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Consumer Perceptions of Wine

Student profile: Meet Esther

Esther

Esther completed her WSET Level 2 Award in Wines and WSET Level 3 Award in Wines studies with IWEG while finishing her PhD in New Zealand! Taking a break from her busy schedule, she shared with us her story:

What drew you to wine education? 

My undergraduate degree was in food science. One of the compulsory courses was third year industrial microbiology. In the class we were taught about fermentation science – mostly brewing and winemaking and that’s where my interest in wine science and education began. After I completed my bachelors I continued to pursue wine science and research. I completed a postgraduate certificate in Grape and Wine Technology and then my Masters in Biotechnology specializing in oenology. I did my WSET Level 2 Award in Wines because I’ve always wanted to take the WSET courses to complement my wine education and it was another way to expand my knowledge in this field. I enrolled in WSET Level 3 Award in Wines and am looking forward to sitting for the exam this year. It’s been informative and fun to use my science background to learn about wine through WSET education.

How is a wine education helping you achieve your personal or professional goals?

My wine education has helped me better understand wine regions across the world. My education has given me a head start on knowledge when visiting new wine regions. I’ve spent the past four years living in New Zealand pursuing my PhD education and my wine background has allowed me to apply my knowledge directly and work on understanding consumer perceptions of New Zealand wine for export. Having recently relocated back to Canada, my wine education and knowledge of fermentation science also helps me professionally. I’m presently working as a research scientist for Lallemand – Biofuels and Distilled Spirits and so I apply my education to working with distilled spirits daily.

Any study tips or advice for students?

If you have the opportunity to visit any of the wine regions highlighted in the WSET courses, do it. Also blind tastings with friends and food makes for easy studying when learning about wine regions and styles.

Landscape image with rolling hills and water. Text on the image says New Zealand Wine Week and bringing New Zealand to you.

Speaking of New Zealand wines, it’s New Zealand Wine Week!

New Zealand Winegrowers kicked off the second New Zealand Wine Week on February 7, 2022.

Themed ‘Bringing New Zealand to You’, virtual activities for the event are planned across the USA, UK, and Canada. The focus of New Zealand Wine Week are two webinars;  ‘Business of Wine in New Zealand – 2022 and Beyond’, which will involve panellists from the UK, USA and New Zealand, and provide a global perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing the New Zealand wine industry in the future.  The second ‘Pinot Noir Masterclass – An Exploration of our Subregions’ will be a discussion led by Cameron Douglas MS. Learn more!

Become a French Wine Scholar: The course starts February 10

Image of logo with the words French Wine Scholar (FWS). In the background in a laptop with the image single and double guyot pruning system, the French Wine Scholar manual and a smartphone with Champagne flashcards.

French Wine Scholar
Thursdays, February 10th – April 21st at 6:30pm – 8:30pm. No class on March 17th. Exam on Thursday, May 5th at 6:30pm at IWEG, 211 Yonge Street, Suite 501.

The French Wine Scholar is an in-depth specialist certification focused on the diverse wines and wine regions of France. It is designed by the Wine Scholar Guild to provide current, accurate information on all of the wine regions of France and validate proficiency in the wines and wine regions of France.

This 20-hour course provides detailed coverage of French AOC wines, as well as an introduction to French history, geography, viticulture and winemaking.

You will:

  • Develop specialist knowledge of the AOC wines of Alsace, Champagne, Jura, Savoie, Burgundy, Loire, Bordeaux, Rhône, Languedoc, Roussillon, Southwest France, Provence and Corsica
  • Appreciate the cultural context of French wine
  • Consider the vineyard and winery factors that contribute to wine styles
  • Taste a range of French wines

Prerequisite: None. However, WSET Level 2 Award in Wines is recommended, and WSET Level 3 Award in Wines is preferred.

This course includes:

  • A new 7th edition study manual
  • A full-year access to all French Wine Scholar online resources (videos, interactive quizzes, webinars, etc.)
  • Exam registration fee
  • Tutored tasting of a range of French wines
  • Diverse hands-on group activities designed to enhance recall and address different learning styles

In addition to classroom instruction, you are expected to spend 25 hours of preparation and review over the duration of the course outside of classroom hours.

Upon successful completion of a 100-question multiple-choice exam to be completed in 45 minutes with a passing score of 75 per cent or higher, you will receive the French Wine Scholar credential, certificate and lapel pin.

The course is taught by authorized Wine Scholar Guild instructors Nancy Reynolds DipWSETCaitlin Ferguson DipWSET and Aleksandar Simic DipWSET.

The Taylor’s Port Golden Vines® Diversity Scholarships

Image is a black square with the text Taylor's Port Golden Vines Diversity Scholarships. It has three logos for Liquid Icons, Gerard Basset Foundation and Taylor's Port.

Liquid Icons – the fine wine research and content production company founded by the late, great Gérard Basset OBE MW MS and his friend Lewis Chester DipWSET – announced the opening of the application window for The 2022 Taylor’s Port Golden Vines® Diversity Scholarships. The application window is open until Friday, April 8th 2022. 

The Taylor’s Port Golden Vines® Diversity Scholarship, Internship & Mentorship Program is for aspiring BIPOC students wishing to undertake the Masters of Wine (MW) and Master Sommelier (MS) programs – open to candidates from all over the world. These scholarships, worth up to £55,000 for each scholar, will cover the entirety of their course and examination costs, as well as loss of earnings during their work placement internships. Learn more!