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The Colour of Wine

What determines the colour of wine?

Close up of red wine graes with colourful leaves on the vine

Wine comes in a vast range of colours. White, red and rosé wines are all made from fermented grape juice, but how do they come to be in these distinct colours? Learn more.

Interested in learning more about winemaking? Click here to find out more about our WSET Level 2 Award in Wines

Gain knowledge of the principal and regionally important grape varieties of the world, the regions in which they are grown and the styles of wine they produce.

WSET Level 2 Award in Wines is an intermediate-level course is for those entering a profession in the wine industry as well as for enthusiasts who wish to broaden their knowledge in a structured way. You’ll gain knowledge of the principal and regionally important grape varieties of the world, the regions in which they are grown and the styles of wine they produce. Through a combination of tasting and theory, you’ll explore the factors that impact style and quality and learn how to describe these wines with confidence.

You’ll learn:

  • How to taste and describe wine using the WSET Level 2 Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine®(SAT)
  • How environmental factors, grape-growing, winemaking and maturation options influence the style and quality of wines made from eight principal grape varieties:
  • Chardonnay
  • Pinot Grigio/Gris
  • Sauvignon Blanc
  • Riesling
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Merlot
  • Pinot Noir
  • Syrah/Shiraz
  • The style and quality of wines:
  • Made from 22 regionally important grape varieties
  • Produced in over 70 geographical indications (GIs) around the world
  • How grape varieties and winemaking processes influence key styles of:
  • Sparkling wines
  • Fortified wines
  • Key labelling terms used to indicate origin, style and quality
  • Principles and processes involved in the storage and service of wine
  • Principles of food and wine pairing

The next course will take place Tuesdays, September 13th – November 1st at 6:30pm – 8:30pm.

Italian vintage chart and harvest reports

A man dumping red grapes onto a table from a wooden crate

The vintage chart and harvest reports provided by the Wine Scholar Guild give you the ranking for major Italian wine regions and vintages from 2010 to today. Tom Hyland, wine writer, photographer, and publisher of Italian Wine Report, has compiled this information and written the vintage charts starting with the 2010 vintage. The vintage charts were last updated on August 3, 2022 in order to include the 2020 vintage. Learn more.

Develop specialist knowledge of DOC and DOCG wines and appreciate the cultural context of Italian wine.

The Italian Wine Scholar is an extensive two-unit specialist certification focused on the diverse wines and wine regions of Italy. It is designed by the Wine Scholar Guild to provide current, accurate information on all of the wine regions of Northern, Central and Southern Italy, and to validate proficiency in the wines and wine regions of the country.

Unit 1 is 16 hours and covers Northern Italy and Unit 2 is 14 hours and covers Central and Southern Italy. The course provides detailed coverage of Italian wines, as well as an introduction to Italian history, geography, viticulture and winemaking. The units can be taken in any order and are sold seperately.

You will:

  • Develop specialist knowledge of DOC and DOCG wines of 21 Italian regions
  • Appreciate the cultural context of Italian wine
  • Consider the vineyard and winery factors that contribute to wine styles
  • Taste and assess a range of Italian wines, which illustrate regional or grape varietal typicity, as well as diversity of styles by authorized Wine Scholar Guild instructors

The next Northern Italy (Unit 1) course will take place Thursdays, September 22nd – November 24th at 6:30pm – 8:30pm.

Why there’s never been a better time to study the WSET Level 2 Award in Spirits

One of WSET’s most exciting new releases is a significant update to the WSET Level 2 Award in Spirits. With a refreshed approach and a brand new set of materials to dive into, there’s no better time than now to study for this globally-recognized qualification.

The WSET Level 2 Award in Spirits is ideal for drinks and hospitality professionals hoping to advance in their careers, whilst also being very accessible to dedicated spirits enthusiasts who are keen to expand their knowledge.

The qualification will build up your expertise across all the major spirits categories, plugging any gaps in your knowledge and giving you brand-neutral insight into the factors that affect style and quality.

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

The key updates in this latest release include:

  • Improvements to the description and explanation of distillation principles, and how they relate to different types of still
  • A completely revamped approach to understanding sugar cane spirits, focusing on provenance and how they are made
  • Brand new study materials with a new look. Packed with bespoke diagrams and illustrations, the textbook is now a more compact size – ideal for keeping with you to reference on the go.
  • A streamlined approach to cocktails, making this information more universally valuable
  • Underpinning all of this is a new and improved structure and approach to delivery, to ensure that students are even better prepared to progress to the WSET Level 3 Award in Spirits.

The next course will take place Mondays, September 26th – November 14th at 6:30pm – 8:30pm.

WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines

The fall 2022 in-class WSET Diploma program is sold out. Contact diploma@iweg.org for more information.

Learn more about the online WSET Diploma that starts on October 3rd.

The market-leading WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines qualification provides expert level knowledge and develops key analytical skills for success in the global wine business. Perfect for both the trade professional and the serious enthusiast, the course will arm you with specialist-level skills and experience, plus international recognition as an expert in the field of wine.

Holders of the Diploma will be able to identify characteristics of the principal wines of the world, make informed assessments of a product’s quality and value, and identify appropriate opportunities for the products within a given market.

You will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to underpin the job requirements in such roles as Food & Beverage Manager, Wine Buyer or Sales Executive.

The Diploma fulfills the prerequisite for the wine qualification requirement for entry to the Master of Wine (MW) program.

The IWEG experience

As the leading organization in wine, spirits and sake education in Canada, IWEG has offered the WSET Level 4 Diploma since 1988.

Our Diploma graduates over the years have gone on to become vital members of the wine and spirits industry in Canada and worldwide. IWEG holds the record for having the largest amount of Diploma graduates in Canada!

IWEG has been offering Diploma studies for longer than any institute outside of the WSET School in London, which means we enjoy a long history of student success. Our passionate and highly qualified Diploma educators, who come from different fields within the trade, provide on-going support to help you master the analytical tasting skills and supplemental theoretical knowledge necessary to succeed.