Close-up of a bunch of grapes on a vine with a logo depicting a woman holding a glass of wine in the background. WSET Logo wine grapes.

If you’re considering certification with The Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET), you need a trusted guide to help you prepare for the exam. 

Napa Valley Wine Academy is the largest and most awarded Approved Program Provider of the WSET, with some of the highest pass rates in the industry. We offer classes toward WSET certification online and at eight locations across the US.

 WHAT IS WSET?

Based in London, WSET is the largest and most respected wine education and certification organization of its kind in the world. More than 100,000 people each year pursue wine and spirits education through them. 

Established in London in 1969, WSET has become the foremost international organization in the field of wines and spirits education, with over half a million individuals having completed a WSET qualification. They currently offer courses in over 73 countries and 19 languages. In 2015, their efforts were recognized with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade.

WSET certifications are an excellent idea for wine professionals looking to enhance their knowledge and expertise in the industry. The qualifications offered by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) are internationally recognized and highly regarded within the wine and spirits industry. With a WSET certification, wine professionals can demonstrate a level of knowledge and expertise that sets them apart from their peers, making them more attractive to employers and customers alike.

One of the key benefits of WSET certifications is the comprehensive nature of the courses. The curriculum covers a wide range of topics, including the production, styles, and flavors of different wines and spirits and wine and spirit service, pairing, and tasting techniques. This means that wine professionals who complete a WSET certification will have a deep understanding of the industry, which can help them to make informed decisions and provide expert advice to customers and clients.

Another benefit of WSET certifications is that they are taught by a team of qualified educators who are experts in their field. These educators have the knowledge and experience needed to provide students with a high-quality education and can answer any questions that students may have.
Additionally, with WSET certifications, wine professionals can open up new job opportunities and advance their wine and spirits industry careers. The certification will demonstrate the level of knowledge and expertise which can be valuable assets for employers.

Finally, WSET certifications can help wine professionals develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of wine and spirits, enhancing their enjoyment of these products. A WSET certification can be a great personal enrichment and make you stand out as an expert in your field.
WSET certifications are a valuable investment for any wine professional looking to enhance their knowledge, expertise, and career prospects in the industry.

Woman smelling a glass of wine during WSET Level 1 Award In Wines | In-Person course, focusing on tasting and identifying wine types.

WSET Level 1 Award In Wines | In-Person

Napa Denver Nashville Santa Barbara Tampa Los Angeles
Our WSET Level 1 course gives you the basic skills to talk and taste like a professional. This course is designed to be hands-on and fun. You will explore different styles of wines through sight, smell, and taste and learn the fundamental principles involved in the storage and service of wine. Pass the Exam and Display Once you pass the exam you can display your credentials instantly! You'll get a digital badge and certificate to celebrate your accomplishment. Share it instantly on LinkedIn, social media, or with your professional network to showcase your achievement!
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Woman enjoying a glass of wine during the WSET Level 1 Award in Wines online course.

WSET Level 1 Award in Wines | Online Course

Our WSET Level 1 course will help you begin to talk and taste like a professional. Gain the basic skills to describe wines accurately. Have a systematic approach to tasting and identifying wine types. Know the fundamental principles of food and wine pairing. Once you pass the exam you can display your credentials instantly! You'll get a digital badge and certificate to celebrate your accomplishment. Share it instantly on LinkedIn, social media, or with your professional network to showcase your achievement!
WSET Level 2 Award in Wine | In-Person: A man picking grapes from a vine, representing hands-on learning and deepening wine knowledge through guided tastings and expert instruction.

WSET Level 2 Award in Wine | In-Person

Napa Tampa Denver Los Angeles Nashville Santa Barbara
Enroll in the WSET Level 2 course to explore the world's wine styles and regions, and refine your tasting skills with guided tastings of approximately 30 wines. Join now and learn to identify principal grape varieties, decode wine labels, and master the WSET’s Level 2 Systematic Approach to Wine Tasting (SAT). Once you pass the exam you can display your credentials instantly! You'll get a digital badge and certificate to celebrate your accomplishment. Share it instantly on LinkedIn, social media, or with your professional network to showcase your achievement!
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A man in a hat picking grapes from a vine, illustrating the hands-on learning in the WSET Level 2 Award in Wines online course.

