Close up of 4 wine glasses with white wine, rose wine, red wine and orange wine

Level 3 Award in Wines: Course Specifications & Policies

What’s you’ll learn:

Unit 1:

  • Key factors in the production of wine: location, grape growing, winemaking, maturation and bottling
  • How these key factors influence the key characteristics of the principal still, sparkling and fortified wines of the world
  • How to apply your understanding to explain wine style and quality

Unit 2:

  • How to taste wines, describe their characteristics and evaluate their quality, using the WSET Level 3 Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine® (SAT)

Course format:

  • 30 hours of in-person guided learning with a WSET course provider culminating in a closed book exam
    • Classes are held either 2 hours a week over 15 weeks or 8 hour weekend days over 4 weeks.  Detailed schedules are sent upon enrollment.
  • 54 hours of personal study will be required in addition to the guided learning time
  • Exam has 50 multiple choice questions, a short-written answer paper and assessment by a blind tasting of 2 wines. Total exam time is 2.5 hours.

Fees and Materials:

  • $1,600 (inquire directly for industry and teaching assistant options)
  • Course fee includes:
    • All course materials
    • Enrollment fee
    • Exam fee
    • In-person classroom instruction
    • Certificate
    • At least 6 wines tasted for each of the units studied
    • WSET certificate and lapel pin

Added benefits of this course:

  • Able to use associated WSET certified logo
  • Currently only public course offered in Sonoma County, shortened travel for Sonoma and Mendocino residents
  • Opportunity to meet guest winemakers- subject to availability
  • Invitation to post-course happy hour hosted by wineries at Bacchus Landing

For more details, check out Level 3 Specifications