WSET – Page 3 – Outwines

Lessons Learned from Tasting with a MW: Part 1

1 Nov 20181 Nov 2018Master of Wine, WSET1 Comment

I recently attended my first in a series of blind tasting classes with Lindsay Pomeroy – newly minted Master of Wine (MW). With the recent cheating scandal surrounding the blind tasting portion of the Master Sommelier exam (a completely separate organization from the Institute of Masters of Wine), some people outside – and even inside – the wine industry might wonder why this is even a part of certain higher level certifications. I get it. Blind tasting seems like a rather amusing party trick: here’s a random wine – now guess its varietal, region and vintage! But there’s more to blind tasting . . . at least, there should be.

From my (albeit limited) understanding – the tasting portion of the MW exam focuses a lot on the WHY as opposed to the WHAT. For example – if you believe the wine in your glass is a Barolo – why do you think this? What is it about the color, aromas, structure, complexity, etc. that leads to you Barolo?

With wine certification exams, getting the wine “right” certainly helps – but you also need to be able to explain your answer (remember this with math tests? Show your work!) So when I saw that Lindsay was offering these classes through her business, Wine Smarties, I signed up immediately because I wanted to get an MW’s perspective on blind tasting.

The classes are held in The WineSellar and Brasserie in San Diego – the epitome of a “hidden gem” as it’s tucked away in the back of a very non-descript industrial/business park. Lindsay herself was warm, welcoming and wearing her trademark pink fanny pack (which she claims is coming back in fashion). I liked her right away. 🙂

Our first class focused on identifying the “Classics” – wines such as Burgundy, Brunello, Bordeaux (and no, they don’t all need to start with the letter B – although Hubs did offer up Budweiser and Bud Light to help out further). Although this was only a two hour long class, I can already tell that I am going to learn a ton of invaluable information from this lady. Here’s what I came away with just after the first session:

Make sure ALL your evidence backs up your conclusion. As mentioned earlier – show your work. If the wine in front of me is red with lots of cherry and red berry aromas, some white pepper notes and heat on the finish – does this support a conclusion of Pinot Noir? The berry flavors might, but that white pepper and heat doesn’t. The totality of evidence (good grief, I feel like I’m back in law school!) is more indicative of Grenache.

Put your blinders on and don’t second guess yourself. I have a horrible habit of doing this! In class, we were poured two white wines blind and when the gentleman next to me started to read his notes on the first wine – “lighter bodied, higher acidity, herbal notes, white pepper – I’m guessing it’s a Grüner” . . . I panicked. Because this is what I had written for the SECOND wine.

I immediately assumed that I was in error, or that I must have mixed up my wines. So when I was asked my thoughts on wine #1, I read my description for wine #2 (including “it reminds me of a green salad”) which garnered some odd looks. Because as it turns out, I HADN’T mixed up my wines, my neighbor was just off base. And I didn’t trust myself enough to stick to my own notes – where I had called the second wine a Grüner (which it was). The first was a village level Chablis – which should not remind anyone of a green salad.

Don’t jump to conclusions based on one (or even two) facts. I took a deep inhale of the last red wine and got aromas of tar and asphalt. Right away this led me to Pinotage. I hung onto that assumption and didn’t let go. Despite other evidence to the contrary – like extreme depth and complexity and higher than normal tannins. I also ignored the fact that to put Pinotage in a blind tasting flight of Classic wines that Lindsay would have to be a complete psychopath.

The wine ended up being a 2013 Brunello – which made a lot more sense.

Humility. I’m getting to the point in my wine education where more and more obnoxious know-it-alls are rearing their ugly heads. And this is coming from someone who went to law school – so I’m incredibly well versed in this particular species of jackass. I’m looking right at you, guy on Facebook who called the WSET Level 3 “ridiculously easy” and claimed to have passed with distinction after not studying for it at all! (Perhaps I need to put my blinders from above on when it comes to these sorts of people as well).

