Distance Learning Programme Options: -

WSET® Level 2 Award in Wines & Spirits (formerly Intermediate Certificate in Wines & Spirits) and WSET® Level 2 Award in Spirits (formerly Professional Spirits Certificate)

Are you an enthusiast who would love to learn more about wine and/or spirits yet you just don’t have the time to commit yourself to attending weekly courses?  If the answer’s ‘Yes’, then perhaps the distance learning option is for you.

Once you’ve received your study pack, which consists of the ‘Looking Behind the Label’ course book (Intermediate Certificate) or 'Distilling Knowledge' (Professional Spirits) and study guide together with a WSET® Systematic Approach to Tasting (Spirits) card, you can get studying at home at your own time and pace.  Once you’re ready, you’ll have a full 12 months to come along and sit your exam!

Level 2 Award in Wines & Spirits Course Fee £150.00 plus vat per student

Level 2 Award in Spirits Course Fee £180.00 plus vat per student NEW!

Level 3 Award in Wines & Spirits Fee £210.00 plus vat per student

Fees includes study materials, on-line Help Desk Personal Tutor and examination.

Entry Requirements?  None

Wine and Spirit Course Content & General Information Covers all the subjects covered & general information you‘ll want to know! Booking Terms and Conditions Deals with all the bits you need to know FAQ Frequently asked questions Other Support Information Got any questions or queries?  Just contact the Help Desk team on 01904 778830 or send us an email to courses@wineschoolofexcellence.co.uk who will be more than happy to help you.

WSET® Level 2 Award in Wine and Spirits      Download full specification (large file) Distance Learning Programme Course Content and General Information (Accredited Level 2 Vocational Qualification with the UK Government’s QCA)
Entry Requirement	None
Wine Tasting	Taste and describe wines using the WSET® Systematic Approach to Tasting
Food and Wine Matching	A practical guide to the key considerations when matching food and wine successfully
Wine Service and Storage	Learn the correct way to store and serve wine and recognise common faults found in wine
Factors Influencing the Style of Wine	Study the factors influencing the style, quality and price of wine in the vineyard and winery including grape growing and wine making
Labeling	Understanding and decoding labels
Grape Varieties	Learn about the characteristics and styles of wines produced by the key international and regionally important grape varieties. Key white grape varieties: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling Other varieties:  Chenin Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Muscadet, Pinot Gris/Grigio, Sémillon, Torrentes, Trebbiano and Verdicchio Key black grape varieties:  Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah/Shiraz Other varieties:  Barbera, Carmenère, Gamay, Malbec, Montepulciano, Nebbiolo, Pinotage, Primitivo, Sangiovese, Tempranillo and Zinfandel
Key Wine Producing Regions of the World	Learn about the main styles of wines from the key wine-producing regions: - France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, USA, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Study Materials	Students will receive the Intermediate course study pack, consisting of the ‘Looking Behind the Label’ course book and study guide together with a WSET® Systematic Approach to Tasting card
Recommended Private Study	Minimum 33 hours of private study is recommended for this course
Examination	50 multiple-choice questions to be answered in 60 minutes A mark of 55% required to pass
Certification	All students who pass will be issued with a certificate suitable for framing and a lapel pin

Extras Ideally and at least once, we highly recommend that you practice and develop your skills using the WSET® Systematic Approach to Tasting within a tutored environment too.  Just give us at least a weeks notice and numbers permitting, we’d love you to join us.  Full day attendance is £95.00, half day is £57.00 and evening sessions £40.00, which we will require to be paid in full so we can confirm your place.

WSET® Level 2 Award in Spirits                 Download full specification (large file) Daytime and Evening Course Content and General Information (Accredited Level 2 Vocational Qualification with the UK Government’s QCA)
Entry Requirement	None
Wine Tasting	Taste and describe wines using the WSET® Systematic Approach to Tasting to Spirits
Brands	Explains the importance of branding in the spirits and liqueur market and covers the principal International Spirits and Liqueur brands.
General Introduction to the General Production Techniques for Spirits and Liqueurs	Study the key factors influencing the style, quality and price of spirits and liqueurs including general production processes.
Principal Categories of International Spirits and Liqueurs	Learn about the key characteristics, styles and brands of the principal categories of international spirits and liqueurs: - Brandies: – Cognac, Armagnac, Spanish and other countries Whiskies: - Scotch, Irish, American (USA) Whiskey and other countries Rums: - Styles, Caribbean, Martinique and other cane-based spirits Vodka: - Styles, Base materials & flavored Vodkas Tequila and Mezcal: - styles Flavored spirits: -  Gin, Anise and other Fruit Spirits and Liqueurs: - hard, soft and stone fruit, liquer categories
Customer Information and Advice	Use product knowledge to make recommendations for the selection, service and use of spirits and liqueurs
Study Materials	Students will receive the Professional Spirits course study pack, consisting of the ‘Distilling Knowledge’ course book and study guide together with a WSET® Systematic Approach to Tasting Spirits card
Course styles and durations	Day Release Courses – 1 day a week for 3 weeks plus 1 hour examination Consecutive Day Courses – 3 consecutive days plus 1 hour examination Evening Courses – 2 ½ hours one evening per week for 7 weeks including 1 hour examination
Recommended Private Study	Minimum 16 hours of private study is recommended for this course (minimum of 28 hours in total)
Examination	50 multiple-choice questions to be answered in 60 minutes A mark of 55% required to pass
Certification	All students who pass will be issued with a certificate suitable for framing and a lapel pin
Extras Ideally and at least once, we highly recommend that you practice and develop your skills using the WSET® Systematic Approach to Tasting within a tutored environment too.  Just give us at least a weeks notice and numbers permitting, we’d love you to join us.  Full day attendance is £95.00, half day is £57.00 and evening sessions £40.00, which we will require to be paid in full so we can confirm your place.

