WSET Level 3 Award in Wines

WSET Level 3 Award in Wines is an advanced wine program where you’ll learn to evaluate a wine’s quality and characteristics by aroma and taste. You’ll delve even deeper into the global wine regions than you did in Level 2, understand what makes these regions unique, and learn about the types and styles of wine that are produced.

Although there is no prerequisite to take WSET Level 3, we strongly suggest you to take WSET Level 2 Award in Wines first to better your chances of success in Level 3. If you don’t have WSET Level 2, we ask that you write an entrance exam.

The WSET Level 3 Award in Wines is offered via online Zoom and takes place on a set day and time.

After you have registered for the course, we will send you a link to access the lessons.

All classes will be recorded and uploaded to the Student Portal. If you have to miss a session or if you want to revisit something that was discussed, the recordings are at your fingertips. You can taste the wine just as you would if you were present in class.

Yes. To demonstrate a thorough understanding of the materials covered in the course, students must pass two different exam phases - practical and theory. Should you fail either of the two sections, you will be required to rewrite the failed component. There's a $275 charge to resit the theory exam and a $175 fee to resit practical.

This course is meant to bolster your wine knowledge through both theory and practical elements, the latter of which speaks specifically to the tasting portion of the program.

Only Ontario residents will receive the wine samples that are a part of the program. For those outside Ontario, we offer a lower course fee as we aren't able to ship your wines. However, a list of the wines will be provided for those who may wish to purchase them on their own.

No. If we are to create a pool of students who are wine professionals, then we must ensure that those teaching our online WSET course are certified and experienced enough to do so. All our wine educators are required to hold a WSET diploma. Beyond this, they have amassed knowledge from work, travel, and further education.

It's because of the calibre of our educators that we have one of the highest pass rates in the world.

Whether you are a passionate consumer or seasoned professional, you should already have a strong foundation of wine knowledge prior to embarking on WSET Level 3 Award in Wines. In this course, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of grape varieties and how to evaluate them critically. You’ll also dive deeper into wine regions and the factors that result in specific styles. You’ll also gain greater insight into grape growing and winemaking.

Yes. You will learn the different methods for making sparkling wine and the regions that produce them.

Yes. The exam for WSET Level 3 Award in Wines is in-person and takes place in Toronto. It's comprised of two parts - The first is a blind tasting of two wines. The practical portion is followed by a two part theory exam: 50 multiple-choice questions and four short answer questions. All elements must be passed in order to be successful in the course.

No. We require that the registration fee (which includes the exam fee) is paid in full before the online course begins.

All WSET Level 3 students will be shipped a week or so before the course start date. Wine samples will be shipped regularly throughout the course.

Note, however, that since this is a shipment of alcohol, someone 19+ must sign for the packages.

The multiple-choice, short-written answers, and blind-tasting elements of the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines exam must be passed with no less than 55% in each section. Exams are graded as follows:

Pass: a score of 55% to 64%

Merit: a score of 65% to 79%

Distinction: a score of 80% or above, with no one section scoring below 55%

This is not a study-at-your-own-pace course. We offer regularly scheduled sessions that students should attend. However, we understand that occasionally, life gets in the way and a session may need to be missed. The benefit to our program is that all classes are recorded and uploaded to our Student Portal so if you miss a class, just grab your wine samples, turn on your computer and watch the session when you have time.

The course uses the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines Systematic Approach to Tasting. There are four categories included: Appearance, Nose, Taste and Conclusion

The conclusion element covers both an assessment of the wine's quality as well as its readiness to drink.

The WSET Level 3 course is 45 hours of class time, which is divided into 15 3-hour sessions. Students should anticipate spending a minimum of 45 additional hours over the course reviewing and studying to ensure the greatest chance of success on the exam.

Classes are held weekly at a preset day and time. Classes run between 18:00 and 21:00.

We ask that our students have their video on at all times as it makes the interactive element of the wine education experience seamless.

If needed, we offer two additional tasting kits for purchase to our Ontario students. Each kit contains six red wines and six white wines.