WSET Level 2 Award in Wines | Online Course

Dive into the exciting world of wines with our interactive WSET Level 2 Wine Online course, designed to be both educational and enjoyable. You’ll master the art of identifying key grape varieties, understanding wine labels, and enhancing your tasting skills with the WSET’s Systematic Approach to Tasting. Once you pass the exam you can display your credentials instantly! You'll get a digital badge and certificate to celebrate your accomplishment. Share it instantly on LinkedIn, social media, or with your professional network to showcase your achievement!
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WSET Level 3 Award in Wines Online Course - A green landscape with hills, a building, and promotional signs.

WSET Level 3 Award in Wines | Online Course

Embark on a comprehensive journey through the world of wine with our WSET Level 3 Wine Online course. You’ll gain a deep understanding of wide grape varieties and the factors influencing wine style and quality across the globe, equipping you with the knowledge to assess and explain wine like a professional.
A woman holding a glass of wine stands by a river in a valley, promoting the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines | In-Person course.

WSET Level 3 Award in Wines | In-Person

Napa Tampa
We teach our students the WSET way of thinking. You’ll not only know the material, but you’ll also understand what they are looking for so you can feel confident on test day. You’ll also be ready for the blind tasting portion of the exam with guided tastings of approximately 80 benchmark wines.
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WSET Level 1 Award in Spirits | Online Course: A close-up of various wine glasses, highlighting a hands-on introduction to spirits with tastings and theory sessions.

WSET Level 1 Award in Spirits | In-Person

Tampa Bardstown Napa
A beginner-level introduction to spirits for those starting a career in the industry or pursuing an interest in spirits. For individuals new to the subject, this qualification offers a hands-on introduction to the world of spirits. Once you pass the exam you can display your credentials instantly! You'll get a digital badge and certificate to celebrate your accomplishment. Share it instantly on LinkedIn, social media, or with your professional network to showcase your achievement!
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WSET Level 1 Award in Spirits | Online Course: A close-up of various wine glasses, highlighting a hands-on introduction to spirits with tastings and theory sessions.

WSET Level 1 Award in Spirits | Online Course

Discover the world of spirits and liqueurs with our 6-week online program, offering around-the-clock access to study materials for unparalleled flexibility. The Level 2 Award in Spirits Online mirrors the classroom syllabus within an interactive online setting, enabling peer collaboration and the support of a dedicated educator. Once you pass the exam you can display your credentials instantly! You'll get a digital badge and certificate to celebrate your accomplishment. Share it instantly on LinkedIn, social media, or with your professional network to showcase your achievement!
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Close-up of WSET Level 2 Spirits Online Course materials, including a machine and metal cylinder, illustrating the hands-on learning experience for spirits and liqueurs.

WSET Level 2 Award in Spirits | Online Course

This beginner-level course provides a hands-on introduction to spirits, ideal for those starting a career in the industry or exploring a personal interest. Through sensory evaluation, participants will learn about various spirit styles and types, gaining insight into the factors that influence their flavors and aromas. Once you pass the exam you can display your credentials instantly! You'll get a digital badge and certificate to celebrate your accomplishment. Share it instantly on LinkedIn, social media, or with your professional network to showcase your achievement!
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Group of beer glasses with a woman holding a glass logo, representing the WSET Level 1 Award in Beer | Online course.

WSET Level 1 Award in Beer | Online

This qualification provides newcomers with a practical introduction to the beer universe, emphasizing exploring beer’s main styles and the sensory evaluation of its flavors and aromas. Participants will acquire fundamental beer knowledge, including production principles and ingredients, alongside developing a systematic beer-tasting approach. Once you pass the exam you can display your credentials instantly! You'll get a digital badge and certificate to celebrate your accomplishment. Share it instantly on LinkedIn, social media, or with your professional network to showcase your achievement!
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Close-up of plant leaves symbolizing natural ingredients, accompanying the WSET Level 2 Award in Beer | Online course, focused on beer ingredients, production, and tasting skills.

