The WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines is an expert-level qualification covering all aspects of wine. It is a key milestone for those aspiring to become a Master of Wine, providing the foundational knowledge and skills required to pursue this prestigious title.

Building on the knowledge and skills gained from the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines, the Diploma deepens your understanding of how and why wine production and business factors influence the style, quality, and price of wines. Your expertise is built both theoretically, through comprehensive study of a large number of wine regions, and practically, by developing your wine tasting skills to an expert level. Successful graduates acquire exceptional analytical skills and proficiency in evaluative wine tasting, gaining global recognition as authoritative wine specialists. Should you wish to progress to the Master of Wine programme, you will be well-prepared.

Learning Objectives

• The Diploma is delivered in six mandatory units covering a broad range of topics including wine production, wine business, and still, sparkling and fortified wines of the world.

  D1 – Wine production

  • Vine requirements
  • Anatomy of the vine and grape
  • Grape growing options, explaining and evaluating the different approaches and how these options affect grape yields, quality and the final wine produced
  • Natural factors in the vineyard and how they influence the vine’s ability to produce grapes for wines of different styles, quality levels and price
  • Winemaking and post-fermentation options and how they influence the style, quality and price of wines

  D1 – hours of study weighting 20%

  D2 – Wine business

  • The types of businesses engaged in wine production and the options for getting wine to the point of sale
  • Factors that contribute to the price of wine
  • Key considerations in wine marketing

  D2 –  hours of study weighting 10%

  D3 – Wines of the world | D4 – Sparkling wines | D5 – Fortified wines

  In each of these Units you will learn:

  • How grape-growing, winemaking, maturation, wine law and wine business influence the style, quality and price of the principal still wines (D3), sparkling wines (D4) and fortified wines (D5) of the world.
  • How to taste and evaluate still wines (D3), sparkling wines (D4) and fortified wines (D5) using the WSET Level 4 Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine®(SAT)

  D3 – Wines of the world: hours of study weighting 50%
  D4 – Sparkling wines: hours of study weighting 5% 
  D5 – Fortified wines: hours of study weighting 5% 

  D6 – Independent research assignment

  • How to research a specified wine-related subject

  D6 – hours of study weighting 10%

Find out more about the learning objectives here: WSET Level 4 in Wines Specification.

Class Format

This qualification has a minimum requirement of 500 hours* of study time:

• 116 hours of delivery time with a WSET course provider (classroom or online)
• 370 hours of personal study and revision, including preparing an independent research assignment (D6)
• Examinations for each unit (excluding D6) totalling 11 hours 50 minutes.

It normally takes between 18 months and 3 years to complete the Diploma. Each unit is weighted differently in terms of hours of study required, the table below shows the minimum guided learning time, private study time and the weighting applied against each unit. 

Assessment

Entry Requirements

Candidates must hold either the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines or the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines and Spirits to enrol on the WSET Level 4 Diploma and must be of legal drinking age in the country where you are attending the course and exam to participate in any alcohol tasting. Requirements may vary by course provider.

Candidates whose first language is not English are strongly recommended to have an IELTS score of 6.5 or above or be able to demonstrate an equivalent ability level.

Refunds/Changes

All bookings are refundable or can be changed up to 6 weeks prior to the course date; kindly note that we will charge you an administrative fee. 

We need a minimum of 12 students to be able to offer this course. Florida Wine Academy reserves the right to cancel an event or class. If necessary, a full refund or transfer will be offered.

Printed Materials

All students will be sent printed study materials to the mailing address provided upon course registration (so long as the address is in the continental USA) and will receive tracking information when the materials have been shipped. We recommend adding the email address ‘info@floridawineacademy.com’ to your safe sender list, in order to prevent any relevant communication going to spam. It is the responsibility of the student to liaise with USPS regarding any issue relating to the delivery of these materials. Florida Wine Academy is unable to replace printed study materials free of charge in the case that an issue arises with delivery. Kindly note that in the case of a class cancellation - whether that be because the student cancels their registration or the course does not meet the minimum number of students to go ahead - the cost of the printed study materials is non-refundable.

Dates

Coming soon.

What Happens after Course Registration

1. Immediately: You will receive an automated email order confirmation after registering for a course.
2. Within two business days of your order: Florida Wine Academy will ship the WSET Level 3 in Wines study pack, containing a textbook and a workbook, to the mailing address provided upon registration. You will receive a tracking number once this has shipped.
3. One month prior to the course start date: Florida Wine Academy will send you a welcome email containing more information about the course.
4. Payment Plans Available
   At Florida Wine Academy, we offer payment plans for students enrolling in the WSET Level 4 in Wines course. To arrange installments, please email info@floridawineacademy.com All payments must be completed before the final class or the exam date.

Terms and Conditions: By registering, students agree to comply with our Terms and Conditions and to abide by all WSET and Florida Wine Academy policies.

Specification: The full WSET Level 4 Diploma Specification can be accessed online here.

APP Policies: Students can review our full range of APP Policies including complaints, appeals, and safeguarding.