The Road to Weinakademiker - Part 6 (Spirits and D1)

Think big. I want to become a Weinakademiker. On September 3, 2018, I started the WSET Diploma Course, which ultimately—if you add a thesis afterward—results in the title of Weinakademiker. In part 6, I'll tell you more about how things are going now—more than six months after the start.

It's been a few months since I wrote about the journey to Weinakademiker . I've now completed two exams and am taking Unit 3, All the Wines of the World.

Exam time

They really know how to plan things: two exams in one day. They were Unit 4 Spirits and Unit 1 Global Wine Consumption and Production. Spirits were especially intense. To learn, to understand, and above all: to remember. It's less interesting to me than wine; it just doesn't really stick. I could have read the distillation process of Armagnac ten times and still hadn't retained anything. Just before the exam, I decided to study this chapter specifically. Guess what the first question was? Write about the distillation process of Armagnac . Hahaha. That was still fresh in my memory, including a free drawing of the alambic armagnacais (still). Winning!

I think I've also done well on the tasting part. There was a Scotch, a VSOP cognac, and a pastis in front of me. I'd written down Scotch, brandy de Jerez, and pastis. At WSET, it's not so much about what you think is in the glass; the tasting notes (color, aroma, flavor) carry much more weight in the final assessment. I made a few careless mistakes here and there, but whatever—I think I passed. It takes three months to check, so I'll probably hear back in mid-June. Are you planning to start your Diploma yourself? Don't panic, because spirits will be discontinued starting next school year. There will be a separate Diploma Course for spirits. Do the math! ;-)

The other exam, the case study on 'Global Wine Production and Consumption,' was much easier for me. A month beforehand, we were told the topic of the case study: the rise, fall, and rise of sherry . While I found it difficult to remember anything about spirits, it was easy to delve into the entire sherry story. I absorbed all the information like a sponge. It was incredibly interesting to read about the history of sherry, why it hit such a low point, and how producers are now trying to revamp it. I've become a true fan of this fortified wine.

Curious about the sherry story? Then read my previous articles: What I Didn't Know About Sherry (Part 1) and What I Didn't Know About Sherry (Part 2) .

Update: I passed both exams!

All the wines of the world

Meanwhile, Unit 3 classes have also begun. We started in January and each month we attend two days of classes on one or more wine countries or regions. These are usually taught by a Master of Wine. In January, one day was dedicated to Austria, Germany, and Hungary. The next day, North and South America were on the agenda. We were taught by Master of Wine Joseph Peppi Schuller, director of the Weinakademie in Rust, Austria. I wrote about this in the previous installment: two wine stories I hadn't heard before .

Romana Eschensperger came to talk about Germany, Alsace, Australia, and New Zealand. It's great to have different instructors. They each have a different approach and teach us tricks for the exam. Romana knows this better than anyone, having just completed her vocational training diploma.

Last week, Fiona Morrison from Le Pin (Pomerol) was teaching a class about Bordeaux firsthand. During the lesson, I jotted down about ten topics to write a blog post about later. It was a really great class.

Fortified & Sparkling

With other classes, work, and life in between, it's hard to focus on the upcoming exams: Fortified and Sparkling. Both are scheduled for the same day. It's possible to opt out of one of the two, but you should have figured that out pretty quickly. I didn't. I was suffering from delusions of grandeur and determined to take them both on the same day. Now—well over a month before the day—I'm wondering what the hell I got myself into. Why didn't I opt out of one of the two? Sigh.

The exams are the same as the spirits exam: tasting three glasses and answering three theory questions. Logically, you have no idea what the theory questions are about. In the case of sparkling wine, it might be "write about blending," "write about Chardonnay," or perhaps "write about the Montagne de Reims." You'll have about half an hour for this, since you have 65 minutes for the entire exam. That leaves another half hour for tasting three glasses and five minutes to develop a strategy. Well, wish me luck...

It's a matter of time management (and knowledge, of course). We practiced this extensively in Anja Vondenhoff's (WA) class. I really wanted to start at home, but I couldn't get past one paragraph on the tank method. Starting a business and taking this killer course sometimes proves to be a challenge ;-)

Also just super happy, you know.

Is it just me, or does this article have a negative undertone? A bit of a victim role, perhaps? Apologies. Overall, I'm just incredibly happy. Absolutely thrilled, I tell you. I'm busy with wine all day, every day . This coming weekend, I've been invited on a press trip to Soave. That's the dream, isn't it? Maybe I should learn a little on the plane...