Most of us (credential holders) got into wine for a particular reason and were self motivated to learn more. Most consumers, just want to be able to pick up "something good" to drink. In teaching about wine, if we aren't focused on the customer perspective/experience, we've missed the point. Teaching wine geeks is different than a general consumer experience.
I think this depends on where the wine geek is positioned in the world of wine. Cellar workers and winemakers? Maybe a little less so than somms and wine retail associates.
Overall, the consumer perspective is incredibly important and one that gets lost almost entirely when going through wine certifications. I do think that the consumer experience is a topic that should be given more space.
I love this subject. Thanks for raising it. But does the body of knowledge really change? Really? It still is and must be : history, region, variety, technique. Choose to spend more time on one region or another, but the focus is the same. More importantly, this education is not for the consumer. It’s for the extraordinarily small number of people who MIGHT end up interacting with consumers. Trust the students to discern what their audience might want or need or benefit from.
People like the stories. Wine education gives those with credentials them and the context of history, culture, and the people. Wine education needn't change but rather share this ecosystem to help consumers appreciate the circumstancesnof the stories. Embrace the history that has shaped the wines. Therein lies the opportunities.
Do you feel like most credentialed wine pros are equipped to communicate stories in a unique and creative way to meet their audience where they are? What does this opportunity unlock in your opinion?
I feel like storytelling is precisely where WSET and other educational programs are falling down. Even medical schools have embraced “narrative medicine” in their curriculum. So I agree with you that the opportunity is there
What is currently missing from the curriculum? Oh don't even get me started. How about wine and food chemistry and pairing food and wine scientifically via compounds? But also - the whole format of education and exam taking formats need to be revamped, too. 1) Content needs to become interactive by default. After all, we have AI now. Why would I look at a chart or a wine report if I should be able to talk to it? 2) Fact memorization needs to go - no need to store information in one's brain. I think soon exams will be about asking the right questions (vs giving correct answers). I hope WSET evolves - I'd rather be tested on my ability to ask the right questions vs my ability to memorize how many months Barolo Riserva should spend.
I think wine education has to take the approach of community colleges of ‘meeting the students where they are’.
There are multitudes of ‘teachable moments’, and these don’t need to be lessons. Answer a simple question. If there are follow ups, start a conversation. If not, appreciate you have a customer.
Be a resource, not an authority. Learn to speak to every wine drinker, regardless of their knowledge and experience. Remember that the rookie you’re talking to today could be a future master som
I think of wine education as somewhat segregated, based upon the experiences of the professional, but these components are not necessarily at odds (although in some instances I’m certain they are).
So first off, Somms would certainly be professionals in this framework, as would others with formal wine training or certification. This could include enology, viticulture, or perhaps even a history degree focused on wine (if this is a thing).
There are the ‘on the job’ trained professionals - like wine stewards at restaurants or bottle shops, servers, tasting room attendants, or wholesalers.
There’s also the ‘amateurs’ who picked it up from looking and trying wine, learning as they’ve gone and immersing themselves in the culture.
And to be clear, anyone in each of these groups could be incredibly knowledgeable, helpful, and capable teachers. Alternatively, they could be horrible.
There also is a divide in the approach to customer service - most importantly, how strictly must the gate be kept? I’ve been to fabulous wineries where the staffs interact in a friendly, professional, and helpful manner to each customer. Some of these customers know nothing of wine, but took the time to show up and seem interested but need a more remedial lesson plan. Others are highly knowledgeable and ask about appellations, vintages, and aging vessels. A teacher that can meet both of these customers, where they each are, all in the same shift is a treasure. I think they cultivate new customers and create interest without ‘demystifying’ wine (there was a great article about how we don’t need to be doing this recently).
How fits this all relate? Well, WSET could install programming on the practical integration of the knowledge in the tasting room to account for the specific needs of different customers. And while many (most?) in the teaching positions may not have a Somm certificate, WSET could still position itself as the standard for how to best serve customers and cultivate both novice wine drinkers and retain established, knowledgeable customers.
