WSET Diploma
Ah, the Diploma, the course of nightmares, as it’s usually told to students studying their WSET Level 1…. so what is it really like??
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
I’m currently 1 year into the 2-year WSET Diploma course, and I’ve chosen to study the entire course online. I’ve so far completed D1, D2, D4 and D5 modules and am still on track to complete by the middle of next year. Below is an honest encounter of my experience so far, and a little bit more information on the course itself.
If you do have any more questions please feel free to reach out to me through my Instagram account @thewinequeen_
Why did I want to do WSET Diploma?
I had completed my WSET 3 a couple of years ago, undertaken a few of the wine scholar guild courses and got quite a bit of vineyard and winery experience, so I felt ready for the challenge. Most importantly though, I found myself out of work and it felt like a good way to spend some time. I’m really glad I had a bit of time between L3 and the diploma as I really feel like I needed some time for the information to sink in.
Online Option
Honestly, the main factor for choosing the online option was it was significantly cheaper, almost half the cost. I also found that both the first 2 modules to start don’t have an assessed tasting component so didn’t think it was vital to be in a classroom for both largely theoretical module. I also enjoy the flexibility of studying this way and found it much easier to study from my sofa rather than in a classroom. I kept up with some of the tastings and online content for the first couple of modules, but going back to work full time meant D4/D5 didn’t get the attention they required and I didn’t manage to keep up with the tastings and the online activities - I’m hoping to do this better for D3!
Reasons for undertaking WSET Diploma
It’s an extremely well-regarded qualification in the wine industry
It’s a serious wine course - and can take a couple of years to complete
You’re aware you may start to hate wine at some point :)
You love a challenge!
Reasons against undertaking WSET Diploma
The online materials and content are not user friendly
WSET feels quite dated and all their processes including time for results is lengthy (2-3 months)
If you want more of a challenge after L3, my suggestion is to look at wine scholar guild courses
It’s expensive
Thoughts so far….
All pros and cons observed, I decided to go for it and here are my thoughts on each module.
D1: Wine Production
I really enjoyed this module, I’m also studying for an MSc in viticulture & oenology so there’s a lot of overlap in this module. I found that working in a winery really helped cement my knowledge, otherwise everything is largely theory-based. It does take some time for a lot of this information to really sink in and there’s a huge amount of content, but slow and steady worked well for me.
D2: Wine Business
This module has been my least favourite so far. I found the wine business is quite dull, especially around a lot of the laws and regulations in different countries. I found myself even bored in the exam writing the answers…. It’s mostly common sense though, so it’s not really hard, and there’s not a huge amount of content, but more finicky around knowing how different countries operate.
D4: Sparkling Wines
I love sparkling wine, but I didn’t love this module as much as I thought I would. I think I mostly rushed this as I had a ton of university work on, and it didn’t get all the love it needed some me. Needless to say I really enjoyed trying many different sparkling wines from across the world!
D5: Fortified Wines
This had to be one of my favourite modules. I went from limited knowledge to an “expert” in a matter of weeks when I started studying this. I loved all the historical elements and how much tradition is involved in fortified wine production. I also tasted so many new types of wine that I had never done before so! So many types of Madeira, Port, Sherry, Muscat and Vin Deux Natural.
Course Structure
WSETDip is made up of 6 modules and assessments are captured below.
D1: Wine Production
Exam: Open response (3/4 questions typically) (1.5 hours)
D2: Wine Business
Exam: Open response (3/4 questions typically) (1 hours
D3: Wines of the World
Exam: 4 exams over 2 days; 2 x Open-response (2 hours, 1 hour 20 min) , 2 Blind tasting of 6 wines (2 x 1.5 hours)
D4: Sparkling Wines
Exam: Open-response / blind tasting of 3 wines (1.5 hours)
D5: Fortified Wines
Exam: Open-response / blind tasting of 3 wines (1.5 hours)
D6: Independent Research Assignment
One research assignment of 3,000 words
Final Thoughts
Personally, I think if you’ve done up to L3 and you want a bit more of a challenge try your hand at one of the wine scholar guilds. Diploma is 2 years worth of effort, and significantly more work than L3. D1 (which is 20% of the Diploma) is very similar in size to the whole of WSET L3…
I think WSET Diploma is great when you want to get qualified to a serious level and you have time and money to dedicate to it. I’ve enjoyed studying so far, but rightly or wrongly I see it more as a means to an end rather than for the full pleasure of studying it! For the pleasure of studying I go to the Wine Scholar Guild.
