WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines
The 2024-26 in-class program will start on Wednesday, August 21st, 2024 at IWEG, 211 Yonge Street, Suite 501. Learn more.
The 2024-26 online program will start in October 2024. Learn more.
Email ssangster@iweg.org to sign up for more information, date announcements and to register.
IWEG Diploma 2023 Assessment Dates
IWEG Diploma 2024 Assessment Dates
Notes:
Exam dates and times are subject to change at the discretion of WSET Global and IWEG.
Exam results dates are approximate, and results must be processed by IWEG before dissemination. If you have any questions, please direct inquiries to diploma@iweg.org.
Meet Our Diploma Instructors
Peter Wearing DipWSET discovered a love for wine while travelling to wine regions after university. As a political science graduate he took a fairly typical job with a market research company, designing and analyzing research projects on everything from consumer packaged goods to political campaigns. After many successful years in the market research industry he took a leap to follow his wine passion at his own company. He took WSET at IWEG and received his Diploma in 2011. He felt it important to give back to the industry that has given so much joy and began instructing around the same time. He became a certified WSET wine educator and primarily focusses on instruction at the Diploma level. His particular areas of expertise include Italy, Burgundy and Chile. He is also an authorized educator for the Wines of Chile Academy program.
Teaching approach:
I like to give students the tools they need to understand and feel comfortable with the exam. This means starting with the end in mind, appreciating what is required and what it will take to get there. There is a slew of information on wine regions, grape growing, producers, etc. and it is easy to get bogged down in the minutiae. Understanding the key pillars to success not only helps in writing the exam, but it also helps students prioritize their time and efforts on the most important elements of the program. I have not met many students who take the Diploma with an unlimited amount of study time, so whatever I can do to help them become more efficient is crucial.
Elsa Macdonald MW has been a wine enthusiast for most of her life so it wasn’t all that surprising in 2003 when she left her management consulting career to attend regional wine courses in Bordeaux and the Loire Valley. This experience fueled her desire to develop professionally. She entered the trade by joining Vincor Canada as a territory manager in downtown Toronto and has taken on progressively more senior roles learning the intricacies of both the trade and the consumer environment. Always studying and traveling in her spare time, in 2018 Elsa achieved the highest standard of wine credential when she became a Master of Wine (MW). She is only the second woman and sixth person in Canada to do so. There are just over 400 MW’s worldwide.
Elsa has traveled extensively to wine regions in France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, USA and of course across Canada. Her passion is in understanding the unique expressions of this truly international drink and in helping people appreciate its pleasures.
Elsa is the Head of Wine Education for Arterra Wines Canada. She also delivers wine education to sommeliers, WSET diploma students and trade professionals through several wine schools in Canada including IWEG.
Eugene Mlynczyk’s MW DipWSET love of wine began in California while studying at Stanford University in the 1980s. He returned home to Toronto as the fledgling local Niagara wine region was emerging, and began studying wine seriously, completing the WSET Diploma at IWEG in 2002, simultaneously launching a new career in the local wine trade. Eugene became a Master of Wine in 2015 after four years of study, gladly passing both parts of the written examination on his first attempt.
Eugene’s current role is National Sales Manager at Principle Fine Wines, the luxury team within Arterra Wines Canada. When not drinking, sharing or describing wine, Eugene tries to focus on family activities, and can often be found hiking or running in the woods competing in his favourite sport, orienteering.
Teaching approach:
Everyone learns differently, so I like to use a variety of teaching methods with a focus on as much interactivity as possible. I also love to make the classes fun, while still moving ahead and getting things done.
Debbie (she/her) DipWSET is a WSET Level 4 Diploma graduate and a certified WSET Instructor with nearly 20 years of experience in wine sales and marketing across Canada. Prior to establishing her own agency in 2020, Quvé Group, Debbie has worked GALLEON, Philippe Dandurand Wines, Mark Anthony Brands and BC Liquor Distribution Branch.
Debbie is also the co-founder of Canadian non-profit organization Vinequity, the diversity committee lead for Drinks Ontario, the province’s trade association for importers of beverage alcohol, and membership director for the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS) Ontario.
Debbie is on faculty at IWEG since 2014 and has worked as guest sommelier at Barberian’s Steak House and BlueBlood Steakhouse. She is a past judge for Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants as well as Intervin Wine Awards.
Teaching approach:
My teaching style is based on “landing the plane.” Starting at cruising altitude, we will explore regions and concepts from a larger scale, then work our way down onto the knowledge tarmac where we’ll explore individual ideas in detail. You will also experience a lot of teamwork and group discussions, and I like to focus our time on mastering the SAT and WSET short answer exam style questions.
Christopher Waters DipWSET is a WSET certified instructor who has served as the education director of IWEG since January 2019. In addition, he is the wine and spirits columnist at The Globe and Mail.
