1 Daiy Meag’s
wine school road test
WHERE: London Wine & Spirit School (wsetschool.com)
THE COURSE: WSET Level 1 Award in Wines, £150 (one day)
SNIFF, SWIRL, SIP, SPIT After the theory, tasting and tuition, there’s a test – so you need the spittoons
WHAT IT’S LIKE Before the course, I liked to think I could navigate a wine list fairly well (less so after a few glasses, perhaps), but as the tutor delved into the finer details of which grape varieties are used to make particular wines, and how regional characteristics affect the taste of the grapes, I realised how many gaps there were in my knowledge.
The London Wine & Spirit School in Bermondsey, London, is the flagship school of The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) founded in 1969. Courses were initially created for those working in the wine trade but the trust opened its doors to the wider public in 1991. In my class, the split was even between people in the wine or hospitality business and those taking part for their own enjoyment.