Lindsay is one of 380 people in the world to have achieved the MW certification(!!!). Her depth and breadth of wine knowledge could run circles around us students. Yet during our class, she never spoke above us and she barely mentioned her MW achievement. She has a quiet air of confidence about her, but there was no ego or bragging. I think the wine world could use a few more Lindsays.

More lessons to follow . . . my next class is later this month!

WSET Diploma Unit 5: Opting for the Sparkly Object

7 Sep 2018Sparkling Wines, WSET4 Comments

After successfully completing Unit 2, I started thinking about the next Unit I was going to tackle in my WSET Diploma pursuit. (Ok, let’s be honest, I started thinking about this months before actually completing Unit 2). So without further ado, here were my options, my thought process, and my decision (Spoiler Alert: Bubbles. Always Bubbles).

Unit 1 – Global Business of Alcoholic Beverages.

There are two parts to Unit 1: a 3,000 word research paper and an in-class case study exam. Candidates can do either of these at any time during the Diploma process. Both involve a fair amount of research and writing, which as a former lawyer, I was actually pretty damn good at once upon a time. So, I’m looking forward to tackling these writing assignments – assuming I’m assigned a topic that I enjoy writing about.

The research paper topics are established by WSET and are released each academic year. This year’s were released in early August, and neither one particularly spoke to me: “The short and long term implications of the 2017 vintage“, or “The Rum Revival.” The 2017 vintage question seems incredibly broad and I’m not all that excited about spending a lot of time researching spirits – particularly since spirits will no longer be a required Unit of the Diploma beginning in August, 2019. I’m optimistic that when I get around to doing the paper that both options will be more wine related . . . and hopefully one will be “why Washington state is the future for the United States wine industry.” A gal can dream, can’t she?

The case study exam is offered three times a year. This is a complete grab bag of alcohol business topics – past case studies have ranged from “social media and the wine industry” to “the négotiant system in Burgundy” to “the wines of South Africa.” I think any of these would’ve been fascinating to explore in detail, which of course means that when I register for the case study (likely in March 2019) my topic will be something like “what sulfur dioxide means to me” or “why mass produced New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is the most awesomest wine in the world.”

Unit 3 – Light Wines of the World.

This is the behemoth of the Diploma – covering all wines of the world that don’t fit into the Fortified or Sparkling categories. I don’t know if the tales of its difficulty are greatly exaggerated or not, but I’m not planning to find out any sooner than I need to. Unit 3 will be my last Diploma Unit.

Unit 4 – Spirits of the World.

My wine school is doing one last offering of the Spirits Unit and exam. I originally had this all worked out before we moved down to SoCal – my father-in-law (the infamous T-Bone) was going to be my spirits study-buddy and Hubs and Mom-in-Law (aka Authorista) were going to foot the (bar) bill. T-bone and I would frequent local watering holes to sip and study and then head back to our respective homes for our daily nap. Win-win for everyone. Well, two of us anyways.

However, since Spirits soon won’t be part of the Diploma program, I struggled with whether to try and tackle this Unit or not. I eventually opted for not. Sorry, T-Bone. Sidenote: don’t actually feel sorry for him. I’ve been stocking his wine “cabinet” (underneath his bathroom sink) with Oregon Pinot and Washington Syrah since we moved down here. He’s fine.

Unit 5 – Sparkling Wines of the World.

See Below.

Unit 6 – Fortified Wines of the World.

Unit 6 is being offered in early September and the exam is on the same date as Unit 5. I know several candidates that are tackling both Units together – and I considered this for about 5 seconds . . .

Bottom line is – I’m not in a huge rush to finish the Diploma. And, like much of what I do in life, would prefer to methodically and systematically go through my studies as opposed to frantically cramming it all in. I am a true ISTJ. So, I opted for the Unit that interested me the most – the shiny object of the Diploma – Sparkling Wines of the World!

Unit 5 – In-Class Experience.

After registering for Unit 5 the day after my Unit 2 exam (seriously – I am Tracy Frickin’ Flick!) I did a little prep work by starting in on some of the suggested readings. Class itself was one very intensive, very full day in early August. Other WSET providers spread Unit 5 in-class time over two days (Napa Valley Wine Academy), or three weeks plus a practice exam (Capital Wine School).