For 21 years, Christopher was the editor/co-founder of Canada’s largest circulation wine publication, VINES, and author of the nationally syndicated column, Waters & Wine. An internationally recognized wine judge, Christopher represents Canada for the Globe Fine Wine Challenge in Sydney, Australia and served as head judge and organizer of the InterVin International Wine Awards from 2009-2019.
Teaching approach:
There’s a lot of detail and discipline involved in studying a topic. When it comes to courses about wine, spirits, sake and beer, it’s easy to lose the pleasure principle. I think it’s important to keep the fun element in the pursuit of fundamental learning. Teaching at IWEG means embracing a number of techniques to convey the study materials with clarity and precision, but also striving to encourage and inspire the students to do their best throughout the course.
Caitlin Ferguson DipWSET got into the wine business as a result of her love for travel and culture after living in France for a year when she was 25. After experiencing the manual labour involved in harvesting grapes, she decided to experience the city side of wine, and headed to London, UK. In London she worked at Vinoteca Wine Bar & Shop, where she learned so much about wine and her passion for wine was confirmed. Caitlin returned home to Toronto in 2010, and has since been running a small import agency called Bogie’s Best Imports as well as teaching WSET Level 3 Award in Wines, WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines, the Spanish Wine Scholar and the French Wine Scholar. Caitlin is passionate about Spanish and French wines as well as sherry and she likes to keep wine fun, and leave the pretentiousness behind.
Geoffrey Moss is a Master of Wine and a WSET Diploma alumnus. He is the principal of Lithica Wine Marketing, a boutique branding and marketing agency with a focus on direct-to-consumer sales and marketing. After graduating with a degree in political science from McGill University, Geoffrey took the only logical next step and enrolled in a winemaking and viticulture program.
Study tip:
When I was just starting my professional career, I thought credentials would help to bolster my credibility. But, in truth, it was the act of working towards those post-nominal letters that made the biggest difference, both personally and professionally. I realized I had to make the time and put in the work if I wanted to be successful. Having a study partner helped to keep me focused and honest, while also offering an important alternate perspective. It wasn’t an easy or smooth journey, but that just made me want it more. You’ll realize when you’re ready to pass.
Frequently Asked Questions for Diploma Candidates
How can I find my WSET candidate number?
You can find your candidate number by:
- Logging onto your Thinkific student account profile.
- Referencing a grade result letter for an assessment you have taken – your candidate number can be found on the top right corner of the letter.
- Logging on to the WSET Global Campus and accessing your student account profile.
Exams:
Can I sit the D4: Sparkling Wine Exam before I sit D1: Wine Production?
Units D1: Wine Production and D2: Wine Business are intended to lay the foundation for subsequent learning in Units D3, D4, D5 and D6. The WSET stipulates that a candidate must sit the D1: Wine Production Exam before sitting any other examinations within the Diploma Program.
What do I need to bring to an exam?
You are required to bring:
- Photo ID or you will not be permitted to write.
- Glassware and a spittoon for exams D4, D5 and D3.
- Your 8 digit WSET candidate number. To find this, log in to your IWEG student profile, or refer to previous WSET grade letter results.
- Please bring pens/pencils/erasers etc. for the exam.
Please avoid wearing fragrances.
What happens if I am ill on the exam date, or something has kept me from adequately preparing for the examination and it’s past the registration deadline?
If due to illness or extenuating circumstances directly before or on the examination date you are unable to attend, you will have to fill out a Deferral of Assessment Form to be submitted for approval by the WSET Exams Team. If the WSET approves your application, you will be granted a credit to retake the exam at a later date.
You must contact the Diploma Manager by email regarding your situation as soon as possible in order to process this application. Any application received 7 working days after the assessment date will not be considered by WSET.
What is a passing grade for an exam?
The passing grade for each exam is 55%.
What happens if I fail an exam?
You can retake an assessment as many times as necessary to obtain a successful grade. You will have to pay to register to retake the examination. Please contact the Diploma Manager to register you for the next available assessment cycle.
When do I get to know my exam grade result?
Grade results take around 12-14 weeks to be processed by WSET UK after the assessment date. You will be contacted by email by the Diploma Manager when the results become available.
Graduation:
I’ve successfully completed all my unit exams – when do I officially graduate?
Congratulations! IWEG will be contacted by the WSET to confirm your successful completion of the Diploma Program, after which we will be sent your certificate and pin within 50 days to mail directly to you. Please confirm with the Diploma Manager your most current mailing address.
When is my graduation ceremony?
If you completed your last examination by July of the current year, you will be invited to the Diploma Graduation Ceremony by the WSET for the following year. The WSET Graduation Team will contact you directly to invite you to the ceremony in London, UK (offered both in-person and virtually). If you have any questions, please contact graduation@wsetglobal.com.
Still have questions?
Do not hesitate to contact the Diploma Manager at diploma@iweg.org.