One Foot in the Grapes has partnered with the Drinks Trust charity to make our courses available within the trust’s Develop bursary scheme.
- What is it: If you’re a wine enthusiast, or starting out in the hospitality industry, this introduction to wine course gives you the basics for your wine journey.
- Where and when is it: This course is studied in a day in a Liverpool city centre venue. The exam is in the final session.
- 2024 dates at City Wine Bar, Liverpool:
April 8 – Monday
October 14 – Monday - Entry requirements: You don’t need any qualifications, or knowledge about wine, to join this Level 1 course.
- How does it work: This one-day course in a Liverpool venue begins with introductions at 9.15am, with the exam from 4.30pm.
- Wines and food pairing: You’ll taste at least seven wine with a two-hour workshop on comparing wines with foods. See the panel below for the full course outline.
- Theory only: The qualification can be gained by only studying theory. This is suitable for under-18s or others who do not wish to have alcohol.
- The study fee: This course is £180 to the end of July 2024. WSET fees rise in August. It includes wine and food samples, and the examination fee – but not resit exams.
- Study guide: A study guide will be posted to allow for reading ahead of the course.
- How to book: Select a date within the shopping basket. There will be an option to pay in three instalments (if eligible).
- To complete the booking: One Foot in the Grapes will request a form of photo ID.
WSET Level 1 Wines Specification
Click on the icon to see the full course details
How do you pass?
You will sit a 45-minute exam of 30 multiple-choice questions. You need 70% or more to pass and will receive a certificate and pin.
An Introduction to Wine: The WSET Level 1 in a day
Session One:
An Introduction to Wines:
- What is wine
- How grapes grow
- Where grapes grow
- Making wine
- Types of wine
- Principal grape varieties
- Via hands-on experiments, you’ll discover important factors in red winemaking; and a sweetness and acidity tasting test will hone your palate.
Session Two:
Understanding the Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine:
- We’ll taste three wines – a white a red and a rosé using the WSET’s Systematic Approach to Tasting.
- The aim is to experience and objectively describe wines with different notable characteristics e.g. high acidity, low and high tannins, and learn and discover different aromas and flavours.
Session Three:
Storage and Service:
- The ideal conditions for storing and methods for preserving wine.
- The recommended service temperature for the principal types and styles of wine.
Lunch Break
Session Four
Food and wine pairing (two hours):
There will be a tasting of four more wines with different notable characteristics e.g. high acidity, low and high tannins, high alcohol, sweetness
- We’ll then experience how all of our wines each interact with different types of food, using sweet biscuits, cheese, salt, lemon, and chilli-flavoured crisps
- Via a restaurant wine list excercise, we’ll interpret wine styles and suggest food pairing matches.
Revision break
Exam (4.30pm)