Having taught in my previous life, I see how novices need the fundamentals, upon which you can build more advanced principles with time. The principles of pedagogy can be applied to any topic
I appreciate that most all of these comments are addressing the substance of what WSET does rather than the rebrand/logo (a company/organization is what it does, believes, etc and obviously that’s more than some typography and colors). But this rebrand doesn’t look like it’s about expanding the tent for new ideas and people and geographies and other stuff to drink. It just looks like an insurance company.
The wine world's in-group language alienates ordinary consumers. Affluent consumers often have the resources to pursue WSET qualifications recreationally and are typically well-travelled, so professionals have long focused their attention on this audience. After all, these are the customers who buy the highly rated wines that critics and professionals celebrate. But as overall wine consumption declines, the industry seems to be struggling to communicate beyond this narrow circle. Perhaps this specialised language was never merely descriptive; it also functioned to maintain wine as a form of cultural distinction.
Like any message, there are different ways of communicating it. Good communicators understand the nuances of different audiences and adapt their discourse accordingly. Wine, however, is remarkably diverse for having only one dominant way of being discussed.
Of course, many wine professionals don't necessarily need to speak to the end consumer, and trade language has its place. The problem arises when that same mode of communication is used across the board.
Perhaps it's difficult for the industry to recognize that it may need professionals from outside the wine world to help revamp its approach. But as a marketing professional coming from that outside perspective, I have to say that getting the industry to embrace this idea is extremely challenging—the gatekeepers protect their gates fiercely.
When sales were doing well, there was no need to worry: ordinary consumers were drinking wine without questioning it, so there was no perceived need to communicate with them effectively. But now, words are failing.
Rebrand and rebuild are different projects, and WSET announced the easy one. I sat the Diploma and walked away, and what wore me down was the structure itself: it rewards memorizing the approved answer over building a palate you can trust. Sustainable pin badges leave that untouched. Change what gets tested and the rest follows.
I often hear criticism that WSET rewards memorisation, but this is less a flaw of WSET than of education systems in general. Institutions that genuinely cultivate critical thinking are uncommon because critical thinking questions authority, traditions, and established structures. The world of wine, with its hierarchies and orthodoxies, offers plenty of opportunities for such questioning.
Beautiful comments here. But let's also remember not to dumb down general consumers.
As a wine lover, sommelier, and former winemaker located in the rather off-the-beaten-path winemaking region of Arizona, I’ve noticed that in fine regions, such as Napa Valley or Sonoma, pretty much any wine you buy will be delicious. Granted, some are more delicious than others, but generally speaking, it’s all good.
In Arizona? Not so much. Some wines are over-the-top fabulous. Others?
Oh my.
There is an underlying nuance to wine from different regions resulting from both growing and winemaking tactics. This makes writing about wine and educating consumers a huge challenge, especially for those of us who live in and write about off-the-beaten-path winemaking regions.
For example, in certain European regions, the acidification of wine is simply not permissible. In other wine regions, hardly any regulation applies.
This is why a wine from Burgundy will include no added tartaric acid, but a wine from the US? Well…it’s anyone’s guess what might have been added.
Except that acidification can be felt directly on the tongue. There is a sharpness to acidified wines that doesn’t exist in wines that do not contain added acid.
In my studies and work, I’ve had the good fortune to taste thousands of wines from all over the world. Although I’ve encountered numerous flaws in wines from Burgundy, my tongue has never felt etched by acid from drinking Burgundy Pinot Noir.
Wines from the US? The really good wineries consider only the most artful acidification, if any. They might pick the grapes earlier, or maybe blend in a touch of a highly acidic wine. Worst-case scenario, they may use the tiniest amount of tartaric acid possible.
The not-so-brilliant wineries? It’s anyone’s guess what they might do. Or, how your tongue might feel after tasting these.
There are numerous ways winemakers adjust flaws. Acidification is just one of them. Here’s the big question: How do you write about these nuances? Or encounter them in tasting notes, like those used during the WSET exams? Or talk to consumers about why their mouth feels as though it’s been etched, detracting from the flavor of what should be delicious wine?
