Cart empty
WSET Level 4 Wines Diploma
(2021)
R P.O.A.
Our flagship qualification, the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines is offered as a lectured course with the IWEC being the only provider to offer this course in Africa & the Middle East. It is designed to prepare people for senior positions within the wine industry and not only develops product knowledge to a specialist level, but also enables students to acquire skills that will be of use to them beyond the course itself.
The course is based around a 2 year structured programme consisting of blocks of lectures leading up to exams and assignments in 6 different units. You will be lectured by Masters of Wine (MW’s), MW students, qualified winemakers, Diploma graduates and other industry experts. Each unit requires students to look in depth at the wine industry, applying subject knowledge and professional skills to analyse key issues and make recommendations. Tasting is an essential part of studying for this course, as such you will be tasting wines from around the world and applying your theory knowledge to draw conclusions about the wines described.
WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines is universally viewed as a stepping-stone to the MW programme. Upon successful completion of all Units students will receive a WSET certificate and lapel pin and may use the post nominal DipWSET.
Entry Requirements
You must be over 18 at the start of the course.
You will be required to hold the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines & Spirits or WSET Level 3 Award in Wines. No other qualifications can be accepted.
The course is of a high-level and students will need to possess competencies in research, analysis and report writing similar to those required for a first year degree course. Basic computer literacy, internet navigation skills and a good level of English are also required.
Cost
Please contact us for further details at courses@thewinecentre.co.za
Students acknowledge by signing up for the course that they understand exam dates and lecture dates are set and cannot be re-scheduled.
Further information on the course can be found on the pdf Download Course Specifications in the right hand column.
- All classroom tuition
- All course materials
- 12 x Riedel Zinfandel/Riesling glasses
- Welcome study pack that includes:
- WSET Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine card
- WSET students discounts for subscriptions and wines
- Blank tasting sheets
- All wines for specified Tasting Days
- All wines for specified Exam Days
- Exam Fees
- Certificate with metal lapel pin when you pass
- International Courier Costs (exams are marked in London)
- Domestic courier costs for your certificate and lapel pin
The course will be delivered in a series of lectures held in Stellenbosch, Western Cape. We have structured the learning so as to cause the minimum amount of disruption to your work commitments as well as to reduce travelling costs for those outside the Western Cape. Lecturers will include Masters of Wine (MWs), MW students, level 4 Diploma graduates and winemakers. However – it is important for you to understand that these lecture and exam dates are non-negotiable. If you choose not to attend lectures, then there will be no alternative sessions available, and if you do not attend the exams, no refunds will be made.
D1 – Wine production
- Vine requirements, Anatomy of the vine and grape, Grape growing options, explaining and evaluating the different approaches and how these options affect grape yields, quality and the final wine produced
- Natural factors in the vineyard and how they influence the vine’s ability to produce grapes for wines of different styles, quality levels and price
- Winemaking and post-fermentation options and how they influence the style, quality and price of wines
D2 – Wine business
- The types of businesses engaged in wine production and the options for getting wine to the point of sale, Factors that contribute to the price of wine, Key considerations in wine marketing.
D3 – Wines of the world | D4 – Sparkling wines | D5 – Fortified wines
In each of these Units you will learn:
- How grape-growing, winemaking, maturation, wine law and wine business influence the style, quality and price of the principal still wines (D3), sparkling wines (D4) and fortified wines (D5) of the world.
- How to taste and evaluate still wines (D3), sparkling wines (D4) and fortified wines (D5) using the WSET Level 4 Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine® (SAT)
D6 – Independent research assignment
A research assignment of 3,000 words.
Location
All lectures and exams will take place in Stellenbosch, Western Cape. Travel and accommodation will be for your own account.
Dates
The course will commence in January 2021 for a two year period. A breakdown of dates are below but please note exam dates cannot be changed as they are set by WSET in London.
UPCOMING 2021 INTAKE COURSE DATES
| DATE | ACTIVITY | DURATION |
|---|---|---|
|
22 - 23 Jan 2021 |
Course introduction + D1 tuition |
2 days |
|
11 Feb 2021 |
D1 exam |
1 day |
|
11 - 12 Feb 2021 |
D2 tuition |
2 day |
|
10 Mar 2021 |
D2 exam |
1 day |
|
11 - 12 Mar 2021 |
D4 tuition |
2 days |
|
08 Jun 2021 |
D4 exam |
1 day |
|
08 - 09 Jun 2021 |
D5 tuition |
2 days |
|
Late Oct 2021 |
D5 exam |
1 day |
|
Late Oct 2021 |
D3 and D6 tuition |
3 days |
|
Late Jan 2022 |
D6 submission |
- |
|
Late Feb 2022 |
D3 tuition |
3 days |
|
Early Jun 2022 |
D3 tuition |
3 days |
|
Mid Aug 2022 |
D3 tuition |
3 days |
|
Late Sep 2022 |
D3 revision days |
2 days |
|
Late Oct 2022 |
D3 exams |
2 days |
REMAINING 2019/2020 INTAKE COURSE DATES
| DATE | ACTIVITY | DURATION |
|---|---|---|
|
31 Jul 2020 |
D6 submission |
- |
|
05 - 06 Aug 2020 |
D3 tuition |
2 days |
|
01 - 03 Sep 2020 |
D3 tuition |
3 days |
|
27 Oct 2020 |
D5 exam |
1 day |
|
28 - 30 Oct 2020 |
D3 tuition |
3 days |
|
01 - 03 Feb 2021 (tbc) |
D3 tuition |
3 days |
|
12 - 13 Apr 2021 (tbc) |
D3 revision days |
2 days |
|
11 - 12 May 2021 (tbc) |
D3 exams |
2 days |
D1 – Wine production
– 1.5 hour closed book examination consisting of open response questions.
D2 – Wine business
– 1 hour closed book examination consisting of open response questions.
D3 – Wines of the world
– Day One – a two-part theory examination consisting of open response questions to be completed in 3 hours, 20 minutes (one 2 hour paper and one 80 minute paper) – Day Two – a two part blind tasting examination of 12 wines to be completed in 3 hours (2 papers of 1.5 hours each)
D4 – Sparkling wines
– a 1.5 hour closed book examination consisting of open response questions and a blind tasting of 3 sparkling wines.
D5 – Fortified wines
- a 1.5 hour closed book examination consisting of open response questions and a blind tasting of 3 fortified wines
D6 – Independent research assignment
– a research assignment of 3,000 words.
Download Course Specifications
260.19KB
| Duration: | 2 years |
| Award: | Certifiate and Metal Lapel Pin |
| Cost: | P.O.A. |