Wine Courses

Before enrolling in WSET D1, you may be wondering how much does WSET Diploma cost. This is a very good question, and one students really should pay careful consideration to before signing up.

The simple truth is that the true cost of WSET Diploma is likely far, far greater than the listed price of the modules your local school (APP) may show online. Additional expenses like possible travel costs, wine samples, re-sit fees, and more add up in a hurry and could really send your spending out of control.

So in this one, we're going to break down the costs you may expect to have when studying for WSET Diploma and share why the likely range is well over $10,000.

Start saving your pennies now if you want to work on this program!

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So, you've taken a WSET exam and got your results. Hopefully you have received positive news that you passed. But if you didn't, or are simply looking for more information on your scores, you have some options!

WSET has a little talked-about form where you can request your score breakdown (WSET Level 3 or WSET Diploma only) or “challenge” your result with a re-evaluation (all levels). For those who fail a module, you also are able to request feedback to get insight from evaluators before you re-sit.

So in this one, we thought we'd discuss why you may want to receive a score breakdown and give more details on how the process works.

Note: Prices in this one are based on the listed fees after my last exam in 2023. It is entirely likely that prices will rise over time and may not be reflected in this article. Likewise, note that deadlines may also be liable to change.

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One of the things students in WSET Diploma classes must learn is how to taste wine blind. Part of this is simply to get better at tasting wine. The other part of this is that the WSET Diploma exams that have tasting components often require us to identify characteristics in the wine such as its quality, grape(s), country of origin, and production style to name a few.

We'll start this one with some bad news- blind-tasting wine isn't easy. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to blind taste wine and ultimately coming up with the required answers (for a structured course or just for fun).

The good news, however, is that there are several processes you can follow to help you get close if you have to make an educated guess. This involves a robust analysis of the wine in the glass before you and referencing the clues you find to the wine theory you have learned along the way.

Ultimately, for those taking advanced wine classes, like WSET Diploma, being 100% right on guessing the grape, country, or production style is simply bonus points to help increase your score to a merit or distinction level rating. In programs like WSET, you can still pass a tasting exam by having good tasting notes and being wrong on your final guesses- the program cares about you learning to identify the quality of wines above all others, after all.

So let's dive into everything we think about when tasting blind!

Note: I took the WSET Diploma D3 exam in May 2023. Test material and structure can and does change over time. I passed all modules and passed D4 and D5 with merit.

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Out of the six modules of WSET Diploma, none is more daunting than the D3 exam featuring still wines of the world.

Part of this is because of volume- the module has a ~600-page book with dozens upon dozens of wine-growing regions, hundreds of grapes, and an untold number of facts and figures to remember. Part of this is also because the exam requires you to answer just five questions that could cover all material from a grand perspective all the way down to a technical question on a specific varietal in a unique PDO. But the other part is that the exam spans two days and includes a tasting component featuring 12 wines as well!

As such, this beast of an exam requires a ton of planning to tackle. After finishing this module, much like all other modules in the program, I have some thoughts on how to best prepare for the WSET Diploma D3 exam.

Note: I took the WSET Diploma D3 exam in May 2023 and passed. Test material and structure can and does change over time.

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If there was one module (outside of D3) that I was not looking forward to in my WSET Diploma coursework, it would be D4: Sparkling Wines.

Part of this is because I didn't know that much about sparkling wine outright. Prior to sitting for the exam I had never been to a major sparkling wine region (e.g. Champagne), and I'd only ever been to one winery that primarily focused on sparkling wines outright- and that was just for a tasting, not a tour. Throw on the fact that the differences between sparkling wine regions are nuanced at best, and this module felt like an uphill battle to learn all the facts in its short course.

While I am not going to call D4 enjoyable by any stretch of the imagination (well, the drinking bit was nice as I do like sparkling wine), I have to admit I came out of this one learning a great deal.

Note: I took the WSET Diploma D4 exam in October 2022. Test material and structure can and does change over time. I passed D4 with merit.

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WSET Diploma D4 covers all things sparkling wine and, to me, was the most daunting outside of D3: Wines of the World.

The reason for this is that while the category of sparkling wine does not have many broad topics, the devil is in the details with many nuanced topics on things like local laws, production volumes, climates, lees aging, and more.

Throw in a major unexpected curveball on my exam (identifying country of origin and grape), and you have the makings for a rather challenging exam all around. So in this one, I wanted to dive into more about what you can expect, how to plan, and some D4 exam day logic as well!

Note: I took the WSET Diploma D4 exam in October 2022. Test material and structure can and does change over time. I passed D4 with merit.

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If there was any module in WSET Diploma that I was not terribly worried about, it was D6- the research paper.

The reason for this is mostly due to my background. As a chemical engineer, I have crafted many scientific-oriented research papers over the years. Going further, as a full-time blogger, writing 3,000 words is all in a day's work (some days multiple times over). To put it bluntly, I like to write, and my D6 paper felt like my time to shine based on these skillsets.

So while I generally felt like this module was the most approachable (anything beats a 60 or 90-minute exam where you have to answer obscure questions under pressure), I also recognize that I am in a fortunate position to make such a statement outright.

Unfortunately, in this one, I cannot tell you how to write a research paper. I cannot tell you where to find sources for your specific topic out of respect for the program. The conventional study logic that I like to share in other WSET Diploma modules really doesn't apply here since you aren't actually studying as you would for an exam. As such, we're going to look at D6 a little differently with information on how to find paper topics to begin with and common reasons why students lose points on what should be an otherwise easy pass.

Note: I was enrolled in the July 2022 WSET D6 paper topic. Paper structure and topics can and do change. I passed D6 with merit.

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If there was a module of WSET Diploma I was looking forward to, insofar as one can look forward to studying at this intense level, it most certainly was D5: Fortified Wines.

Part of this was because I simply adore fortified wines and was looking forward to studying (read: drinking), part was because I knew there was a ton I didn't know about fortified wine, and then also because out of all of the wine regions we've been to, the Douro Valley wineries (where Port is made) was one of our most recent trips prior to taking this module.

While it would be pretty easy for me to simply say that this module was rather intense, I do have to admit that I also walked away with a strong knowledge of all things fortified wine and no desire to drink them again any time soon as my consumption was, well, insane.

Note: I took the WSET Diploma D5 exam in June 2022. Test material and structure can and does change over time. I passed D5 with merit.

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