A thought that comes to mind when thinking about communicating complex ideas or concepts in wine is that it cannot ever just be about wine. Your acidification example is a good one, and may I note, something that can be a really scary thing for a consumer if approached wrong, as it often is. I completely agree that you cannot and should not condescend to the general wine drinker.
Oftentimes, because of the vast, nearly infinite breadth of information to uncover specifically about wine and winemaking regions, many wine pros never venture beyond it into adjacent cultural curiosities. When that happens, how can you possibly relate to someone who doesn't know much about wine? I think the monolithic pursuit of wine knowledge hinders rich and clear communication about wine itself. A real professional can relate wine to art, sports, literature, food, or anything, really.
I hold sommelier certificates, WSET certificates, and was a professor of wine, and I started a women only wine club in Rome so I could impart that knowledge in a socialable way and it works pretty well. When I wasn't sick I tried to have winery visits and tastings about once a month. I think keeping it local was the best way. But I'm not training future wine professionals, I like the WSET model but I do feel it's a very anglo approach to wine. Yes I know there is wine in England but it's not a heavy wine producing country and yet they kind of dictate how we study wine in their language. I did my sommelier certifications in Italy, in Italian and the experience was much more hands on because we had real access to every part of the process. WSET does need to decolonize it's curriculum if they want to be relevant in the future. I think the VinItaly academy has done a great job with Italian wine educations esp in China. I also studied natural wine for five years with Sandro Sangiorgi and I'd he has been instrumental in the evolution of the wine scene in Rome over the last 10 years. It's like wine reeducation. But for regular wine lovers, I think joining a tasting group is the best way.
Wrote about it somewhere but actually he was the inspiration in a roundabout way for women who wine because God do Italian men in wine talk over women!
The goal of any educational effort Los and must be to impart a body of knowledge. As you note, wine does not have a “knowledge problem”. Moreover, it body of knowledge can’t change much because wine can’t change. It is what it had been: the fermentation of fruit juices where the ultimate character of the product results from the fruit used, the places it was grown and the techniques used to guide its production. To learn wine is to learn the variety impacting these factors. The folks who choose any sort of wine degree—WSET or otherwise—is a tiny number. They must be schooled in the variables and body of knowledge outlined above. I think the time spent teaching these wine scholars to “communicate” or teach should be minimal. Each person willing to commit to learning the body of wine knowledge will have different ancillary talents and will apply them to wine knowledge as they see fit: teaching, writing, entrepreneurial efforts, guiding tourists, screenplays, hospitality, etc, etc, etc, etc. Attempting to address how to do all these things while also imparting wine knowledge through a program like WSET is an institutional category error. Teach the body of knowledge. Let the students decide how you use that education.
The body of knowledge is always changing. That’s another part of the problem with these certifications. They keep teaching a hierarchy of wines that is increasingly irrelevant to younger generations, with a focus on wines at the top of the hierarchy that very few people can afford anymore. Just look at how much time is spent on Bordeaux versus say the entire country of Spain.
The knowledge base has lost touch with the market and the consumer. In all realms of knowledge there is a focus on the “translational.” Of course everyone is going to have their own style of communicating that. That can be taught and should be taught.
Wine professionals entering retail or hospitality are increasingly left to make sense of the wines actually being poured and sold in leading stores and restaurants, against a framework that a growing share of the wine-drinking public has no reference for whatsoever. Neither Jason nor I are suggesting every emerging region needs its own chapter in the curriculum. But continuing to use only classic/appellated styles as the default lens for contextualizing other wines simply doesn’t work anymore. It’s not what is poured at most wine bars! This is a translation and communication problem that should absolutely be addressed in wine education.
Most of us (credential holders) got into wine for a particular reason and were self motivated to learn more. Most consumers, just want to be able to pick up "something good" to drink. In teaching about wine, if we aren't focused on the customer perspective/experience, we've missed the point. Teaching wine geeks is different than a general consumer experience.
