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Level 4 Diploma in Wines

WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines and Spirits

The Level 4 Diploma in Wines is a two-year program for highly-motivated consumers and wine and spirits professionals. It features heavy emphasis on viticulture and vinification; focuses special attention on production and consumption trends, wine marketing and other aspects of the global sale and consumption of wine; and covers the world’s wine regions in considerable depth.

The Wine Center does not offer the Diploma level certification at this time. Contact Us for information on US locations offering this level.

Various tests throughout the course involve multiple-choice questions, essay exams, blind wine-tasting, and research papers. Diploma is the traditional preparatory course for those who wish to become Master of Wine students.

Who is this course for?

The Level 4 Diploma is WSET School’s flagship qualification.  It is designed to prepare people for responsible jobs within the wine and spirits business.  The course will not only develop product knowledge to a specialist level, but will also enable students to acquire skills, in research and report writing, that will continue to be of use beyond the course.  The course is taught by industry experts, many are MWs, all have up-to-date knowledge of contemporary issues related to wines.

Entry Requirements

Candidates are required to hold the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines to register for the WSET Level 4 | Diploma in Wines.

Successful Candidates

To obtain the Wine & Spirit Education Trust Level 4 | Diploma in Wines, the candidate must successfully complete:

  • Unit 1 – The coursework assignment between 2,500-3,000 words on a topic set by WSET Awards plus one closed book case study examination paper.
  • Unit 2 – 100 multiple choice questions on viticulture, vinification, maturation, treatments and bottling | The candidate has 90 minutes to complete this paper.
  • Unit 3 Tasting – 2 papers, each consisting of 6 wines | The candidate has 1 hour to complete each paper.
  • Unit 3 Theory – candidate will answer 1 compulsory question and 4 additional questions from a choice of 6. These written questions may take the form of an essay or paragraph answers depending on the instructions in the question. The candidate has 3 hours to complete this closed book exam.
  • All portfolios must be HAND written.  Although these are not formally assessed the candidate will be required to submit them to their APP for feedback.
  • Unit 4, 5 & 6 Practical Tasting and Theory Exam – The candidate has 1 hour to complete tasting notes for the 3 samples given as well as answering a written question on the relevant unit.