Professional WSET Courses

Introduction

Drinking wine has become increasingly popular in Hong Kong. Consumers enjoy the pleasure of matching wine with different cuisines while executives and professionals find that talking about wine appreciation is a useful means of socializing with business associates. To serve both purposes, a comprehensive and solid understanding of wine knowledge and tasting skills would be essential. In addition, with the abolition of wine duty, Hong Kong is well on the way to become Asia's wine hub. Knowledgeable professionals and sales people are in great demand in the industry. It is imperative to have a good foundation of knowledge and skills to excel in the sector.

Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET)

Established in 1969, WSET has offered internationally-recognised wine courses in over 45 countries. The aim of the quality-assured qualifications, WSET Awards, is to provide high quality education and training in wines and spirits and to help people develop their tasting skills. The courses are led by WSET Certified Tutors with the official materials produced by WSET.

For the specifications of the qualifications, please visit:
www.wsetglobal.com/qualifications/default.asp

The Hong Kong Management Association is a WSET Approved Programme Provider. The Certificate and Advanced Certificate Programmes in Wines & Spirits are led by WSET Certified Tutors with the official WSET copyright materials.

Course Structure

This course provides a basic introduction to the main styles of wine available to front line staff involved in the selling and/or service of wine, and for the interested consumer. It introduces the technique of tasting wine and the characteristics of the common grape varieties used to produce wines. It aims to provide the basic product knowledge and skill in the selling and/or service of wine to prepare a person for their first job in retail or hospitality.

The course is conducted by a WSET Certified Educator through lectures and tutored wine tasting. Participants will take the WSET Level 1 Examination at the end of the course and upon satisfactory passing the examination, it will lead to an internationally recognized WSET Level 1 Award in Wines.

Course Synopsis

• Wine Tasting: Develop the skill to taste and describe in general terms the main styles of wines using the WSET Systemic Approach to Tasting.
• Food and Wine Matching: Provide a guide to apply basic principles of food and wine matching.
• Wine Service and Storage: Understand the procedures for storage of wines and procedures for opening wines.
• Labelling: Learn how to decipher and understand wine labels.
• Factors Influencing the Style of Wine: Demonstrate a basic understanding of the factors that determine the main styles of wine.
• Grape Varieties: Learn in general terms the main characteristics of principal grape varieties.
• Number of Wines to Taste: 5-6 wines will be tasted for the whole course.
• Duration of the Course: 6 hours ( 2 sessions of 3 hours each).
• WSET Examination: Fee includes the WSET Level 1 Examination which will be held on completion of the course. 30 multiple-choice questions to be answered in 45 minutes. A mark of 70% required to pass.
• Certification: All students who pass the WSET examination will be issued with a WSET certificate suitable for framing and a WSET lapel pin. Results and Certificates for successful candidates will be issued 6-7 weeks from receipt of the completed scripts.

Fee

HKMA Member: $1,600
Non-Member: $1,800
(Includes tuition, wine tasting, WSET Level 1 copyright materials and WSET Level 1 Examination.)

Course Code	Dates & Times	Examination Date	Venue	Enrolment
IWSET-L3006-2019-9-SS (Cantonese Class)	Thursdays (7:00 pm - 10:00 pm) 15 & 22 August 2019	Thursday (7:00pm - 7:45pm) 19 September 2019	SS	FULL
IWSET-L3016-2019-A-F (English Class)	Thursdays (7:00 pm - 10:00 pm) 19 & 26 September 2019	Friday (7:00pm - 7:45pm) 25 October 2019	F
IWSET-L3006-2019-B-F (Cantonese Class)	Tuesdays (7:00 pm - 10:00 pm) 22 & 29 October 2019	Tuesday (7:00pm - 7:45pm) 26 November 2019	F
IWSET-L3006-2019-C-SS (Cantonese Class)	Wednesday & Thursday (7:00 pm - 10:00 pm) 27 & 28 November 2019	Friday (7:00pm - 7:45pm) 3 January 2020	SS
IWSET-L3016-2019-D-SS (English Class)	Fridays (7:00 pm - 10:00 pm) 20 & 27 December 2019	Friday (7:00pm - 7:45pm) 24 January 2020	SS

Language:

Conducted in Cantonese or English. Textbook / reference materials are in English.

Venue:

(F)

W Haking Management Development Centre
The Hong Kong Management Association
14/F Fairmont House, 8 Cotton Tree Drive
Central HONG KONG

OR

(SS)

3/F, Tower 2,South Seas Centre
75 Mody Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon

Course Structure

This course is based on the materials and curricula of the WSET Level 2 Award in Wines. It is suitable for those who want to acquire knowledge of the broad range of wines and spirits and product knowledge to underpin job skills and competences in the customers service and sales function of the hospitality, retailing and wholsaling industries. It is also useful for those who are avid wine lovers seeking a comprehensive understanding of the subject. The main styles of wines and spirits, wine service and the matching of food and wine would be introduced in the course.

The course is conducted by a WSET Certified Educator through lectures and tutored wine tasting. Participants will take the WSET Level 2 Examination at the end of the course and upon satisfactory passing the examination, it will lead to an internationally recognized WSET Level 2 Award in Wines.

