Describe wines with confidence with WSET Level 2 Award in Wines
Important Updates
Effective January 3, 2022, all classes originally scheduled to be delivered in-person will be delivered via the Zoom video conferencing platform until January 26 or until in-person learning can commence again. All WSET online courses remain unchanged and will proceed as scheduled. Remote invigilation examinations for WSET Levels 1 and 2 Awards will continue as planned for the winter 2022 semester.
Tax receipts for courses paid for in 2021 are available for download in your IWEG student profiles until January 24th, 2022.
WSET Level 2 Award in Wines: Meet the Instructors
Yuuji is a WSET Diploma graduate from IWEG and a certified WSET educator with nearly 15 years of experience in the wine industry. He has dedicated over 10 years of his career to providing wine service, teaching WSET, building full wine programs for multiple new restaurants and hosting wine events at Oliver and Bonacini Hospitality. He is currently a Sales Account Manager with Cave Spring Cellars and The Vine Agency, as well as one of the curators for Gargoyle wine club. Yuuji also participates in sensory analysis research for VQA Ontario.
Danielle Chandler is a lawyer turned strategic human resources consultant turned passionate wine professional. Throughout her working life, she has always had a love for good food, great company and amazing wine. After burnishing her skills as a gourmet home chef, devoted supper club member, and self-taught sommelier resource for friends and relatives, it was time to turn what was a hobby into a profession. She has completed her WSET Level 3 Award in Wine and Spirits and she also carries the Italian, Spanish and French Wine Scholar designations, receiving high honours in each specialty.
Danielle works as an independent wine consultant and educator where she facilitates wine tasting events for companies, professional firms and private parties. She also is an experienced adult educator and facilitator and is regularly asked to facilitate corporate team building programs. Danielle’s philosophy about wine and wine education is that it should be an enjoyable and approachable experience. Wine is not all about high price and pretense. It can be about learning what’s new and interesting and having an open mind to what all the wide world of wine has to offer.
Joel Gorenkoff is an educator, consultant and certified sommelier who is extremely proud of his own wine journey through WSET and sommelier studies and training. He enjoys promoting, learning and teaching others about the wines and spirits of the world, the magic of food pairings and fostering the love and appreciation of wines and spirits. Although you are most likely to catch Joel with a wine glass in his hand, he may also be seen with a dram or two of his favourite whisky! Wine to Joel means family, friends, good times, global citizenship and sophistication. He is extremely excited to teach with IWEG, an institution he says emulates and promotes all of these things through their rich educational program. Joel has extensive experience in educating adults and has worked in a number of educational environments. He is a life-long and motivated learner and loves to bring this attitude and passion for learning out in others.
WSET Level 2 Award in Wines: Class Starts January 18
WSET Level 2 Award in Wines
Tuesdays, January 18th – March 8th @ 6:30pm – 8:30pm
WSET Level 2 Award in Wines is a beginner to intermediate level wines course for enthusiasts or those working in the industry, or hoping to enter the industry.
This course provides fundamental product knowledge and systematic tasting skills. You will:
- Explain how wine is made
- Explore the style and quality of wines made from over 22 regionally important grape varieties produced in over 70 wine growing regions around the world
- Explore how environmental factors, grape growing, winemaking and maturation options influence the style and quality of wines made from eight principal grape varieties
- Learn how classifications and other labelling terms indicate origin, style and quality
- Help develop assessment and description skills as you sample wines, sparkling wines and fortified wines
- Show how to understand and be able to apply basic principles of wine storage, service and food and wine pairing
- Teach how to describe wine using the WSET Level 2 Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine® (SAT)
WSET Level 2 Award in Spirits
Mondays, January 10th – February 7th @ 6:30pm – 8:30pm
WSET Level 2 Award in Spirits is a beginner to intermediate level spirits course for enthusiasts or those working in the industry, or hoping to enter the industry.
This course provides fundamental product knowledge and systematic tasting skills. You will:
- Explore major spirits categories and styles, as well as liqueurs, vermouth and cocktails
- Learn in detail about the 4 main steps in spirits production
- Learn what labelling terms mean
- Develop assessment and description skills as you sample a range of benchmark examples using the WSET Level 2 Systematic Approach to Tasting Spirits® (SAT)
- Understand basic principles of spirits storage and service
- Learn about cocktail equipment, ingredients, basic techniques and main cocktail families
WSET Level 3 Award in Wines
Date: Wednesdays, January 19th – May 4th @ 6:30pm – 9pm
WSET Level 3 Award in Wines is an advanced level course for wine industry professionals, those seeking to join the profession, or for wine enthusiasts wishing to develop a deeper understanding of wine.
This 40-hour course provides in-depth and detailed understanding of how human and natural factors in vineyard and winery affect wine style, quality and price. It further develops systematic tasting and description skills. You will:
- Explore in detail grape varieties, wines and wine-growing regions
- Develop a thorough understanding of grape-growing and wine-making practices
- Explain how and why various vineyard and winery factors shape wines of all styles and quality levels
- Help you assess and describe wine with confidence, and be able to make storage and service suggestions
- Teach how to taste wines, describe their characteristics and evaluate their quality, using the WSET Level 3 Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine® (SAT)
Wine Scholar Guild Scholarship Recipients
Each year, Wine Scholar Guild awards full scholarships for the French Wine Scholar, Italian Wine Scholar and Spanish Wine Scholar.
Congratulations to this year’s 11 recipients, including IWEG student Amy Hudston for the French Wine Scholar.
Vinequity Scholarships Applications are Open
IWEG partner Vinequity has open a second round of scholarship applications. In their first round, $21,150 was awarded to ten Canadian BIPOC wine professionals, including IWEG students.
Vinequity provided scholarships ranging from $250-$5000 to a range of top tier wine education programs such as the Court of Master Sommeliers and the Wine & Spirit Education Trust. Scholarship applicants are invited to select the monetary amount and educational resources that will best aid them in their career trajectory. Learn more on how to apply.