this actually kind of drives my reps crazy, too, as they are so used to automatically placing the most popular selections, everywhere.

I want to represent wines that are from a place and a producer that matters and I can see the uniqueness of their product. Sometimes these are bigger producers and sometimes they are very small producers. I try to balance the line - I am in the suburbs after all, and I have to read the room. When I got hired in this position, my boss said, "In 6 months you won't care what you are selling". Well, I do care and I still buy with some principles in mind and I am here 13 years later.

Anyway, I posted the question below and the answers were somewhat predictable (about 80% of the responses were basically "NO" - which I expected. Some people questioned why I was asking in relation to suburban restaurants (as if these are the benchmark of elevated wine buying - to which my response is of course not - but we sell a shit-ton of wine, and not all of it is grocery store level selections).

Plenty of respondents got the question - meaning, with no support from a Somm and a buying public that is happy drinking standard Cabs and Chards (What's your oakiest Chardonnay?), it is nearly impossible for this niche category that covers a wide spectrum of styles, to really catch on. I also pointed out to my guys that this "new" category of wine is actually the oldest category of wine, but that in the modern era these wines had a moment about 7 years ago - right between the hot runs of interest in wines from Greece, then Georgia, then Armenia, and the Czech Republic - and let's not forget Volcanic Wines! (although I do tend to like a lot of wine grown on basalt). And unless you are in Brooklyn, or another dense cosmopolitan area with a Somm on every corner, these wines simply are not successful sellers to the broader public.

I will also add that I admire and appreciate the fact that there are seriously passionate folks out there who earnestly list and sell these wines and other similarly off-the-beaten-path selections. The wine world would be fucking boring if all we listed was Cab, Chard, SB and Pinot Noir (although I can personally get buy with only PN, if I had to!)

I also spoke with a good friend that operates a boutique wine import/distribution company selling geeky wines from all over the place and he admitted to basically staying away from this category. He also operates a wine shop, and in that shop they conversely admits to having success with this category, but also admits its not a huge selling section.

So - here is the question and below are some responses (with the names removed to protect the innocent)...

Do Orange Wines Sell?
I mean, do they actually sell to the general public off of wine lists in suburban restaurants with no Somm on the floor? Is the average guest picking these wines in any quantity that justifies placing them on a list, let alone an entire section dedicated to them?
And just for reference, I have never seen any sizeable interest by the general public other than occasional interest because of an article or mention in the media. Almost always the orange wines I encounter are pushed by the trade, in very specialized on-premise locations (usually in diverse urban areas), and attentive wine shops with educated staff making a recommendation.
I am not opposed to these wines, I just don't see any pull by the average wine drinker, yet I have staff that insists these are super hot right now.

Most successful I’ve seen is doing a section of “Skin Contact” wine that includes rosé and orange. With no Somm or knowledgeable staff though? It’s an almost guarantee you’re dumping 3/4 of every bottle.
Additional Reply >>>
I was going to say this is probably the best method if you want to try it out. Just make sure to get something inexpensive and easy to enjoy
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They require hand selling, so if you have a Somm, or trained staff, sure. But if you just put a few on your list in order to have a representation of the category, with no push from the restaurant staff, not likely.
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Selling 2 cs a month BTG at a Suburban ATL Steakhouse.
Joseph Cattin Orange Pinot Gris.

with an add on response >>> 
And 2 cs a week at another Suburban ATL wine bar.

But then an add on response to that >>>
someone is hand selling those, I almost guarantee it. A wine savvy crowd coupled with at least a few more-than-wine-savvy waiters, and it’s possible, but they aren’t “people off the street.”
________________
Nope not at all. Unless you’re available to handselling every table and bottle and have a true passion for selling them, it’s not really worth the space on a program. 99.9% of the people who drink wine have no clue or general interest in such a small market. Most people would be none the wiser for it missing in your program.

With several responses >>>
I don’t agree. Again, if it ain’t on ya list. It ain’t bought. There are many orange wines that taste great! And your line of”many won’t be the wiser” is poop. In that case have ya list bought and printed by big distributors. Who cares about the wine list at that account. It’s usually filled with Josh. I realize I am buzzed after the saints game so I will be quiet and enjoy one week of being in 1st. I can’t even believe I’m pressing send.

I do well with them in Nola…if ya don’t like em., Don’t play with em. I don’t understand the hate for them. If it ain’t on ya list, it will not be bought. People may be curious. There are some that have training wheels…some are pretty fuckin serious. Either way, do ya thing!
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I do really well with the orange wines in my portfolio, but “natural” wine is definitely trending here (Tampa Bay).
But in suburban restaurants without knowledgeable staff hand selling, they probably won’t move.
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And then there is this rascally response...
Suburban wine lists with no somm are also big on Caymus, Santa Margherita, & Meiomi. What's your point?
and he added later...
Are we gauging anything off of suburban wine lists with no somm? I mean credibility is selectively being given to a market that makes up 90% of the memes here?

