In partnership with IWEC, we’re excited to open bookings for this year’s Premium WSET Level 3 Award in Wines. This Premium Level 3 course is coordinated and led by Certified Educator Andrew Shelly DipWSET from winelab.Africa.

The course is intended for those with a high level of interest and engagement with fine wines, such as Wine Cellar customers and friends. To meet the very highest expectations, we’ll be pouring some of our finest imports and small, hand-picked parcels of local wines.

This internationally recognised qualification provides comprehensive coverage of all styles of wine, with a strong focus on tasting technique and on understanding the factors that influence the style, quality, and price of wines from the world’s major regions. It’s a prerequisite for candidates planning to study the flagship WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines. Along with Andrew, lecturers will include local WSET Diploma Graduates as well as SA’s two Masters of Wine: Cathy van Zyl MW and Richard Kershaw MW.

The Premium WSET Level 3 Award in Wines will run on Saturday mornings over eight weeks, and sessions will span five hours. Each session will also include light snacks. The course will finish with a written and tasting exam, after which successful candidates will receive a certificate and lapel pin.

Course schedule: Saturday mornings, from 08h30 to 13h30

Start date: 26 July 2025

Location: Wine Cellar, Observatory

The exam consists of two papers: A blind Tasting paper of two wines, plus a Theory paper of both multiple choice and short answer questions. A mark of 55% is required on both the Tasting and Theory papers to pass overall.

TOPICS COVERED

Factors Affecting Style, Quality and Price of Wine

• Learn about the principal natural and human factors in the vineyard and winery, and how they influence the style, quality and price of wine.

Tasting technique, Wine Laws and Service

• Learn to taste and describe wines using the WSET Systematic Approach to Tasting. Learn about the fundamental rules of wine labelling. Learn about the principles of food and wine pairing, storage and service of wine.

Factors Affecting the Wine, Style and Quality of Wines from Europe

• Learn about the natural and human factors in the vineyard and winery and how they influence the wine, style and quality in the key wine regions and districts of Europe.

Factors Affecting the Wine, Style and Quality of Wines from the Rest of the World

• Learn about the natural and human factors in the vineyard and winery and how they influence the wine, style and quality in the key wine regions of the rest of the world.
• Learn about the key regional grape variety specialities of the rest of the world.

Sparkling and Fortified Wines

• Learn about the methods of production and the main styles of sparkling wines from the key wine producing countries.
• Learn about the methods of production and the main styles of fortified wines from the key wine producing countries.

INCLUDED WITH THIS COURSE

• All tuition
• All course materials
• Exam fees
• International courier costs (exams are marked in London)
• Tasting of 80+ international and local premium wines
• Domestic courier costs for your course books
• Certificate with lapel pin when you pass
• Domestic courier costs for your certificate and lapel pin

EXAM

The Tasting Paper consists of a blind tasting of two wines that you have 30 minutes to complete. The Theory Paper consists of both 50 multiple choice questions and four short written answer questions that you have two hours to complete. Note: While the WSET Levels 1 & 2 certificates are not a prerequisite for this course, we recommend that you take the Wine Knowledge Quizzes to determine your readiness for WSET Level 3.

As with every WSET exam around the world, the exam papers are sent to WSET in London to be marked to ensure global continuity with the results. Results are known up to 10 weeks later, when the IWEC will inform you by email. The digital certificate and metal lapel pin for successful candidates will follow from London approximately a week later. If you are unsuccessful, you can retake the exams without having to retake the course and also need only take the paper you were unsuccessful with.