The first country that comes to everyone's mind when they think of wine is undoubtedly France. Since we fell in love with the world of wine, France has been one of the geographies we've been eager to explore. When we decided to develop our wine knowledge through professional education, we naturally started researching whether we could take our course in France first. With both its touristic richness and the availability of English-language education options, we decided to take our course in Paris.
Before getting into the details of the WSET2 education we took at The Wine School Paris, let's briefly summarize what WSET is for those who have no knowledge about this certification.
WSET
Wine & Spirit Education Trust is an educational institution founded in 1969 in England with the aim of providing education to meet the need for specialist individuals in the import, distribution, and retail of alcoholic beverages. Although England has a very small share in global wine production, it is one of the world leaders in wine trade and the training of wine experts. Today, WSET also organizes specialist education not only in wine but in different alcoholic beverages (beer, whisky, sake, etc.) as well.
WSET wine courses are planned as 4 levels, with each stage separately certified. The first level, WSET1, which serves as an introduction to the wine world for those new to wine education, aims to explore basic wine types and styles. If you're starting from scratch in the wine world, this certificate is perfect for you. If you already work in the food/beverage industry or have had a long-standing interest in wine, it's possible to skip WSET1 and go directly to the WSET2 education. There are no prerequisites for taking WSET2. We also decided to start directly from WSET2, trusting in our general wine knowledge.
The second level, WSET2, focuses on winemaking processes, the world's main wine regions, and systematic wine tasting. The best aspect of this stage is that it gives you the opportunity to get to know world wines up close. It's very enjoyable to experience the theoretical information presented throughout the education practically through wine tastings using wine selections from the same regions.
WSET2 Education in Paris
The Wine School Paris, with its quite central location, makes transportation easy while also allowing you to do a small Paris tour.
One of the best aspects of taking WSET education in Paris is that while taking the course, you also have the opportunity to satisfy your wine cravings at French restaurants with rich wine menus. Between the 48 different wines we tried during the WSET education and the wonderful wines we drank at different venues throughout our trip, we can say we were truly satisfied with wine during our 5-day trip.
Since the language of instruction in the small classroom was English, everyone in our class was very multinational like us. With our instructor being Iranian and the other students we shared the class with being Indian, Taiwanese, American, Russian, French, and Vietnamese, we can say we truly had a cultural exchange.
The program of the course we attended was conducted as a full day from 10:00 to 18:00 over 3 days. At the end of the 3rd day, the education concluded with a 1-hour exam.
In our time remaining after the education, we enjoyed the streets and wine bars of Paris. Interestingly, although the number of wine bars is quite low, at nearly every restaurant in Paris it's possible to taste 6 to 10 different wines by the glass.
Exam
In the WSET2 certification, to successfully complete the program you need to pass a multiple-choice exam given at the end of the education. You have only 1 hour to complete this exam consisting of 50 questions. Although it may seem a bit intimidating at first, you only need to score above 55% to pass. Because of this, there is already approximately a 90% success rate.
Although we had to wait about 6 weeks for the results of the exam we took after the 3-day education, the joy of receiving our first professional wine certification was wonderful.
WSET3
If WSET2 has given you a taste and you want more, don't worry, there's more 🙂 With WSET3, it's possible to make a deeper dive into the world of wine. While learning the characteristics of wine regions around the world (climate, soil, geography) in much more detail, understanding how these characteristics are reflected in the wines is the fundamental subject of this stage. In addition, the effect of different winemaking techniques on wine is also covered in detail.
Because it has a lot of theory, unlike other levels, this stage strikes fear into the hearts of those taking the education with its written exam 🙂 Additionally, at this stage, a blind tasting exam is also conducted, testing not only theoretical knowledge but also practical wine knowledge.
This stage and the subsequent WSET4 (Diploma) cater to those who are professionally involved with wine or, so to speak, are wine enthusiasts to the core. Although we haven't yet dared to move on to that level, we hope the days will come when we'll write about that too 🙂
Favorite Wines
Although we drank wines from completely different regions of the world throughout the education, we didn't neglect to make our favorites list so as not to do injustice to these wonderful wines we tried.
Our top 5 favorite wines were:
- Dominique Laurent, Chablis 1er Cru 'Fourchaume', Chardonnay, 2019, White, France, Chablis: Quite high aroma profile on the nose, ripe yellow fruits, and tropical fruits felt from behind. High acidity on the palate, high aroma intensity and a complex wine. 7.6/10
- François Villard, Côte-Rôtie Le Gallet Blanc, Syrah, 2018, Red, France, Côte-Rôtie: Extremely complex, a wine with dark fruits at the forefront and high aroma concentration. 7.5/10
- La Ferme Du Mont, Mademoiselle Du Mont AOP, Shiraz, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Carignan, 2021, Red, France, Côtes du Rhône: A very elegant wine, with balanced and complex aromas, very enjoyable to drink despite being young. 7.45/10
- Château Fonroque, Château Cartier Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, Merlot, 2015, Red, France, Saint-Émilion: A nicely developed wine. Ripe fruits dominant on the nose, softened tannins, balanced and complex on the palate. 7.45/10
- Roc de Calon, Les Terrasses Montagne-Saint-Émilion, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, 2021, Red, France, Saint-Émilion: Ripe and dried fruits on the nose. Elegant on the palate with high complexity. Aromas are quite intense on both nose and palate. 7.45/10
Additional Information
If you'd like to get more detailed information through the websites of WSET and different education institutions on this topic:
WSET Levels
- General Info: wsetglobal.com
- WSET 1: Specification (PDF)
- WSET 2: Detailed Info | Specification (PDF)
- WSET 3: Specification (PDF)
- WSET 4 (Diploma): Specification (PDF)
Where to Study
- Worldwide: wsetglobal.com/where-to-study
- Turkey (IWSA): iwsa.com.tr
- Turkey (Oenotrian): oenotrian.com
Schools Where We Completed Our Education
- WSET 2: The Wine School Paris (Program | Reservation)
- WSET 3: WSET School London