Course Synopsis

• Wine Tasting: Develop the skill to taste and describe wines using the WSET Systemic Approach to Tasting. 'Le Nez du Vin' by Jean Lenoir will be used for training participants' sense of smell.
• Food and Wine Matching: Provide a guide to the key considerations for food and wine matching.
• Wine Service and Storage: Understand the conditions for wine storage and proper procedure to serve wine.
• Wine Faults:: Recognize common faults in wines.
• Labelling: Learn how to decipher and understand wine labels.
• Factors Influencing the Style of Wine: Know the factors affecting the style, quality and price of wine.
• Grape Varieties: Learn about the styles of wines produced by the key international and regionally grape varieties.
• Key White Grape Varieties: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and other white varieties: Chenin Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Muscadet, Pinot Gris/Grigio, Semillon, Torrontes, Trebbiano and Verdicchio.
• Key Black Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah/Shiraz and other red varieties: Barbera, Carmenere, Gamay, Malbec, Montepulciano, Nebbiolo, Pinotage, Primitivo, Sangiovese, Tempranillo & Zinfandel.
• Key Wine Producing Regions of the World: Learn about the main styles of wines from the key wine-producing regions. France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile and South Afraica.
• Number of Wines to Taste: 5-6 wines will be tasted per session and in total 40-48 wines will be tasted for the whole course.
• Duration of the Course: 20 hours.
• Recommended Private Study: At least 12-hour private study is recommended for the course.
• WSET Examination: Fee includes the WSET Level 2 Examination which will be held on completion of the course. 50 multiple-choice questions to be answered in 1 hour. A mark of 55% required to pass.
• Certification: All students who pass the WSET examination will be issued with a WSET certificate suitable for framing and a WSET lapel pin. Results and Certificates for successful candidates will be issued 6-7 weeks from receipt of the completed scripts.

Fee

HKMA Member: $6,600
Non-Member: $6,800
(Includes tuition, wine tasting, WSET Level 2 copyright materials and WSET Level 2 Examination.)

Course Code	Dates & Times	Examination Date	Venue	Enrolment
IWSET-L3007-2019-3-SS (Cantonese Class)	Thursdays (7:00 pm - 9:30 pm) 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 October; 7, 14, 21 November 2019	Monday (7:00pm - 8:00pm) 23 December 2019	SS

Language:

Conducted in Cantonese or English. Textbook / reference materials are in English.

Venue:

(F)

W Haking Management Development Centre
The Hong Kong Management Association
14/F Fairmont House, 8 Cotton Tree Drive
Central HONG KONG

OR

(SS)

3/F, Tower 2,South Seas Centre
75 Mody Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon

Course Structure

This course is designed to give a thorough understanding of the factors that account for the style, quality and price of the principal still, sparkling and fortified wines of the world. It will assist those who are required to make professional evaluations of wines with regards to their style, quality and price. It also provides the in-depth product knowledge required to underpin job skills and competencies, for example in product selection in the retail and hospitality sectors.

The WSET course is conducted by WSET Certified Educators through lectures and tutored wine tasting with the WSET Advanced Systematic Approach to Tasting. Participants will take the WSET Level 3 Examination at the end of the course and upon satisfactory passing the examination, it will lead to an internationally recognized WSET Level 3 Award in Wines.

Course Synopsis

• Wine Tasting: Develop the skill to taste and produce tasting notes using the WSET Systemic Approach to Tasting, and use the information contained within them to identify the style, quality and price band of wines and spirits.
• Wine Knowledge on Food Matching: Apply knowledge of the principal wines and spirits of the world to make recommendations to customers in a variety of situations and apply the principles of food and wine matching to the key styles of wine.
• Wine Service and Storage: Understand the conditions for correct wine storage and proper way to serve wines and spirits; recognize common faults in wines.
• Labelling: Learn how to decipher and understand wine labels.
• Wine Production: Understand the key factors influencing the production of the principal wines and spirits of the world and how those factors influence the style, quality and price.
• Light Wines: Learn about the styles of wines produced in the key wine regions and districts of the world: France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Greece, Hungary, Australia, New Zealand, North and South America.
• Sparkling Wines: Lean about the methods of production and the main styles of sparkling wines from the key wine producing countries: France, Spain, Italy, Germany, New World- Australia, California, New Zealand, South Africa.
• Fortified Wines: Learn about the methods of production and main styles of fortified wines from the key wine producing countries: Portugal, Spain, France, Australia.
• Number of Wines to Taste: 4-6 wines will be tasted per session and in total 64-96 wines will be tasted for the whole course.
• Duration of the Course: 40 hours (16 sessions of 2.5 hours each).
• Recommended Private Study: 56-hour private study is recommended for the course.
• WSET Examination: The examination comprises two parts: Part one will be a combined 50 multiple-choice questions and 4 short questions to be completed in 2 hours; Part two will be a blind tasting of two wines to be completed in 30 minutes. A mark of 55% in each part is required to achieve a pass.
• Certification: All students who pass the WSET examination will be issued with a WSET certificate suitable for framing and a WSET lapel pin. Results and Certificates for successful candidates will be issued 9-12 weeks from receipt of the completed scripts.

Fee

HKMA Member: $11,600
Non-Member: $11,800
(Includes tuition, wine tasting, WSET Level 3 copyright materials and WSET Level 3 Examination.)

Course Code	Dates & Times	Examination Date	Venue	Enrolment
IWSET-L3018-2019-2-SS (English Class)	Wednesdays (7:00 pm - 10:00 pm) 12, 19, 26 June; 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 July; 7, 14, 21, 28 August; 4, 11, 18, 25 September 2019	Wednesday (7:00pm - 10:00pm) 23 October 2019	SS	FULL
IWSET-L3008-2019-1-SS (Cantonese Class) Intensive Course	Saturdays & Sunday (10:00 am - 12:00 pm; 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm) 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18 August 2019	Saturday (1:00pm - 4:00pm) 19 October 2019	SS

Language:

Conducted in Cantonese or English. Textbook / reference materials are in English.

Venue:

(F)

W Haking Management Development Centre
The Hong Kong Management Association
14/F Fairmont House, 8 Cotton Tree Drive
Central HONG KONG

OR

(SS)

3/F, Tower 2,South Seas Centre
75 Mody Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon

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