WSET® Level 3 Award in Wine and Spirits          Download full specification (large file) Distance Learning Course Content and General Information (Accredited Level 3 Vocational Qualification with the UK Government’s QCA and pre-requisite for WSET Level 4 Diploma)
Entry Requirement	WSET Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits highly recommended.
Wine Tasting	Taste and describe wines using the WSET® Systematic Approach to Tasting
Food and Wine Matching	Principles of matching food and wine.

Grape Varieties	Learn about the characteristics and styles of wines produced by the key international and regionally important grape varieties.
Regions, Districts and Method of Production	Factors influencing style, quality and price of wines and spirits in the key regions of:  France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Central and South Eastern Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, North America and South and Central America.
Study Materials	Students will receive the Advanced/Level 3 Award in Wines and Spirits course study pack, consisting of the ‘Style and Quality’ course book, specification and study guide together with a WSET® Systematic Approach to Tasting card
Recommended Private Study	Minimum of 84 hours
Examination	Two units.   Unit One to be completed in 1 hour 45 minutes: - Part I comprises of 50 multiple choice questions and Part II is a question paper requiring short written answers which consists of 4 questions of 24 marks each and 1 of 4 marks. Unit Two examination time 30 minutes: - consists of a practical of blind tastings and the completion of written tasting notes for 2 wines.    A mark of 55% in each unit required to pass Results in around 6-8 weeks from the examination.
Certification	All students who pass will be issued with a certificate suitable for framing and a lapel pin
Extras Ideally and at least once, we highly recommend that you practice and develop your skills using the WSET® Systematic Approach to Tasting within a tutored environment too.  Just give us at least a weeks notice and numbers permitting, we’d love you to join us.  Full day attendance is £95.00, half day is £57.00 and evening sessions £40.00, which we will require to be paid in full so we can confirm your place.

Distance Learning Programme – BOOKING TERMS AND CONDITIONS


Full payment must accompany the booking form as we do not accept provisional bookings and places will only be confirmed once payment is received.  Bookings will only be accepted on valid forms with a fully completed and signed declaration. Payment methods: cheque or BACS transfer, debit and credit card payments.

Cancellations/Refunds  Once booked, no refunds apply to Distance Learning programmes.  This includes refunds or reduction in fees for previously purchased materials, examinations not taken within the 12 month course registration period or non-attendance at booked tutorial sessions.

Personal Tutors on the help desk communicate with students primarily via email and on the occasion of telephone calls, no personal telephone numbers will or can be released.  Wine School of Excellence reserves the right to alter the Personal Tutor allocated at enrolment where necessary.

Examinations  If the student fails to attend a booked examination, he/she will be liable for subsequent examination fees.  Re-sit examinations are not included in the course fee.  All students are required to bring along authorised photographic ID (passport, photo driving license) with them to the examination otherwise they will be refused entry.

Expiry of the 12 month Enrolment Period  If the student has not completed the course within the 12 months from enrolment and does wish to complete their studies, he/she will need to re-enrol paying the relevant fees at the time of re-enrolment.

Special examination condition requirements due to dyslexia or other medical reasons must be notified prior to the start of the course and supported by a doctor’s certificate or similar document.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q.  How does the Distance Learning programme work?

A.  Once enrolled, you will be allocated a Personal Tutor at the Help Desk and the details will be sent to you with the study pack.  On a home study basis, it’s then up to you to decide how often and whether or not you wish to learn in small bite sized chunks or perhaps in more in depth sessions.

Q.  What if I’m unsure about any of the content of the course programme?

A. Just email your question or query to your Personal Tutor at the Help Desk and he/she will respond to you within 24 working hours wherever possible either by email or telephone as appropriate.

Q.  What is the recommended self study time for this programme?

A.  Obviously people learn at different speeds and how much prior knowledge of wines and spirits you have before you start the course, will have a bearing on this.  For a successful outcome, we do highly recommend that all students spend at least 33 hours of self study time.

Q.  How long can I take to complete my studies?

A.  From enrolment, you have a full 12 months in which to complete the Distance Learning programme and sit your exam?

Q.  Is it possible to attend the delivery of Day Release lectures?

A.  Of course and we do recommend it so that you can practice and develop your skills using the WSET® Systematic Approach to Tasting within a tutored environment.  Just give us at least a week’s notice and numbers permitting, we’d love you to join us.  Full day attendance is £95.00, half day is £57.00 and evening sessions £40.00, which we will require to be paid in full so we can confirm your place.*

Q.  Where do I sit my exam?

A.  On enrolment, we will let you know the forthcoming exam dates and it’s up to you which one you would like to attend.  All we ask is that you notify us a minimum of 3 weeks prior to the exam day so that we can register you with WSET® Awards.

© Cleverdotsolutions Limited t/a Wine School of Excellence 85 Middlethorpe Grove   York   UK  YO24 1JX