WSET Diploma Block Session 1 🇦🇹

We were just coming out of the second corona measures when the seminar started. And the Austrians were still in partial lock-down but the seminar luckily was able to start.

Our class of 20 is a cool international mixture of everything, notably female dominated and aged around the thirties with a few exceptions like me.

It was an interesting and demanding time as we had class everyday usually from 8 – 18 with mostly MW’s going through the theory of viniculture and viticulture as well as covering the major wine regions which are part of the syllabus. And of course tasting training at the same time practicing systematically analyzing the wines from the regions covered. By the time is was evening we were mostly mentally tired.

Yet after a few days we got to know each other and learnt how to deal with the long days and what to do about it. That meant spending time together eating, drinking and just having fun times. Needless to say that the hotels did not always like that and quickly we became “famous” at the academy and around this tiny town.

Towards the end of the block session we had a day off (from theory) and took a trip to the Wachau, on of the famous wine regions in Austria. We were given tours to the local wineyards, the beautiful Schloss Gobelsburg and its newly renovated and expanded wine cellars, a visit to Domaine Wachau followed by a great BBQ in the evening above the Danube overlooking the vineyards.