WSET Diploma Certified

Heck yeah, that is fun to say. And similar to - I own a bed and breakfast in the Finger Lakes - it was a bit unplanned but now something I can’t see myself without. 

Since 2017, my quests both main and side have always been about wine. But the focus has shifted from making it to sharing the joy I feel when drinking the amazing examples of it already being made in this cool climate (and vibes) wine region.  And as a life-long student, it only made sense that I would go back to school to learn everything I could about wine to add credibility to my recommendations. 

My early Level 2 and 3 studies were with CultivateFLX, and I can’t thank Brandon and Meaghan enough for their support of this budding dream. Our classes were held at Once, which made showing up a lot easier as that space is gorgeous and definitely needs to be a stop on your West Seneca Lake tasting tour. 

In all honesty, I could have stopped at Level 3, but as many of you know, I’m a bit of an over-achiever, and decided to jump right into the Diploma track. WSET Diploma is broken into six units, takes about two to three years to complete, if all goes well, and is only offered by a few organizations around the US. Luckily, I found Phillywine who offers online classes and support, combined with in-person tastings in Philly where they teach you how to taste and write about what you are tasting in the way WSET wants. This hybrid-style was invaluable to my journey and I’m so grateful to Matt, Sunita, Noelle and the other teachers who guided us through this mountain of knowledge.  

My other secret weapon was Red Feet Wine Market in Ithaca, where I could order wines when I missed tastings and who created many blind tasting bundles for me to practice with. It was only a matter of time before I started slinging wine and spirits with Dewi and her amazing crew...