The Austrian Wine Academy offers an internationally accredited wine education program in cooperation with the British Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET). After years of on-the-job training, piecemeal seminars, and autodidactic study, I have decided to commit myself for their two year Diploma Course. The Diploma certifies competent knowledge of international wines & spirits, viticulture and enology as well as wine tasting and judging abilities. It is a preferred qualification for wine journalists, educators, winery employees and merchants and permits entry to England's Master of Wine program. Titles are adored in the German-speaking world and so, unlike their English colleagues, graduates of the Austrian Wine Academy receive the rather pretentious sounding title "Wein Akademiker".

In this new section of "Uncorked in the Alps" at Strat's Place, I would like to keep a journal of my experiences at the Austrian Wine Academy. Most of the study must be done independently and four intensive workshop seminars per year take place in Rust, Burgenland with a final examination at the end of each year. This demanding two year course will be covering a lot of new ground for me, particularly in enology and viticulture. Since I will be taking this course in the German language, it will be important for me to learn what all the new terms and vocabulary are called in my own language. As a result, I will not only be adding to our already existing "live" dictionaries here at Strat's Place, but will also start up a "Multi-lingual Glossary for Enology" and a "Multi-lingual Glossary for Viticulture".

Just getting the prerequisite certificates to gain acceptance into the Austrian Wine Academy's Diploma Course was an adventure in itself. My journal kicks of with a tale of televised tastings, strange German dialects, a lubricious teacher, a missed train and lost examinations. So if you are interested in what a formal European education in wine is like, please join me in "Uncorked in the Alps" on my way to (hopefully) becoming a "Wein Akademiker".

Please return to share in my journey as I add more articles in the future - Julia

The Certification Process

Waiting for Certificate Exam Results

Admission to the 2-year Diploma Course

First Year, First Seminar, First Day: Welcome to Rust

First Year, First Seminar, Second Day: Winemaking

First Year, First Seminar, Third Day:
WSET® Systematic Approach to Tasting

First Year, First Seminar Third Day:
Wine Chemistry

Having completed my WSET diploma in 2002, the next step would be the Master of Wine. This prestigious title has been awarded to less than 300 people since the first exams were held in 1953. There are currently 246 Masters of Wine of 18 different nationalities, living in 19 countries throughout the world. As of 2005, Austria has become the fourth country world-wide where it is possible to attain the Master of Wine title. Master classes are offered at the Austrian Wine Academy in Rust.

The exams are notoriously difficult and study demanding. I am not sure yet if I am ready for entrance to this demanding program, but several of my colleagues from the Austrian Wine Academy have applied. They have asked me to join their tasting group as an English language coach. This will give me a good opportunity to practice, learn more about the program, and make a decision if I too, will join them.

The following section includes example tasting papers performed blind under exam conditions with a time limit of 2 ½ hours. The papers are what I have written during the exam before the wines are unmasked, have not been assessed, and so do in no way represent a passing paper. The purpose of writing these papers is to give others an idea of what the tasting exams entail and to give my non-English speaking colleagues examples of appropriate language and vocabulary. I've even made an effort to adjust my American English and use the British spellings.