My class was a broad overview of sparkling wines – from different production methods, to Champagne sub-regions, to common labeling terminology. We also tasted through 11 different sparkling wines in class. Although, unlike Unit 2, this wasn’t blind and there was quite a bit less class discussion on them as well. Maybe this was because there were more students in class (10 compared to my 3 in my Unit 2). Or because it was a sunny summer Saturday and people wanted to skedaddle. Although, this is SoCal, almost every Saturday is sunny.

Whatever the case, to me – this portion felt rushed. Actually – the entire day did. Covering all sparkling wines of the world in one day is not my ideal way to learn. It’s just way too much information all at once. But on the bright side, I suppose this is good practice for the MW if I’m able to pursue that in the future since that program is practically all self-study. So until Unit 5 exam day – November 7th – I’m on my own.

Unit 5 – My Study Plan.

I started out with a detailed study plan (I realize this is not shocking). But then with all my travel in August – I quickly had to revise it. I got wrapped up with visiting my beloved Washington state and attending the fabulous Auction of Washington Wines. And then visiting my awesome Bestie and travelling to New York’s Finger Lakes region. In my defense – both were wine related travels, so some degree of “research” was done.

So – here’s my revised Unit 5 study schedule. As I did with Unit 2 – I’m aiming to do some degree of studying daily. I think of my brain like a balloon – I’ll add a little bit more information each day, not too much so that it explodes, and not too little (or too much time off) so it deflates.

Unit 5 – Exam.

Unlike Unit 2, the Unit 5 exam is not multiple choice. It consists of a tasting portion and a theory portion. Both of which must be completed within 65 minutes. I think it’s 30 minutes per section, and then a 5 minute freak out session in between.

Tasting. Candidates are poured three sparkling wines from anywhere in the world and have to write tasting notes on each one in the approved WSET format. Past exams have included a trio of Cava/Vintage Champagne/Prosecco and a NV Champagne/Sekt/Vintage Champagne. After describing the wines, candidates are then asked a “conclusion” question like “discuss the quality/readiness for drinking/country of origin” of the wines.

Theory. Here candidates are asked to write about 3 topics related to sparkling wine. These questions can be ANYTHING! Past exam topics have been: Tank Method, Franciacorta, Pinot Noir, Côtes des Blancs and Prestige Cuvées. So, basically, you’re asked to regurgitate everything you know about these subjects. And quickly – you’ve got about 10 minutes per question. I’m going to need to work on my timing here because at times I can be a bit verbose. True story.

And on that note – I’ll quit writing about the exam and get to studying! 😉

Italian Bubbles: Moving Beyond Prosecco

28 Aug 2018Italy, Sparkling Wines, WSET2 Comments

When it comes to Prosecco, I believe there are three types of people: those who love it, those who turn their noses up at it, and those who will drink it . . . but only if Champagne isn’t available. I fall pretty firmly into the last category. Given a choice, I’d almost always opt for Champagne – unless I’m mixing my sparkling wine with orange juice (Helllooooo Boozy Brunch!!)

For many, sparkling wine is a commodity – completely interchangeable. And that’s totally fine. Others (present company included) are a bit more selective about their bubbles. For me, I really like what autolysis* brings to the party so, if Champagne isn’t available I’ll look for a label that says “methode traditionalle” or “methode champenoise” – which indicates that the wine was made in the traditional method* – in other words, the same way that Champagne is made. Prosecco, on the other hand, is produced by what is referred to as the tank method.*

*I realize that these terms are total winespeak for any relative newbies who might be reading this, so if you’re not exactly sure what those corkdorky terms mean – here’s a (very) quick debrief:

Traditional Method. Once the base wine is finished, it undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle. To accomplish this, a bit of yeast and sugar are mixed together, added to the base wine, and then the bottle is sealed up. As in the first fermentation, the yeast consumes the sugar and produces alcohol and CO2 – but since this is happening within a sealed bottle, there’s nowhere for the CO2 to escape to. So it remains in the bottle – creating the sparkle.

