I'm Not Whining About Wine School

One of the goals of this trip was for Laura to get additional wine education. Although I have spent a lot of time on self-study, through reading and travel, I was (and still am) anxious to formalize my credentials by learning from the experts. I signed up for the Intermediate Certificate Course through the Wine and Spirit Education Trust. The WSET is a well-regarded organization that provides professionals in the wine and spirits trade. Some pursue a certificate to help them find a job; for others, it's a job requirement. The course itself is three full days; I took it on consecutive Mondays. It was intense and challenging, and it required a lot of studying--about 40 hours. I can't say I enjoyed it -- it was too much work to actually enjoy it at the time -- but I sure thought about what I learned for several days after each class. The course ended with a difficult examination. This is serious stuff. You have to leave all your materials under the table; you cannot talk to proctor; and you must prove your identify with photo ID before the start of the exam. As I was taking the exam, my stomach was churning, and I was sweating. At one point, I tried to remind myself that my score really doesn't matter. And I couldn't help but think -- I CHOSE to do this. In fact, I CHOSE to PAY MONEY to do this! What was I thinking?Although I won't get my results for six weeks, I'm certain I passed. In the end, however, that's not what was most important. What's important is that I learned a lot, I had fun and I'm going to be able to update my bio to note that I'm now officially Wine and Spirits Institute-educated.