WSET Level 2 Award in Beer | Online

The WSET Level 2 Award in Beer extensively explores beer, covering ingredients, production processes, and globally renowned beer styles alongside enhanced tasting sessions. NVWA students gain additional resources, including access to four virtual webinars on tasting and theory, a dedicated instructor for a five-week online course, and an interactive platform for discussions and webinar access via NVWA’s Online Wine Academy. Once you pass the exam you can display your credentials instantly! You'll get a digital badge and certificate to celebrate your accomplishment. Share it instantly on LinkedIn, social media, or with your professional network to showcase your achievement!
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Woman holding wine glass promoting WSET Level 4 Diploma | D1 Wine Production, highlighting wine production education and enrollment details.

WSET Level 4 Diploma | D1 Wine Production

Begin your WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wine with D1 – Wine Production, and unlock how wine is made. Discover how every decision impacts the wine’s style, quality, and price from the vineyard to the cellar. Enroll now and transform your passion for wine into a profound understanding that sets you apart in the wine world.
WSET Level 4 Diploma | D2 Wine Business course materials, featuring an orange and white cover with white text, held by a woman.

WSET Level 4 Diploma | D2 Wine Business

D2 Wine Business dives more deeply into the factors that contribute to the price of wine. You’ll also understand the many types of businesses engaged in the production of wine, available options for getting wine to the point of sale, and key considerations in wine marketing. Prerequisites: You must have taken the D1 exam to start D2 (receipt of results not required).
WSET Level 4 Diploma | D3 Wines of the World course logo with a woman holding a wine glass.

WSET Level 4 Diploma | D3 Wines of the World

In the WSET Level 4 D3 Wines of the World class, students examine the still wines produced in France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, USA, Canada, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and China. Prerequisites: You must have taken the D1 and D2 exams (receipt of results not required).
WSET Level 4 Diploma | D4 Sparkling Wine: Image of a woman holding a glass of wine, promoting advanced studies in sparkling wines from various regions.

WSET Level 4 Diploma | D4 Sparkling Wine

Through detailed theoretical and practical study, explore the sparkling wines produced in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, the USA, South America, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Prerequisites: You must have taken the D1 and D2 exams (receipt of results not required). 
WSET Level 4 Diploma | D5 Fortified Wine course logo featuring a woman holding a glass, set against a rectangular background with white text.

WSET Level 4 Diploma | D5 Fortified Wine

Diploma’s Unit 5 offers a detailed exploration of the often overlooked world of fortified wines: Sherry, Port, Madeira, Vins Doux Naturels and Rutherglen Muscat. Prerequisites: You must have taken the D1 and D2 exams (receipt of results not required).
WSET Level 4 Diploma | D6 Independent Research Assignment cover, featuring white text on a purple and orange background, emphasizing the course's online resources and research topics.

WSET Level 4 Diploma | D6 Independent Research Assignment

While Diploma’s Unit 6 is an independent project, our proprietary online classroom offers resources to ensure your paper meets WSET expectations. WSET releases two topics each August, allowing students to pick ONE. This year’s topics include "Virginia Wine" (due January 31, 2025) or "PIWI Grape Varieties (due July 31, 2025). If you don’t like either of the two available topics, you can wait until the next academic year for two new topics to be released.
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WSET Level 3 Award in Spirits | Online Course

WSET Level 3 Award in Spirits Online at Napa Valley Wine Academy The WSET Level 3 Award in Spirits, offered by Napa Valley Wine Academy is a globally recognized qualification from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET). This advanced course is perfect for serious spirit enthusiasts and those aiming to elevate their professional careers in the spirits industry. This course will help you develop an extensive understanding of spirits and confidently explain the spirit. You’ll learn all key characteristics and labeling terms for spirits around the world, and understand what influences their style and quality. As the most awarded WSET provider in the U.S., Napa Valley Wine Academy augments the WSET’s Spirits course which is a comprehensive online program that dives deep into the systematic approach to tasting and a detailed exploration of key spirits. You'll engage with Scotch Whisky, Whiskey in the USA, Cognac, Armagnac, Caribbean rum, Tequila, Mezcal, Vodka, Gin, Calvados, Baijiu & Genever and more. This extensive coverage expands your knowledge and sharpens your tasting abilities, focusing on the WSET Level 3 Systematic Approach to Tasting® (SAT).