Do you think most wine geeks are equipped to communicate effectively with the general consumer?
I think this depends on where the wine geek is positioned in the world of wine. Cellar workers and winemakers? Maybe a little less so than somms and wine retail associates.
Overall, the consumer perspective is incredibly important and one that gets lost almost entirely when going through wine certifications. I do think that the consumer experience is a topic that should be given more space.
I love this subject. Thanks for raising it. But does the body of knowledge really change? Really? It still is and must be : history, region, variety, technique. Choose to spend more time on one region or another, but the focus is the same. More importantly, this education is not for the consumer. It’s for the extraordinarily small number of people who MIGHT end up interacting with consumers. Trust the students to discern what their audience might want or need or benefit from.
People like the stories. Wine education gives those with credentials them and the context of history, culture, and the people. Wine education needn't change but rather share this ecosystem to help consumers appreciate the circumstancesnof the stories. Embrace the history that has shaped the wines. Therein lies the opportunities.
Do you feel like most credentialed wine pros are equipped to communicate stories in a unique and creative way to meet their audience where they are? What does this opportunity unlock in your opinion?
I feel like storytelling is precisely where WSET and other educational programs are falling down. Even medical schools have embraced “narrative medicine” in their curriculum. So I agree with you that the opportunity is there
What is currently missing from the curriculum? Oh don't even get me started. How about wine and food chemistry and pairing food and wine scientifically via compounds? But also - the whole format of education and exam taking formats need to be revamped, too. 1) Content needs to become interactive by default. After all, we have AI now. Why would I look at a chart or a wine report if I should be able to talk to it? 2) Fact memorization needs to go - no need to store information in one's brain. I think soon exams will be about asking the right questions (vs giving correct answers). I hope WSET evolves - I'd rather be tested on my ability to ask the right questions vs my ability to memorize how many months Barolo Riserva should spend.
I think wine education has to take the approach of community colleges of ‘meeting the students where they are’.
There are multitudes of ‘teachable moments’, and these don’t need to be lessons. Answer a simple question. If there are follow ups, start a conversation. If not, appreciate you have a customer.
Be a resource, not an authority. Learn to speak to every wine drinker, regardless of their knowledge and experience. Remember that the rookie you’re talking to today could be a future master som
As a former community college instructor I appreciate that approach. How would you characterize where wine education currently is?
I think of wine education as somewhat segregated, based upon the experiences of the professional, but these components are not necessarily at odds (although in some instances I’m certain they are).
So first off, Somms would certainly be professionals in this framework, as would others with formal wine training or certification. This could include enology, viticulture, or perhaps even a history degree focused on wine (if this is a thing).
There are the ‘on the job’ trained professionals - like wine stewards at restaurants or bottle shops, servers, tasting room attendants, or wholesalers.
There’s also the ‘amateurs’ who picked it up from looking and trying wine, learning as they’ve gone and immersing themselves in the culture.
And to be clear, anyone in each of these groups could be incredibly knowledgeable, helpful, and capable teachers. Alternatively, they could be horrible.
There also is a divide in the approach to customer service - most importantly, how strictly must the gate be kept? I’ve been to fabulous wineries where the staffs interact in a friendly, professional, and helpful manner to each customer. Some of these customers know nothing of wine, but took the time to show up and seem interested but need a more remedial lesson plan. Others are highly knowledgeable and ask about appellations, vintages, and aging vessels. A teacher that can meet both of these customers, where they each are, all in the same shift is a treasure. I think they cultivate new customers and create interest without ‘demystifying’ wine (there was a great article about how we don’t need to be doing this recently).
How fits this all relate? Well, WSET could install programming on the practical integration of the knowledge in the tasting room to account for the specific needs of different customers. And while many (most?) in the teaching positions may not have a Somm certificate, WSET could still position itself as the standard for how to best serve customers and cultivate both novice wine drinkers and retain established, knowledgeable customers.
