Last week was the first of the four-week learning experience for WSET Level 1 Award in wine. I've waited many years to take this first step; and, wouldn't you know it, I'm behind in class already. Last week was filled with overlapping priorities (I returned to podcasting, prepped for my small business's break, and had a host of personal tasks to get at) so retroactively reading this week is on. Not to mention, I needed to couple this was the completion of grad school projects and a Coursera training... it's a lot on the plate that all ends by summer, so...
Anywho.
After downloading my resources I made my introduction and commented on at least two other discussion board posts. Having 20+ years of online learning experience, including several years as an instructional designer, the task was familiar and the hosting platform a favorite.
I think that my introduction was the first time I've said on a large scale what my intentions are. Weekends Are For Wine is a blog, yes. I mean, I need a space to muse and nerd out about this interest, but it's an intentional business-in-development. I'm a serial entrepreneur and I made a declaration almost 10 years ago that this, what I shared in my introduction, would be a pivot in my next decade of adulthood. It felt like I couldn't back down from it, after writing that. It is my future to mold and adapt as necessary, with a glass of wine or a pint of beer in hand.
Empowered with enthusiasm and genuine exhaustion (my husband and I stayed up past my bedtime to watch episodes of Shōgun), I went straight for the first quiz in the training. I wanted to see if I actually knew something. I mean, I think I do... ?!? I've been dabbling in self-study for years, take notes at tastings, joined wine clubs, and started a library of essential books. I stuck a toe into some of the waters of the industry through seasonal retail work and learned some things but do I know enough to pass a basic knowledge check?
Turns out, yes. Not too much, but exactly 70% worth of knowledge. I was shocked! I do know something about the fermentation process of sweet wines. I do know a grape's life cycle. Unrelated to this quiz but still relevant: I do know what the hell Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay look like, and that I will mistake at least one of them for Turbiana at this level, lol.
I'll definitely retry the quiz again after I take time to read and watch the training material, but I'm proud of that little bit of vicarious knowledge I've acquired lol.