After the sugar is consumed, the yeast dies 😦 but its work is not yet done! Dead yeast cells are referred to in winespeak as “lees.” The wine “rests on the lees” for a period of time after the second fermentation is complete and this is where autolysis occurs. Autolysis is essentially the enzymatic breakdown of dead yeast cells . . . and if your eyes just glazed over by reading that sentence you’re not alone! I’ve been trying to wrap my brain around this myself. Yet another scientific concept that I’m struggling with. The duration of autolysis can be anywhere from a few months to several years – the more time spent, the more yeasty/bready characteristics in the resulting wine. Usually, lees aging needs to be at least 18 months in order for the wine to show any autolytic characteristics.

Tank Method (aka Charmat Method). With this method, the second fermentation takes place in a large pressurized tank as opposed to inside the bottle. The tank method is cheaper, faster and requires less labor than the traditional method. It’s also used with more aromatic grape varieties like Glera (the primary grape of Prosecco) and Riesling (used in German Sekt) since there isn’t the degree of lees contact – which can overwhelm the delicate fruitiness of these varietals. While you still get bubbles with the tank method, the resulting wine is much more fruity and fresh. You don’t get as much (or any) of those yummy bread dough, brioche aromas that you do with the traditional method.

While Prosecco is Italy’s best-known sparkling wine (and best-selling at over 220 million bottles a year!), the country also produces a handful of sparklers made in the same method as Champagne. And, typically, at a fraction of the cost. Here are three traditional method Italian sparkling wines that are great alternatives (NOT substitutes, because in my opinion – there is none!) for Champagne:

Franciacorta DOCG. This region released its first traditional method sparkling wine relatively recently – 1961. Since then, Franciacorta has enjoyed immense success with their wines and is currently producing over 17 million bottles annually (with the bulk of this being consumed by locals – only around 20% is exported). In 1995, Franciacorta became the first DOCG in Italy exclusively for traditional method sparkling wine.

Franciacorta is located in Lombardia and has a significantly warmer climate than Champagne. This translates to riper fruit flavors in the glass and a lower overall acidity. (Tip: look for “brut nature” or “zero dosage” versions of Franciacorta if you want to maximize acidity). Interestingly though (to me anyways!), non-vintage Franciacorta is required to spend a minimum of 18 months on the lees – which is 3 months longer than Champagne’s minimum requirement!

The grapes used in Franciacorta are Chardonnay, Pinot Nero (aka Pinot Noir), and Pinot Bianco. The latter is being used less frequently as it doesn’t add much longevity or energy to the wine.

For more info – here’s my outline on Franciacorta.

Trento DOC. These wines hail from the Trentino region located in northeastern Italy. Sparkling wine production started here in the early 1900s here thanks to Giulio Ferrari who believed the area had the potential to compete with the wines from Champagne. And while these wines are produced in the same method and use the same grapes as Champagne (the holy trifecta of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) they taste incredibly different. You’re likely to get aromas of peach, apricot, candied lemon and orange peel from Trento sparkling wines – with maybe a hint of biscuit character if they’ve been aged longer than 3 years. They tend to be fuller bodied with a level of richness to them.

Compared to Prosecco and Franciacorta, Trento DOC has a rather small production – 8.5 million bottles in 2010 (of which the Ferrari house produced nearly 60%) and the bulk of it is consumed locally. Which might help explain why I haven’t been able to get my hands on one of these . . . yet. 😉

Alta Langa DOCG. This area is becoming increasingly important for traditional method sparkling wines produced in southern Piemonte. Although it is a large appellation overall, the actual area under vine is just over 250 acres (roughly 1/3 the size of Central Park). And Alta Langa production is quite small – just over 600,000 bottles per year. Both planted acreage and production are expected to increase, however, as popularity of this region’s wines has soared in recent years. And with good reason – they have some pretty strict requirements as far as what goes into the bottle and, as a result, are producing some delicious bubbles!

