Publication: Lianhe Zaobao, pg6 & 7
Date: 15 January 2011
Headline: WSET品酒课程 走入 葡萄酒殿堂 (WSET- Entering the world of wine tasting)

Synopsis of article

Wine program is slowly becoming a trend as we find half of the participants pursuing the course purely for personal interest at their own expense. It is an indication that more and more wine lovers are willing to enhance their wine knowledge. Each year more than 20,000 candidates sat for the WSET examination, one of the most authoritative educational certification. Including Singapore, there are more than 50 countries around the world with organizations offering WSET courses.

A systematic way of grasping wine knowledge

Shatec Institutes provides Intermediate and Advanced WSET courses, both are two-day course starting from SGD$650. Advantage of WSET course includes a systematic way of acquiring wine tasting knowledge, learning a process of wine tasting from the color, aroma to gradual appreciation of the grapes.

Wine knowledge is never easy to master

Marcus Yeo, the journalist from LianHeZaoBao, participant of the last intermediate WSET course has always been interested in wines and reckons this course would not be that difficult for him. The first few hours, I learnt the composition of wines, the process of growing vines, brewing wine, and categories of wine.

Standards to wine tasting

After long hours of theory lessons, participants always look forward to wine tasting session in the afternoon. Under the instructor’s guidance we learnt the art of wine tasting through a wine tasting card developed by WSET. It has standardized criteria and detailed explanation for each section.

Within these two days, all of us are able to determine the quality of the wine after referring to the criteria and using the wine tasting card as a reference. We can even reveal the grapes origin.

I prepared myself the night before sitting for the 50 multiple-choice questions. Although I have yet to receive the results, but two days of wine tasting course had certainly enhanced my knowledge in wines and had given me the extra bit of confidence in my interest.

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