My WSET Level 3 results just arrived by email! I’m excited (and more than a little relieved) to share that I passed both Tasting and Theory with Distinction.
What does this green piece of paper mean? I’m now qualified to share wine opinions on the Internet, I guess! I can’t wait to start doing that. 😉
The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 3 Award in Wines is an intermediate-to-advanced level wine certification. It’s considered one of the more challenging professional exams out there. (WSET 3 Theory has a lower first-attempt pass rate than the bar exam, as wine people love to point out.) It’s also a gateway to more advanced wine education, including the WSET Diploma in Wines and detailed regional studies.
The Level 3 exam was hard–by far the longest testing session and hardest academic challenge I’ve yet faced. Clearing the Distinction threshold (at least an 80% score on both exam sections) took ten months of focused study and tasting practice. The months-long wait for official results (13 weeks!) was its own kind of ordeal.
I’m proud of this achievement, but I certainly didn’t do it alone. I have many, many wine pals–both locally and online–who have supported me during this past year of certification-seeking. Cheers, y’all. You’ve helped more than I can express. 🩷
I’ll soon be putting together a more detailed post about my Level 3 experience, including recommended study resources and tips for doing well on this difficult exam.
For now, it’s time to absorb the news and plan the next wine adventures. Because the results came in on a quiet Sunday evening, I celebrated with a nice whiskey highball. (No wine, no tasting notes…at least for a day or two.)
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