Taking the WSET Level 2 in Wines
What is the WSET Level 2 course?
The WSET Level 2 learning materials
The Wine and Spirits Education Trust Level 2 Award in Wines is a qualification for wine enthusiasts and industry professionals. With the tagline “Wines: Looking behind the label”, it gets you to think about how the theory of grape-growing and wine-making relates to what you get in the glass.
I’ve always had a personal interest in winemaking. I knew what I liked in a wine, but I couldn’t explain why and rarely branched out for fear of being disappointed. One of my regular clients is a French airline for whom I translate wine lists and descriptions. I was familiar with concepts like soil, aspect and climate, but I didn’t understand how exactly they had an impact on the aromas and flavours. How do you know what grape a Pommard is or how does a “Grand Cru” actually differ from a “Premier Cru” in terms of quality? Sometimes the language in these texts can be very flowery and complex, and I felt deeper knowledge would help me understand exactly what my client is trying to say within the context of a certain grape variety or region.
I knew about the WSET courses from friends and colleagues who specialise in food and drink, so I initially signed up to the Level 1 beginner’s course in 2024. For personal reasons, I couldn’t make it, and after reading through the content of the course, I realised it was actually very basic. I wanted to deepen my knowledge more and test myself, so I upgraded to Level 2.
Preparation at home
When the Level 2 book arrived, I knew it would be a big step up! Over half of the book focuses on grape varieties, and you’re expected to read it a couple of times at home before the three-day course. I was a beginner, so I knew it would be a lot of information to take in. I made sure I started reading through it a couple of months before the course itself, so I wasn’t cramming last-minute. After all, I wanted to remember the information over the long term and not forget it as soon as I finished the exam!
The book covers:
- How to taste and evaluate wine
- Pairing wine and food
- Storing and serving wine
- Grape-growing and labelling, including environmental factors
- Winemaking
- Grape varieties around the world (the biggest section – it covers around 30)
- Sparkling and fortified wines
I read through the book once to familiarise myself with the content, but honestly, as soon as I’d read about one variety and move onto the next, with all the information about its acidity, body, tannins, aromas and significant regions, I’d immediately forget the previous one. On the second read, I made notes and maps, and things started to sink in a lot more. I also used videos like Wine with Jimmy and started to put together an Excel listing the style, ideal climate and important regions for each grape. These concise notes ended up very useful when revising before the exam.
Each grape variety section was accompanied by wines to test the theory!
The course
The course was spread over three days with the final multichoice exam on the last day. I was very glad to have chosen the in-person course rather than doing it online. We were a small group of seven, which meant we could get to know each other well and support each other. I was worried everyone would be wine gurus already, but most people were doing it for fun and hadn’t done Level 1.
All the theory in the book is backed up by tasting samples, where we would describe the colour, aromas and flavours of the wine and assess its quality. Once we’d tasted a few wines and grape varieties, the theory started to make a lot of sense. It was really amazing to see how the climate and winemaker’s choices have an impact on what you can see, smell and taste in the glass. I found describing these aspects quite difficult but bouncing ideas off each other really helped. When one person would say, “I can smell blackcurrant lozenges”, suddenly you could detect them too. My favourite wines that we tried were The Society’s Exhibition Stellenbosch Pinotage 2021, The Society’s Exhibition Sauternes 2022 and The Society’s Exhibition Alsace Gewürztraminer 2021 (we didn’t only try wines from The Wine Society, but hey, looks like I’m a fan!)
Our teacher, Jane from One Foot in the Grapes, was extremely knowledgeable, passionate, supportive and most importantly, a lot of fun. I was overwhelmed by the amount of information to remember, but she made it all very digestible and accessible and was supporting us over email before the course even began. I definitely recommend her if you’re in the northwest. She also does wine-tasting events and writes a wine column.
The exam
The final exam comprises 50 multichoice questions and takes place at the end of the last day. We had a couple of hours to revise before. I found it relatively easy, as the three days solidifies most of the information and the exam is mainly a test of your memory. I was kicking myself for confusing some grape variety styles though. You have so much going around your head after the three days that you start to question things. But in the end, I didn’t need to worry as I passed with distinction and got 94%!
City Wine Bar + Kitchen in Liverpool where the course took place - they also do lots of wine and food events!
Going forward
As a recovering high-achiever, I got very hung up on perfection, but actually the whole point of the course was to expand my knowledge to support my translation work and learn to read behind the label. I’m actually not a huge drinker, and I did feel like I lacked some of the practical knowledge. My classmates knew a lot more about how certain grape varieties and appellations differ. I was worried I should have done more practical homework (aka drank more wine) in preparation for the course, but I’ve realised it’s just the start of my journey (a potentially expensive one at that!). My learning didn’t stop at the end of the three days. I’m so excited to be able to apply all this knowledge when choosing a wine. I can go into a shop and not feel overwhelmed by all the choices and hopefully not as disappointed. Instead, I’ll know what a wine should taste like given the location of the vineyard and the grapes that are likely in it. Plus, I now have a legitimate reason to decline prosecco at parties - sorry, but it’s just so bland compared to the toasty brioche notes that a Champagne gets from lees contact! And who knows, maybe I’ll take Level 3 one day…
In terms of my translation work, I hope it will show my clients that I understand the challenges facing their industry, the concepts behind their grape-growing and wine-making choices and how this impacts the product they offer. If you’re a French or German winemaker or you work in the drinks industry and you want to communicate with your English-speaking customers, don’t hesitate to reach out!