Alta Langa DOCG wines are made from a minimum 90% of Chardonnay and/or Pinot Noir. And, unlike Champagne and the other regions mentioned above, there is no “non-vintage” production here. All Alta Langa wines must be vintage dated and spend a minimum of 30 months on their lees. So you’ll definitely find more of those yummy bready aromatics in wines from this region.

I hope next time you’re thinking bubbles you’ll give one of these a try. If you do, please let me know what you think! 🙂 Want to learn more about wine and bubbles? Click the link to the right and subscribe to this blog!!!

WSET Diploma Unit 2: The Results Are In!

26 Jul 2018WSET13 Comments

Well, I have officially cleared my first hurdle in my WSET Diploma pursuit! Now there’s just four more exams and a research paper. As I mentioned in my previous post on the Diploma, Unit 2 is required to be taken before any of the other five Units are attempted. But, once you pass Unit 2, you’re free to move onto whichever Unit(s) you choose. (Editorial Note by Hubs: Ms. Noelle passed “with Distinction” – a designation akin to summa cum laude for this particular Unit – the highest honor awarded. The dogs and I simply couldn’t be more proud of her!!)

As I look back at my studies for Unit 2, there are definitely some habits that I will continue as I move forward with my Diploma pursuit (the “dos”) – and others that I absolutely will not (the “don’ts”). Now, anyone who grew up reading Glamour back in the day probably recalls their fabulous back page of DOs and DON’Ts. Although it wasn’t particularly PC – it was absolutely my favorite part of the magazine (admit it, yours too!). So, without further ado (and with a similar lack of PC) here are my WSET Diploma Unit 2 DOs and DON’Ts:

Unit 2 DOs

DO read the suggested readings. Even though all questions on the exam come from the actual Unit 2 textbook, I found the supplemental readings invaluable. Specifically, Viticulture by Stephen Skelton MW and Understanding Wine Technology by David Bird MW (future book review/blog post forthcoming!) Both of these books cover similar information as the Unit 2 text, but they go into more depth and detail. Being able to read about concepts such as the effects of nutrient deficiencies in a vineyard, or SO2 limitations in wine, in plain English helped me get a more fundamental understanding of the subject matter. As I might’ve mentioned before – I don’t “science” very well. 😉

DO study every day – even if it’s just a little bit. Some days I dove into the text for a few hours, and others I just reviewed my outlines and flashcards. But I honestly don’t think there was a single day in between when I had my first Unit 2 class and when I took my exam that I didn’t study for at least a short while. I wanted to keep what I learned at the forefront of my brain so it was easy to recall, because believe me, at 45 I have amassed a lot of useless crap in there. (If anyone wants to know the lyrics to any song on The Smiths “Louder Than Bombs” album, or the chronological order of deaths on The Walking Dead, I’m your gal).

Studying in between flights at SeaTac’s Vino Volo!

DO practice the sample questions in the Unit 2 textbook. I won’t go into too much detail as to specific questions on the exam, but let’s just say that some of them were eerily similar to the sample questions in the textbook. Review these. You won’t regret it.

Unit 2 DON’Ts

DON’T get stuck in the minutiae. When studying, I have a habit of trying to learn – and memorize – everything. I tend to get bogged down in the details . . . sometimes at the expense of moving forward.

With Unit 2, I spent a lot of time memorizing types of vineyard pests and learning which rootstocks do best in which types of soil. And no, this wasn’t because I was fascinated with grapevine yellows or Vitis rupestris. I was just totally struggling with these areas and thought that if I memorized as much as I possibly could about them that I’d do better on the exam. So, I spent an exorbitant amount of time on these topics and, while there were a couple exam questions on them, there were more questions on quality control and herbicides – areas that I hadn’t spend much time on because I’d been so in the weeds (pun intended) with others.

DON’T overthink the exam questions. This advice came to me courtesy of Spitbucket.net after her experience with the exam, and it was spot-on. Come exam time, you’ve learned so much that you’re likely to overanalyze the test questions and wonder if the examiners are actually asking you something else or trying to trick you. (Answers: they’re not, and they’re not.) The Brits might be strict and reserved, but they’re a fair lot. Feel free to remind me of this quote when I don’t do well on one of my upcoming exams.

