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wine students in asheville

WSET Certification Classes
in Asheville

MWWine school logo

On a Mission to Help You

Find Your Wine Palate

Melanie Webber directs and teaches in the WSET program at MWWine School. She has been teaching WSET Level One, Two and Three Award in Wines for the past four years in California, helping hundreds of wine industry professionals achieve their certification, including winery owners, winemakers, chefs, tasting room managers and personnel, as well as those shifting their career paths into wine. She earned the Diploma in Wine and Spirits from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust and is a WSET Certified Educator. She also holds the French Wine Scholar with Honors and Spanish Wine Scholar with Highest Honors from the Wine Scholar Guild.

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UPCOMING WSET CLASSES & OTHER TRAININGS
WSET classes are offered through the
MWWine School WSET APP in Asheville, North Carolina in partnership with the Asheville School of Wine/Metro Wines

WSET-Level-1

WSET Level One Award in Wines 
Perfect for Tasting Room and Restaurant Service Professionals, and Wine Enthusiasts

Coming to Asheville:

Sunday, August 4th, 2024, Course & Exam, 9:30am - 5pm

Location: Asheville School of Wine, Reynolds Village, Asheville

Course price: $350

Register by Sunday, July 21st, 2024.

A beginner level introduction to wine suitable for those starting a wine career or pursuing an interest in wine. You’ll explore the main types and styles of wine through sight, smell, and taste, while also gaining the basic skills to describe wines accurately, and make food and wine pairings, as well as wine service and etiquette
 
The WSET Level 1 Award in Wines is a suggested prerequisite for the WSET Level 2 Award in Wines course. The WSET L1 Award is a 6-hour course and includes an exam with 30 multiple-choice questions to be answered in 45 minutes, printed study guide, tasting of 10 wines, food pairing exercises, and exam fee. Successful candidates receive a certificate and lapel pin for the internationally-recognized WSET Level 1 Award in Wines.  Link to course specification. See class policies​ here. Register here.

Students may cancel up to 14 days prior to the first day of class, after that no cancellations except in cases where there is a need for special consideration.

This class must reach a minimum number of enrollees to proceed. Registrants will be informed one week before the class if it is postponed or canceled.

WSET-Level-2

WSET Level Two Award in Wines
A Deeper Dive into Wine Styles and Regions, Winemaking and Wine Tasting

Coming to Asheville:

Part 1 and 2: Monday/Tuesday, August 5th and 6th, 2024, 9:30am - 5:00pm

Part 3 and Exam: Monday, August 12th, 2024, 9:30am - 5:00pm

Location: Asheville School of Wine, Reynolds Village, Asheville

Course price: $850

Register by Monday, July 22nd, 2024. 

For individuals seeking a core understanding of a wide range of wines, this qualification explores the major grape varieties of the world and the regions in which they are grown. Through a combination of tasting and theory, you’ll explore the factors that impact style and quality and learn how to describe these wines with confidence. The course includes tastings of over 30 wines. 
 
It is intended as vocational training in product knowledge for those employed in the drinks industry. The qualification is suitable wherever a good level of product knowledge is required to underpin job skills and competencies. The WSET Level 2 Award in Wines course is also appropriate for those not employed in the drinks industry but who want a serious education in wine and wish to broaden their knowledge in a structured way., Successful candidates receive a certificate and lapel pin for the internationally-recognized WSET Level 2 Award in Wines. L2 is a pre-requisite for WSET Level 3 Award in Wines  Link to course specification.  See class policies​ here. Register here.

Students may cancel up to 14 days prior to the first day of class, after that no cancellations except in cases where there is a need for special consideration.

This class must reach a minimum number of enrollees to proceed. Registrants will be informed one week before the class if it is postponed or canceled.

WSET-Level-3

WSET Level Three Award in Wines

An advanced level qualification for professionals working in the wine industry and for serious wine enthusiasts.

Coming to Asheville Fall 2024. Dates TBA.

For individuals seeking to delve deeply into the world of wines. Provides a detailed understanding of grape growing and wine making. Open to students with WSET Level 2 Award in Wines, or who can demonstrate knowledge at an Intermediate level through the completion of equivalent education courses, or who have sufficient wine trade experience. The course covers wines of the world in – depth (35+ hours) and tastings of 70+ wines. This qualification has a minimum requirement of 84 hours of study time, including 30 hours of classroom time. Link to course specification.  See class policies here

Students may cancel up to 14 days prior to the first day of class, after that no cancellations except in cases where there is a need for special consideration.

A note from Melanie about WSET Level 3: 

WSET Level 3 Award in Wines is one of the industry's most respected credentials, and, as such, it is a serious and challenging course that demands commitment – over 50 hours of private study is recommended. Please be sure to review the candidate specification before registering. Your work outside class hours is as important, if not more so, than your time in class. Successful candidates in my previous classes have formed tasting and study groups and practiced writing answers for the theory portion of the exam.  The exam consists of a blind tasting exam and a theory exam consisting of multiple-choice questions and essay questions. The good news is that everything you need to know for the theory part is in your book, so if you know your book and are able to apply knowledge you should be fine. Students tend to be the most nervous about the blind tasting exam, but most students pass that, it is the theory exam that provides the biggest challenges. I make sure to space classes out so you have ample study time between sessions, provide homework with sample exam questions, and we taste all wines blind and I put you through many mock blind tasting exams. 

Now that I have been a bit serious, I will also assure you that I do everything I can to help you pass the exam, to make the class fun, to ensure that we take the work, but not ourselves, seriously and that you will have the most extraordinary selection of wines from around the world, nearly 80 of them, sourced from top wine shops in Los Angeles. Challenging though wine study is, it can be deeply rewarding. Hope to see you there!

 

Melanie

 

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Restaurant / Wine Bar Personnel

I can also offer an onsite one day class for your staff (10 person minimum).

Wine Scholar Guild in Asheville:

For more information and to register for the next:

Spanish Wine Scholar course, click here.

Spanish Wine Essentials course, click here.

Explore Asheville Biltmore Winery.jpg

As the owner of a distillery in Asheville, I am always interested in learning more about the drinks business so I took Melanie Webber’s seminars 'Tasting Like a Pro' and 'Food and Wine Pairing' offered by the Asheville School of Wine. Not only did I learn key tasting tips, but it has helped up my food and wine pairing game – and the range of wines was fantastic. Melanie’s 'no snobs allowed' teaching makes everyone feel comfortable and her wine knowledge is impressive. Her classes are entertaining, engaging, clear and informative and I encourage Asheville food and wine professionals and wine lovers alike to take her classes.  
 

 

DEBBIE WORD
Founder & Owner, Chemist Spirits
Asheville, NC

Melanie Webber’s wine classes at the Asheville School of Wine, “Tasting Like a Pro” and “How to Pair Food and Wine” were wonderful!  Melanie is a truly engaging teacher; her passion for wine, her broad knowledge of the grapes, regions, and terroir of different types of wines, and her fun and funny approach to it all made the classes both entertaining and informative. I came away with not only a much deeper understanding of what I like and why, but also an incredible amount of information that I can use to continue to experiment fearlessly, try new things, and improve my palate. I found Melanie to be the perfect guide to take us, her lucky students, on that journey!

MAGGIE MARSHALL

Co-Founder

Co-Founder, Flatiron Writers Room

Asheville, NC

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