Wine Courses

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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WSET Diploma's D5 module is all about fortified wine. On the surface, this one sounds like a somewhat straightforward module if only because there aren't that many fortified wine categories and styles out there in the world.

But, as with all things WSET, simply stating this fact makes the program easier said than done. The exam, as always, is pretty insane.

So in this one I wanted to break down what you can expect for the exam and give some tips for studying!

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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Within the six-module WSET Diploma course, four are similar to what you've learned in the past, just more robust- wine production, wines of the world, fortified wines, and sparkling wines.

Two modules, on the other hand, are new. One of these is only new in format- a 3,000-word research paper (D6) which could be on topics covered in the above categories. The final one is completely new in terms of topic, and all about Wine Business (D2). It is the second module you must take, as students have to enroll in D1 and D2 before being able to access D3-D6.

So, what can you expect when taking this module? Read on!

Note: I took the WSET Diploma D2 exam in March 2022. Test material and structure can and does change over time. I passed D2 with merit.

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When it comes to the WSET Diploma module D2, entitled Wine Business, you may look at this course in one of two ways.

The first thought is that it is a business course and can't be too bad. The second is that this one is completely new to WSET and could be a challenge simply because you haven't seen any of the material before.

As I used to work in sales and run my own business, I honestly felt like the course was going to be in the former category. As it turns out, it was most certainly the latter. WSET Diploma D2 is a rough one as the exam really can be all over the place!

In this one, I wanted to walk through what to expect with the WSET D2 exam and give some tips on how to prepare!

Note: I took the WSET Diploma D2 exam in March 2022. Test material and structure can and does change over time. I passed D2 with merit.

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So, you're thinking of enrolling in WSET Diploma and want to know a bit about what the modules are like?

Well, you're in luck. We are actively going to review each WSET Level 4 module after completing them where we will dive a bit into the material that is covered, share what the experience was like overall, and relate it to the same sections as covered in WSET Level 3.

While students can pursue modules D3-D6 at their own pace, module D1 must be completed first (and D2 second) before you can access the rest. This one sets the pace of the work that is to come with a robust dive into all things wine production!

So, let's talk about what the four-week course was like!

Note: I took the WSET Diploma D1 exam in September 2021. Test material and structure can and does change over time. I passed D1 with distinction.

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Oh WSET Diploma, you are a beast.

Unlike lower courses of WSET (like WSET Level 2 or Level 3) which can be completed in a single, multi-week module, Diploma (or WSET Level 4) is on an entirely different level. This one has six unique modules that students must take over an 18-to-36 month period at a pace of their choosing.

Of these modules, five of the six have corresponding essay exams (the sixth is a research paper) and some also have tastings (D3, D4, and D5). We'll cover logic for tackling this beast of a program as a whole in a later article, but for this one, I wanted to dive down into details of what the D1: Wine Production exam is like and give a few tips on how I prepared ahead of time.

Get ready to memorize a boatload of facts!

Note: I took the WSET Diploma D1 exam in September 2021. Test material and structure can and does change over time. I passed D1 with distinction.

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Our quest here at The Grape Pursuit is to try every commercially available wine variety in the world, and you can imagine that we do whatever we can in order to taste new grapes. This includes ordering them online at places like Wine.com, browsing obscure stores and the “other international” shelves larger wine stores, and even ordering from wineries directly to name a few.

As part of our quest here is to understand flavor expressions in the 1,300+ grape varieties that can be found around the world, we're also all about tasting varietals in different geographies and terroirs as a tangent of that. Naturally, we experienced this quite a bit in our WSET Level 2 and Level 3 classes which focused on roughly 30 and 100 grape varietals respectively (many of which were new to us outright) and how they develop in different regions around the world.

Since we got to go on a deeper dive into select grapes in these classes, we started to appreciate a few unsung varieties as well as regions we didn't know very well at the time.

In this one, we wanted to highlight a few grapes and regions we learned that we loved (or for ones we liked prior to the start of the class learned why we love them) as the result of taking our WSET classes.

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WSET is an international wine school that offers four tiers of classes (aptly named Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, and Level 4- also known as Diploma). These courses help those interested in wine as well as industry workers receive a structured look at all things wine.

After completing my WSET Level 2 in late 2020, I immediately moved on to the 10-week Level 3 course with Capital Wine School in Washington DC and completed the course in early 2021. In this one, I wanted to share more about what you can expect if you move on to Level 3!

But before we get into it, we first have to make the upfront caveat that if you are new to the WSET courses, we highly recommend that virtually all potential students start at a lower level. If you have no experience with wine, you should start in Level 1, and if you have a bit of knowledge, WSET Level 2 is a good starting point. Only those who have comparable certifications to Level 2 via outside programs should consider starting in Level 3- it would be far too intense to start here otherwise.

Apart from simply being robust, Level 3 builds off everything you learn in the lower courses. As such, if you know nothing about WSET programs, we highly recommend you start with our WSET courses article which breaks down the respective levels and then read our detailed WSET Level 2 review prior to this one to get a firm understanding of what is best for you.

Much like in the course, this review assumes you know some basics about what WSET is all about.

Note: I took the WSET Level 3 exam in April 2021. Test material and structure can and does change over time. I passed theory with distinction and tasting with merit.

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