And finally, DON’T overdo it. Although I mention above that studying every day is a DO, it is possible to go overboard. Like accessories, sometimes less is more. So if you’re practicing flashcards while getting a bikini wax – you’ve probably taken this too far. Purely hypothetically, of course.

My next WSET class is in a few weeks – I’m tackling Unit 5: Sparkling Wines of the World. And yes, I’m already making my way through the recommended reading. But, lesson learned, I’m leaving the book at home before my next appointment at OC Wax.

WSET Diploma Unit 2: Grades and other Bits ‘n Bobs

25 May 2018WSET1 Comment

50%? That’s an F.

-My Dad whenever I told him that I’d halfway finished something

Growing up, I heard the above relatively frequently from my Dad. Usually, it was regarding one of my household chores that I’d completed somewhat, but not fully. Often, this was mowing the lawn. It’s been 20-some years since I set foot in my childhood home, but in my mind the lawn was roughly equivalent to the 153 square blocks that constitute Central Park in New York. In actuality, it was 1/4 an acre (I just Zillowed it).

Nonetheless, I could never seem to complete the mowing of our lawn in a single day. I’d do the front, and maybe part of the back, before throwing in the towel and promising that I’d finish up the following day. “I did half of it!” I’d tell my Dad . . . and then he’d come back at me with some variation of his zinger “Half? That’s an F.”

The first time I said this to Hubs it was in response to him saying he’d done “half the laundry” – which really means just moving the wet stuff from the washer into the dryer. He replied “no it’s not, 50% is a C.” We had a nice long debate over this until he came around to my way of thinking . . . but had he been British – he would’ve had a point.

British Grading System. I recently started pursuing my Diploma through the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET). When I found out their grading scale for exams, I was a bit surprised (more on that later). Since the WSET is based in the UK, I did a little research on the country’s grading system as a whole. Turns out – it is VERY different from the US. (I promise I get to the wine portion of this entry shortly, but humor me for just a moment…)

As a rough guide, here’s how a Bachelor’s Degree in the UK would shake out: (and yes, I’m spelling it honoUrs because we’re talking about the Brits!)

First-class honours – typically 70% or higher
Second-class honours, upper division – typically 60 – 69%
Second-class honours, lower division – typically 50 – 59%
Third-class honours – typically 40 – 49%
Without honours – awarded an ordinary degree, sometimes known as a “pass”.

I am gobsmacked by this. Does this mean that a bloke with a 35% gets a Bachelor’s degree from University and graduates with the rest of his mates? If so – that’s a bit barmy. (“Use ‘gobsmacked’ in blog entry” is officially checked off the bucket list!)

Anyhoo – onto wine specifics:

WSET Grading Scale. The WSET somewhat follows the general UK system – here’s their grade range:

75% and Above – Pass with Distinction
65% – 74.9% – Pass with Merit
55% – 64.9% – Pass
45% – 54.9% – Fail
Below 44.9% – Fail Unclassified (read: you REALLY fucked up here)

So essentially, I need to get a 55% to pass each of my Diploma exams. I haven’t mentioned this to my Dad yet, but I know exactly what he’d say.

I had some difficulties finding information on overall pass rates for the various Diploma Units – but the dreaded Unit 3 has a pass rate hovering around 50%. Other sources put it closer to 32%. Unit 3 is likely the reason why there are only 9,441 individuals in the world who have the WSET Diploma certification. And likely why this Unit is the last one tackled by most candidates. (FYI: Unit 3 covers “Light Wines of the World” – which essentially means all wines in the world except for Sparkling and Fortified Wines as these are covered in other Units. From what I’ve heard, it’s recommended that Diploma students take the Oxford Companion to Wine and put it to memory – because basically everything in that 900+ page tome is fair game on the Unit 3 exam.)

Believe me, I’m not knocking the material – I’m already studying a ton and there is a LOT of information to digest and learn/memorize. And I’m only taking the “easy” Unit right now!