Having taught in my previous life, I see how novices need the fundamentals, upon which you can build more advanced principles with time. The principles of pedagogy can be applied to any topic
I appreciate that most all of these comments are addressing the substance of what WSET does rather than the rebrand/logo (a company/organization is what it does, believes, etc and obviously that’s more than some typography and colors). But this rebrand doesn’t look like it’s about expanding the tent for new ideas and people and geographies and other stuff to drink. It just looks like an insurance company.
lol true
The wine world's in-group language alienates ordinary consumers. Affluent consumers often have the resources to pursue WSET qualifications recreationally and are typically well-travelled, so professionals have long focused their attention on this audience. After all, these are the customers who buy the highly rated wines that critics and professionals celebrate. But as overall wine consumption declines, the industry seems to be struggling to communicate beyond this narrow circle. Perhaps this specialised language was never merely descriptive; it also functioned to maintain wine as a form of cultural distinction.
I agree with this. So do you think a new way to communicate is possible?
Like any message, there are different ways of communicating it. Good communicators understand the nuances of different audiences and adapt their discourse accordingly. Wine, however, is remarkably diverse for having only one dominant way of being discussed.
Of course, many wine professionals don't necessarily need to speak to the end consumer, and trade language has its place. The problem arises when that same mode of communication is used across the board.
Perhaps it's difficult for the industry to recognize that it may need professionals from outside the wine world to help revamp its approach. But as a marketing professional coming from that outside perspective, I have to say that getting the industry to embrace this idea is extremely challenging—the gatekeepers protect their gates fiercely.
When sales were doing well, there was no need to worry: ordinary consumers were drinking wine without questioning it, so there was no perceived need to communicate with them effectively. But now, words are failing.
However, new ways of communicating won't solve structural problems the market is facing. Wine can remain complex without making people feel unwelcome.
Rebrand and rebuild are different projects, and WSET announced the easy one. I sat the Diploma and walked away, and what wore me down was the structure itself: it rewards memorizing the approved answer over building a palate you can trust. Sustainable pin badges leave that untouched. Change what gets tested and the rest follows.
I often hear criticism that WSET rewards memorisation, but this is less a flaw of WSET than of education systems in general. Institutions that genuinely cultivate critical thinking are uncommon because critical thinking questions authority, traditions, and established structures. The world of wine, with its hierarchies and orthodoxies, offers plenty of opportunities for such questioning.
Beautiful comments here. But let's also remember not to dumb down general consumers.
As a wine lover, sommelier, and former winemaker located in the rather off-the-beaten-path winemaking region of Arizona, I’ve noticed that in fine regions, such as Napa Valley or Sonoma, pretty much any wine you buy will be delicious. Granted, some are more delicious than others, but generally speaking, it’s all good.
In Arizona? Not so much. Some wines are over-the-top fabulous. Others?
Oh my.
There is an underlying nuance to wine from different regions resulting from both growing and winemaking tactics. This makes writing about wine and educating consumers a huge challenge, especially for those of us who live in and write about off-the-beaten-path winemaking regions.
For example, in certain European regions, the acidification of wine is simply not permissible. In other wine regions, hardly any regulation applies.
This is why a wine from Burgundy will include no added tartaric acid, but a wine from the US? Well…it’s anyone’s guess what might have been added.
Except that acidification can be felt directly on the tongue. There is a sharpness to acidified wines that doesn’t exist in wines that do not contain added acid.
In my studies and work, I’ve had the good fortune to taste thousands of wines from all over the world. Although I’ve encountered numerous flaws in wines from Burgundy, my tongue has never felt etched by acid from drinking Burgundy Pinot Noir.
Wines from the US? The really good wineries consider only the most artful acidification, if any. They might pick the grapes earlier, or maybe blend in a touch of a highly acidic wine. Worst-case scenario, they may use the tiniest amount of tartaric acid possible.
The not-so-brilliant wineries? It’s anyone’s guess what they might do. Or, how your tongue might feel after tasting these.
There are numerous ways winemakers adjust flaws. Acidification is just one of them. Here’s the big question: How do you write about these nuances? Or encounter them in tasting notes, like those used during the WSET exams? Or talk to consumers about why their mouth feels as though it’s been etched, detracting from the flavor of what should be delicious wine?
