After returning from Napa I was inspired to start some sort of formal qualification in wines. I ended up taking the WSET Level 1 course through the fine folks at Wine Academy. I learned a lot and had a lot of fun. It turns out I’ve got a soft spot for Austrian wines and the Grüner Veltliners have really re-kindled my interest in whites. The exam, remotely invigilated thanks to COVID, was fairly straightforwards although afterwards I was doubting a number of my answers. Fortunately I ended up scoring 93%, so I guess I must have been paying attention! There’s plenty of “what to expect” material online so I won’t rehash anything here, except to say that it’s probably worth lining up an exam slot earlier rather than later because it does take at least a month to be scheduled. By then (roughly two months after completing the course material) I had to go back and spend a fair bit of time refreshing my memory. I’ve signed up for the level 2 course which begins next week.