And since we’re having a chin wag about grading scales (I could just keep going with this British slang!), for the record here are how a couple other wine certification programs rank their exams:

The Wine Scholar Guild (who runs the French Wine Scholar, Italian Wine Scholar, etc. programs): Passing grade is 75%. Candidates scoring 85-90 pass with Honors. Candidates scoring 91-100 pass with Highest Honors.
Court of Master Sommeliers: 60%. It doesn’t appear that there are honors or merit – just pass/fail.

Ok, enough about obsessing about the grades before I get the collywobbles (last one, I promise!). Here’s what I’ve been doing the past few weeks:

Unit 2 – Where it All Begins. Yes, the entire program starts at Unit 2 rather than Unit 1 – just accept this as fact and move on (I’ve done the research and don’t have an answer). Unit 2 covers “Wine Production” – so, basically all things Viti and Vini (aka viticulture and vinification). This actually makes sense as it gives candidates a good foundation for the rest of the Diploma Units (which include Fortified Wines, Sparkling Wines & Global Wine Business). The Unit 2 exam is 100 multiple choice questions which I’ll have 90 minutes to complete.

There’s a study guide for Unit 2 provided by WSET and everything on the exam will come from this text. So, I’m madly highlighting and outlining and trying to tackle a little bit each day.

I’ve heard through the grapevine (pun seriously NOT intended but I decided to keep it in) that Unit 2 is used to “weed out” individuals who may not be ready to pursue the full Diploma. Basically, if you can’t pass a multiple-choice exam where the answer is somewhere in front of you, you may want to rethink whether you’re ready to continue on to other Units (please don’t let me regret typing that last sentence).

My Unit 2 Class – Neptune School of Wine. My in-class sessions for Unit 2 were held on 3 consecutive Saturdays (approximately 6 hours per day). Other WSET providers have different schedules – some meet for 10 weeks for 2.5 hours each session (International Wine Center in NYC) or there’s a (super) intensive weekend where you go all day Saturday and Sunday (Napa Valley Wine Academy). I think my classes hit the goldilocks spot for me and was just right. Now I’ve got 5+ weeks to self study before my exam on June 30th.

There were a total of 3 students (aka candidates in WSET lingo) in my Unit 2 class. All ladies. 🙂 This was quite a change from my WSET Level 3 class where there were around 20 of us – and split fairly evenly between guys and gals. With 3 students, there’s no hiding in the back of class (which is where I normally plant myself). And there’s no ability to abstain from participating (which is also what I normally do). So I was front and center – and I never thought I’d say this but . . . it was kinda awesome.

Our instructor, Peter Neptune MS, is a wealth of knowledge and experience. These classes were essentially getting one-on-one tutorials from a Master Sommelier – something that most wine enthusiasts would pay a shit-ton of money for. In my previous wine classes, I didn’t often speak up for fear of sounding stupid or being wrong. And I sure as hell didn’t want to sound like the the jackass who “corrected” my FWS instructor as to the distance between two areas in Burgundy when she said it was 13km (he annoyingly chimed in “ahhhh, I think it’s more like 12km.”) Seriously – don’t be that guy. Nobody likes that guy.

That All Sounds Fine & Dandy – But Did You Get to Drink Wine in Class? Even though there isn’t a tasting component to Unit 2, we did go through a fair amount of tastings in class to get a better grasp of the WSET method of writing tasting notes (aka the Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine in WSET lingo). The examiners want their notes done in a specific manner and the best way to do this is practice, practice, practice! 🙂

I enlist Hubs to blind pour me wine a couple of times a week. However, I usually know which wines he’s pouring – just not the order. Which is not the same as true blind tasting where you have NO idea what’s in the glass in front of you. Going through this with Peter in class was eye-opening – and the results not completely surprising to me:

– I’m much stronger at French wines then Italian wines.

– I need to work on picking up oak aromas – in wines besides the typical California Chardonnay where it all but hits you upside the head.

– Expand my palate – move beyond Pinot Noir and Syrah. Try to get my hands on some aged wines.

– Stop second guessing myself and trust my gut (and my nose, and my taste buds).

