WSET Level 4 Award in Wines
Who is the course aimed at
The WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines is for wine industry professionals and others who wish to obtain an expert-level, globally recognised wine qualification. This demanding course also provides the foundational knowledge and skills for students who wish to apply for the prestigious Master of Wine programme. Students must hold the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines to enrol on the WSET Level 4 Diploma.
What the course covers
The Diploma is structured around six individual units, encompassing wine production, wine business, and the study of still, sparkling, and fortified wines worldwide:
- D1 Wine Production: This covers vine requirements and vine and grape anatomy, grape-growing approaches and their impact on yield and quality, the influence of natural vineyard factors on wine style, quality and price, and winemaking and post-fermentation choices and their effects on the final wine.
- D2 Wine Business: Encompasses the types of enterprises involved in wine production, the various routes wines take to reach the point of sale, the factors influencing wine pricing, and the key considerations in marketing wine.
- D3 Wines of the World: Students explore how grape-growing, winemaking, maturation, wine law, and wine business shape the style, quality, and price of the world’s principal still wines.
- D4 Sparkling Wines: Students explore how grape-growing, winemaking, maturation, wine law, and wine business shape the style, quality, and price of the world’s principal sparkling wines.
- D5 Fortified Wines: Students explore how grape-growing, winemaking, maturation, wine law, and wine business shape the style, quality, and price of the world’s principal fortified wines.
- D6 – Independent research assignment: Students submit a 3000-word written assignment on a wine subject chosen by the WSET.
Students learn to taste and evaluate wines using the WSET Level 4 Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine® (SAT).
Course Delivery
The Wine School’s Diploma course is delivered over 20 months. There is one intake every year.
The programme encompasses online learning, regular written assignments with general and individual feedback, pre-recorded audio presentations, practical tasting sessions, mock examinations and proprietary exam technique and tasting guidance. Further information including time commitment, study materials and timetables can be found in The Wine School’s prospectus and the WSET specification.
Units D1 – D5 are examined via in-person written (and for Units 3, 4, 5 practical) examinations. Completed papers are sent to London to be marked.
The D6 Research Assignment is submitted as a written piece of work and sent to London for marking.
Course Fee
The Wine School’s Diploma programme prospectus is updated and published annually. It contains detailed information including how the course is delivered, the examination dates, fees and payment schedule. This is available on request by contacting diploma@nzsws.co.nz