Building on the knowledge gained through the WSET Level 2 Award in Wines, the Level 3 Award in Wines goes both broader and deeper. It is designed to give you a thorough understanding of the factors that account for the style, quality and price of the principal still, sparkling and fortified wines of the world.
Our WSET Certified Educator will guide you in developing your tasting skills through a carefully selected range of wines ranging from household brands to outstanding bottles from iconic producers. You’ll learn how to use your tasting notes to make objective conclusions on a wine’s style, quality and readiness for drinking.
What will I learn?
- The key factors in the production of wine: location, grape growing, winemaking, maturation and bottling.
- The key characteristics of the principal:
- still wines of the world
- sparkling wines of the world
- fortified wines of the world
- How to make appropriate wine recommendations
- How to taste wines using the WSET Level 3 Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine® (SAT)
- Tutored tastings of 82 wines (except online course)
Successful candidates will be able to taste and describe with confidence the characteristics of the principal wines of the world and give information on the key factors influencing style, quality and price.
Those who work with wine will be in a great position to advise management, to answer customer queries authoritatively, and to make informed selections of wines in a variety of situations.
Enrolment
Enrol on the course
FAQs
View the full Specification – WSET Level 3 Award in Wines
Assessment
The course assessment is split into two essential units:
Unit 1 focuses on your theoretical understanding of the subject and your ability to communicate this, while Unit 2 focuses on your tasting abilities. Both units are examined in person at WSET School London on the same day, with a short break between the papers.
A closed book theory examination in two parts, which must be completed in two hours.
Part 1 comprises 50 multiple-choice questions. This part will assess your knowledge and understanding across the unit.
Part 2 is a question paper requiring short written answers. This part will consist of four questions of 25 marks each and will assess your ability to apply the knowledge you have gained across the unit.
A blind tasting exam featuring two still wines, which must be completed in 30 minutes This will assess your ability to accurately describe a wine and draw conclusions about its quality and readiness for drinking based on your observations. You must attain a combined mark of 55% across the two wines to pass Unit 2.
Pass: mean average mark of 55% – 64%
Pass with Merit: mean average mark of between 65% – 79%
Pass with Distinction: mean average mark of 80% or above (with no individual examination paper below 65%)
All students who pass the examination will receive a WSET certificate and lapel pin.
This qualification is Ofqual regulated.
The Level 2 Award in Wines examination consists of 50 multiple-choice questions to be completed in 60 minutes/one hour.
Pass mark requirements
- Pass: 55% – 64%
- Pass with Merit: 65% – 79%
- Pass with Distinction: mean average mark of 80% or above (with no individual examination paper below 65%)
All students who pass the examination will receive a WSET certificate and lapel pin.
This qualification is Ofqual regulated.
Do I need a prior knowledge?
The Level 3 Award in Wines is designed to build on a solid foundation of knowledge, equivalent to that which is gained through Level 2 Award in Wines (previously known as the Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits). For this reason, the course is primarily open to students who have studied for this qualification. If you do not hold the Level 2 qualification but believe you have the relevant knowledge, you can also contact us directly to choose the WSET more suitable to your level.
All classes are delivered in English and the assessment requires your answers to be hand-written, therefore a good level of written and spoken English is very beneficial.
You must be at least 18 years old to enrol on any of our courses.
How should I prepare?
This is a highly rewarding yet demanding course which requires a minimum of 60 hours of private study time, in addition to guided tuition hours. Depending on your chosen study option, you may need to complete a significant proportion of these study hours prior to the course start in order to be fully prepared.
The only necessary study material for this course is the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines study pack, which will be sent to you on booking or can be collected from Wine School Italia WSET Approved Program Provider in Florence.
Download
Course material
For more information and full details on the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines requirements, please download the Specification below.