Thankfully, WSET is more concerned with you identifying characteristics of the wine (aromas, structure, quality) then they are with you identifying the actual wine itself. I think you only get 1 point for correctly identifying the wine. Although, of course, many people – including myself – often focus on this.

I feel fortunate to have been in such a small class because it really boosted my confidence and made me realize that I know more than I think I do. But – there’s still a lot more that I don’t know. 🙂 So, back to the books and I’ll post an update on my WSET journey after my Unit 2 exam! Keep your fingers crossed for me! Cheerio!

Book Review: Viticulture by Stephen Skelton MW

4 Mar 2018Books, Viticulture, WSET4 Comments

I recently finished reading Viticulture: An introduction to commercial grape growing for wine production by Stephen Skelton MW. Like many of my friends, I assume your first response may be “Why?!?!” Well, the book is recommended reading for WSET Diploma students, so way back in October – well before I could even register for the Diploma – I ordered it. Anyone who knows me is probably not surprised by this fact. However. . . I’m embarrassed to say that it took me until the end of January to finish Viticulture. At 123 pages, this means that I averaged just about one page per day. A fact I’m not particularly proud of.

Viticulture is one of the densest, most information-packed texts I’ve ever read (yep, this includes my three years at law school) which might help explain why I went through it at such a snail’s pace. Another ~~excuse~~ explanation is that a lot of this stuff was new to me and I wanted to absorb it slowly. My only other academic exposure to this particular subject has been (i) my WSET Level 3 course last Spring; and (ii) my current enrollment in Northwest Wine Academy’s Viticulture class with Sparkman Cellars’ winemaker, Linn Scott (who is incredibly knowledgeable and has an awesome ability to make the subject matter more interesting with tons of personal stories and experiences.)

Yet another reason why this book took awhile for me to get through is because, well, . . it deals with science. Much to the disappointment of my metallurgical engineer-working, astronomy-loving Dad, I’ve just never taken to science ever since I got a D+ in Life Sciences in 7th grade (thanks a lot, Mr. Santner!). Even today, it’s just much easier for me to memorize the 10 Crus of Beaujolais, or the 13 permitted grapes in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, than for me to learn the different types of rootstocks or soil pH levels.

Even though Viticulture is a science textbook at heart, the author thankfully writes in a humane and comprehensible manner. Overall, I found his writing style to be straightforward and educational, a fact that is greatly appreciated by those of us who are scientifically-impaired. I also enjoyed the occasional personal anecdote or opinion – particularly on the topic of biodynamic viticulture.

What’s this book about? The book covers everything from the annual cycle of the vine, to site selection, to canopy management. As with most viticulture texts, several pages are dedicated to phylloxera, its history and its “solution” via rootstock development and grafting. Viticulture digs deep (pun totally intended) into the various soil layers and their characteristics. And there are two entire chapters on diseases, viruses and vineyard pests. The author goes into such detail about these various insects, larvae and bugs that I found myself getting the heebie jeebies. (Sidenote: surprisingly, the heeby jeeby is, in fact, NOT a vineyard pest – but the ever popular Western Grapeleaf Skeletonizer is.)

: Granite from the Northern Rhône

Who’s this book for? This is neither a light, nor particularly fun, read. So I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who’s just curious about viticulture and is looking for some general information. Pick up The Oxford Companion to Wine or The Wine Bible instead. Viticulture is way too intense and detailed for the lay person merely looking for a broad overview on the subject.

However, if you’re studying for a higher level wine certification, or working in the wine industry, or you’re my Dad, then this book is perfect for you. Just give yourself plenty of time to digest the subject matter – this isn’t a Dan Brown page turner.

At this point, I have no idea whether this book covers more (let’s hope so!) or less than what I’ll need to know for my first WSET Diploma exam in June. But I do know that having finished Viticulture I’ve gained a tremendous amount of knowledge on the subject that I simply didn’t have before, so for that Mr. Skelton, I thank you. Viticulture will undoubtedly do wonders in helping me with my never-ending pursuit of wine education. Now let’s just hope that I can do a little better than a D+ on the exam! 😉