Business Focused
Rossyln recently completed WSET Level 1 Awards in Wines. We invited her to tell us why she has is pursuing wine education.
Why did you pursue the course?
My role at the LCBO is very business-focused: I support our retail and wholesale operations to ensure commercial excellence, as well as meeting our obligations for transparency as a government-owned enterprise. But increasingly I was finding that I needed to know about our suppliers. The IWEG courses will help me understand how and where our products are produced and how I can support strong partnerships with the beverage alcohol industry.
How does it help you in your personal or career goals?
LCBO partners with wine agents and wineries all over the world to bring the best products to Ontario consumers: having a deeper understanding of how and where these wines are produced and why our customers are buying them will help me to meet LCBO’s business objectives. Plus, I also love wine and want to learn more so I can pick delicious bottles at my local LCBO!
Advice to the next generation of students?
Be curious and take time to really appreciate the tastings as part of the training. Memorizing the wine locales is part of the knowledge, of course, but ultimately it’s about building a palate and an appreciation for wonderful wines!
WSET Level 1 Award in Wines
WSET Level 1 Award in Wines provides a hands-on introduction to the world of wine. You’ll explore the main types and styles of wine through sight, smell, and taste, while also gaining the basic skills to describe wines accurately and make food and wine pairings.
This 6-hour course provides a hands-on introduction to the world of wine and wine and food pairing.
You’ll learn:
- The main types and styles of wine
- Common wine grapes and their characteristics
- How to store and serve wine
- The principles of food and wine pairing
- How to describe wine using the WSET Level 1 Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine® (SAT)
WSET Level 1 Award in Wines
Date: Saturday, December 9th at 9:30 am – 4:30pm
Register Now!
Sign Up Early and Save
To help you achieve your 2024 goals, IWEG is offering a special promotion of early bird rates for the first 50 new registrants for 2024 WSET and Wine Scholar Guild courses!
Use the code early24 at checkout to receive 10 per cent off eligible courses! This special offer is effective October 26th and will run until January 2nd. The promotion is not retroactive to existing registrations prior to this date.
WSET Diploma in-class and online courses are not included in this offer.
WSET Level 2 Award in Spirits
WSET Level 2 Award in Spirits is an intermediate-level course for those entering a profession in the industry as well as for enthusiasts who wish to broaden their knowledge in a structured way. You’ll learn about the fundamental production methods, principal raw materials and how they are used to make key spirit styles. You’ll also explore the key practices and principles of serving spirits and the use of spirits in cocktails.
WSET Level 2 Award in Spirits covers the main categories of spirits and liqueurs and examines the influences of production methods on the different styles available in each category, building on the introductory knowledge gained with the WSET Level 1 Award in Spirits. Throughout the course, you’ll develop analytical tasting skills while exploring the use of spirits in cocktails.
This 14-hour course provides fundamental product knowledge and systematic tasting skills. Expect to spend an additional 12 hours on preparation and review outside of the classroom.
You’ll learn:
- How to taste and describe spirits using the WSET Level 2 Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine®(SAT)
- Major spirits categories and styles, as well as liqueurs, vermouth and cocktails
- The four main steps in spirits production
- What labelling terms mean
- Assessment and description skills as you sample a range of benchmark examples
- Basic principles of spirits storage and service and about cocktail equipment, ingredients, basic techniques and main cocktail families
WSET Level 2 Award in Spirits
Date: Saturdays, November 4th, 11th and 18th at 9:30 am – 4:30 pm
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The Charming Taste of Europe: Abruzzo with Andrea Eby
Wine Scholar Guild is proud to bring you this free two-part online series dedicated to the wines of Abruzzo. Located in the calf of the “boot” of Italy, this region deserves to be revisited by all wine professionals and enthusiasts alike. In recent years, viticulture and winemaking in Abruzzo have made leaps forward in terms of quality, and in turn, these wines have found an increasingly global audience and are now more likely to be found readily near you.
Join Andrea Eby, Italian Program Director for Wine Scholar Guild, for two online sessions dedicated to Abruzzo. In the first, Andrea will lay the foundation by sharing the rich history of viticulture and give an overview from the various terroirs to the many indigenous grape varieties. Andrea will also give insight into the culture of wine of the area, allowing you to put the wines and traditions into a greater context.
Session 1: Monday, November 6, 12pm EST
Session 2: Monday, November 13, 12pm EST