Lots to consider here. Thank you.
A thought that comes to mind when thinking about communicating complex ideas or concepts in wine is that it cannot ever just be about wine. Your acidification example is a good one, and may I note, something that can be a really scary thing for a consumer if approached wrong, as it often is. I completely agree that you cannot and should not condescend to the general wine drinker.
Oftentimes, because of the vast, nearly infinite breadth of information to uncover specifically about wine and winemaking regions, many wine pros never venture beyond it into adjacent cultural curiosities. When that happens, how can you possibly relate to someone who doesn't know much about wine? I think the monolithic pursuit of wine knowledge hinders rich and clear communication about wine itself. A real professional can relate wine to art, sports, literature, food, or anything, really.
I hold sommelier certificates, WSET certificates, and was a professor of wine, and I started a women only wine club in Rome so I could impart that knowledge in a socialable way and it works pretty well. When I wasn't sick I tried to have winery visits and tastings about once a month. I think keeping it local was the best way. But I'm not training future wine professionals, I like the WSET model but I do feel it's a very anglo approach to wine. Yes I know there is wine in England but it's not a heavy wine producing country and yet they kind of dictate how we study wine in their language. I did my sommelier certifications in Italy, in Italian and the experience was much more hands on because we had real access to every part of the process. WSET does need to decolonize it's curriculum if they want to be relevant in the future. I think the VinItaly academy has done a great job with Italian wine educations esp in China. I also studied natural wine for five years with Sandro Sangiorgi and I'd he has been instrumental in the evolution of the wine scene in Rome over the last 10 years. It's like wine reeducation. But for regular wine lovers, I think joining a tasting group is the best way.
Oh I would like to hear more about the wine re-education of Sandro Sangiorgi
Wrote about it somewhere but actually he was the inspiration in a roundabout way for women who wine because God do Italian men in wine talk over women!
Wine never colonized anything. Italy did, though
And so did the British
The goal of any educational effort Los and must be to impart a body of knowledge. As you note, wine does not have a “knowledge problem”. Moreover, it body of knowledge can’t change much because wine can’t change. It is what it had been: the fermentation of fruit juices where the ultimate character of the product results from the fruit used, the places it was grown and the techniques used to guide its production. To learn wine is to learn the variety impacting these factors. The folks who choose any sort of wine degree—WSET or otherwise—is a tiny number. They must be schooled in the variables and body of knowledge outlined above. I think the time spent teaching these wine scholars to “communicate” or teach should be minimal. Each person willing to commit to learning the body of wine knowledge will have different ancillary talents and will apply them to wine knowledge as they see fit: teaching, writing, entrepreneurial efforts, guiding tourists, screenplays, hospitality, etc, etc, etc, etc. Attempting to address how to do all these things while also imparting wine knowledge through a program like WSET is an institutional category error. Teach the body of knowledge. Let the students decide how you use that education.
The body of knowledge is always changing. That’s another part of the problem with these certifications. They keep teaching a hierarchy of wines that is increasingly irrelevant to younger generations, with a focus on wines at the top of the hierarchy that very few people can afford anymore. Just look at how much time is spent on Bordeaux versus say the entire country of Spain.
The knowledge base has lost touch with the market and the consumer. In all realms of knowledge there is a focus on the “translational.” Of course everyone is going to have their own style of communicating that. That can be taught and should be taught.
Wine professionals entering retail or hospitality are increasingly left to make sense of the wines actually being poured and sold in leading stores and restaurants, against a framework that a growing share of the wine-drinking public has no reference for whatsoever. Neither Jason nor I are suggesting every emerging region needs its own chapter in the curriculum. But continuing to use only classic/appellated styles as the default lens for contextualizing other wines simply doesn’t work anymore. It’s not what is poured at most wine bars! This is a translation and communication problem that should absolutely be addressed in wine education.
Aren’t folks perfectly capable of making sense of these wines?
No.