This will probably show just how large of a rock I’ve been living under, since I’m just coming onto this now and their domain has been registered since October of last year…
Anyway, the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) has (relatively) recently teamed up with Jancis Robinson, as well as a few regional promotional groups such as the German Wine Institute, to release a series of three-minute educational videos on wine. Each of the vids focuses on a particular winegrowing area or country within a region (e.g., Europe, the Americas, South Africa, ANZ…).
I’m a fan of the WSET (I hold their Intermediate and Advanced certifications), and while I feel that their fees are relatively expensive, I can personally attest to the high quality of their courses and the relevant wine experience that they provide. Those of you in the Philly area that are interested in WSET classes should check out PhillyWine.com – I personally know a few of their instructors (Mark Cochard, Charles Austermuhl, and Neal Ewing) and they’re nice and very knowledgeable guys.
Anyway, the WSET vids are aimed at beginners, so I’m not sure how much 1WinDude.com readers will get out of these, but they’re well done and at least worth giving a quick look:
Cheers!
(images: wsetglobal.tv)
very interesting. thanks for posting. i was scheduled to take the intermediate course a few months back and had to back out at the last minute. looking forward to doing it though – sounds like a great course.
I enjoyed the Intermediate course – took it from home, then took the exam in Philly. It's probably one of the top things that got me started on the path to wine blogging and consulting, actually…
Well, Joe, if you're late to this party, then I'm even later. Thanks for sharing this link!
You know what – this series doubles as a tutorial in the pronunciation and annunciation of the Queen's English… Jancis' voice is just wickedly cool in these vids…
I just took the WSET advanced in Chicago, and it was a pretty good experience. For more indepth info, try the ISG (International Sommelier Guild) Wine I and II classes.
How was the ISG II class? And how *much* are those?
Great find for any wine lover. Even 'experts' need refresher courses. And I love the brevity of the videos. I will pass the word.
Cheers
Amy
Maybe I could learn a thing or two from these on the brevity front… :-)
I bet there is something on the website for everyone, of every self-perceived wine expertise .
I learned how to properly pronounce Spatburgunder!
That's funny…I recently learned how to pronunce Chassagne…those crazy Frenchies!
Imagine how many times my pronunciation was corrected in Germany…
Ha! You are brave, I wouldn't have even attempted it :)
Brave… or very stupid! :-)
great post lol
I learned how to properly pronounce Spatburgunder!
I found Jancis' voice quite soothing actually. They should use it as any automated customer relations calls as well–people just might become less frustrated.
They should give you a glass of wine AND use her voice!
It would be cool to have her voice for an answering machine greeting, now that I think about it…
They should give you a glass of wine AND use her voice!
It would be cool to have her voice for an answering machine greeting, now that I think about it…
I took earned my intermediate certificate back in March and am taking my advanced exam on June 15th. This will be a great way to do a quick refresher when I need a break from my flashcards. Thanks!
It can't hurt! Good luck on the Advanced exam!
Nice, Joe, thanks for the post. I, too, am a late-comer to the party…is the keg kicked yet? I'm also a proud holder of an Advanced Cert from the WSET in NYC. Those in NYC should definitely check out the International Wine Center. Yep, a bit pricy, but some truly great teachers. Shout out to Linda Lawry and Steve Miller (possibly one of the sickest repository of German wine knowledge in the US)!
Never too late!
Thanks for the head's up on the NYC contacts.