For most people who go through the WSET program, it’s probably the first time they’ve been in a class room since the finished uni or college or school. It’s funny to get those first day back at school jitters when you’re in your thirties, but it happened!
Without question the weirdest (in a good way of course!) thing about going back to school is that this time the lectures were all about wine. That sounds a bit obvious, but what I mean is that you sit down with your pen and paper and laying there neatly infront of you are between 6 and 12 tasting glasses of wines or spirits. That never used to happen in Maths!
The idea of doing joint tastings with all your classmates is that not only do you get to chat about the wines with everyone, you also get to hear the lecturer giving their expert opinion. It helps point out things you’ve missed, or things you weren’t thinking about. It sharpens you up cos you don’t really want to look like a prat! I shouldn’t worry, because a good palate takes years to develop, and there’s no immediate rush, but at the time you feel a bit under pressure. But it’s a good pressure.
Only slight draw back about this is the mad scramble at the end of the lecture to use the 4 taps available to wash your glasses. I’m not exactly a nutcase polisher of glasses, but they need to be clean. But you’ve got to get quick at it before the evils of the hungry classmates wanting their lunch burns a hole in the back of your head!
Cheers
Mike
Photo: From O-Chateau