To which my response is >>>
I list none of those wines - again, to my staff's annoyance - but I refuse. Just because we are in the burbs doesn't mean we have to sell that stuff, and as I pointed out above there are a lot of restaurants in the suburbs selling a lot of wine.
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Depends on the market. Oakland, Austin, Portland, Brooklyn. They dominate
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They don’t sell
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I can’t keep mine in stock
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The last restaurant list I put together had them on there sporadically. People would absolutely ask for orange wine because they heard about it, but it was often in a style they didn’t enjoy once the bottle was open. We had a bunch of skin contact stuff from Oregon that was juicy & delicious (not oxidative at all) and that usually worked the best. In Philly, you see a lot of orange wine btg that I assume someone is drinking. Maybe they just weren’t my clientele.
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In large on-trend cities. Maybe. In my 58 suburban locations across 20 states. No. They don’t even know what it is. Sell to your audience. All about the guests.
_____________

​And it went on and on with all kinds of replies.
I really do appreciate the feedback and sharing of experiences. The wine market is so diverse in the US and its really hard to know what is trending as it takes a while to get from one place to another. I mean, I can be in Brooklyn 2 hours out of my driveway, but it takes 5 years for a wine or spirit trend to get here. I am wondering if there are certain media outlets and writers who are speaking about this category, regularly? It really seems that there is a younger audience attention to this, but it doesn't seem to be coming from experience but rather inquiry - like I read about and oh, yeah, you have some so I'll try it. I don't know. 
​
Either way, I will be going back around on this and probably testing the waters a bit. And I guess I'll have to give my guys a bit of slack to see if they can come up with a creative menu to work with the wines we select.

This is a reminder that if you are enrolled in a Level 3 Wine course, our next scheduled Exam Prep & Tasting Workshop is coming up this Saturday, 11 November.

Anyone currently enrolled in L3W and who has not taken their exam yet may attend as part of your enrollment package. If you could simply confirm your attendance ahead of time, please.

This meeting will take place in Hartford from 9:30am to approximately 3pm.

The location is NOT at the Thomas Hooker Brewery (our normal location) - that room is booked for the day - but rather at Max Downtown Restaurant located at 185 Asylum St, Hartford, CT 06103 - and is in the City Place Building on the first floor.

The room we will be hosting the class is in one of the private dining rooms which faces Haynes Street directly across from the entrance to the Goodwin Hotel. This is a quick left turn just after the main entrance to Max Downtown on Asylum Street. There is a side door on Haynes Street and this is where I would prefer you enter the building, as the front door to the restaurant will be closed and locked at this hour. There is plenty of free street parking in Hartford on the weekends.

If you have any issues when you arrive, please give me a call (my cell number is on the website).

You should bring notes and study material as well as snacks and drinking water. We will break for a quick lunch. There are a few shops in the area but Hartford can be kind of quiet on the weekends. Maybe bring a lunch as well.

I also offer the ability for anyone who is thinking about enrolling in a Level 3 course, requires a refresher (ie: for a resit exam prep), or is simply wine curious, to attend this session and learn to taste in the WSET format.
Please use this link to register and enroll in the workshop.

I look forward to seeing you this weekend, please let me know if you have any questions.

This is a reminder that if you are enrolled in a Level 3 Spirits course, our next scheduled Exam Prep & Tasting Workshop is coming up a week from this Saturday (Nov 17).

Anyone currently enrolled in L3 Spirits and who has not taken their exam yet may attend as part of your enrollment package. I just ask that you please confirm your attendance in this workshop, ahead of time.

This meeting will take place in East Hartford from 9:30am to approximately 3pm.

The location is NOT at the Thomas Hooker Brewery (our normal space) - as that room is booked for the day - but rather at the Fruitful Mixology facility located at 36 Cedar St, East Hartford, CT 06108.  

It is an industrial area and the building is a warehouse-style building, but we will have plenty of space inside and plenty of parking outside.

If you have any issues when you arrive, please give me a call (my number is on the website).

You should bring notes and study material as well as snacks and drinking water. We will break for a quick lunch. There are a few shops in the area but this part of East Hartford can be kind of quiet on the weekends. Maybe bring a lunch as well.

I also offer the ability for anyone who is thinking about enrolling in a Level 3 course, requires a refresher (ie: for a resit exam prep), or is simply spirits curious, to attend this session and learn to taste in the WSET format.
Please use this link to register and enroll in the workshop.

I look forward to seeing you next weekend, please let me know if you have any questions. As a reminder, there is a lot of extra study material on my website in the Resources tab. If you have not accessed this area, well, I might suggest taking a look...