Various updates

I haven't started anything new in last couple of months, so I want to give some updates on some of the various programs I am in.

French Wine Scholar: I have read all, and high-lighted most, of the manual. It is daunting, there is a lot of information, but when you break it down into sections, each section doesn't seem that bad. Classic divide and conquer. I have also finished the online study modules. I think this is worth the cost. The modules don't differe a lot from the manual, but they do allow a different way of integrating the information. The review quizzes are good, and I hope the final test is at about the same level. If so it will be a fair test. I have not watched very many of the webinars that are offered with the study modules. They each take an hour or so, and I have just not found the time to watch them. They are probably VERY interesting. My access to this website is good for about 9 more months, and so perhaps I can watch them after I take the exam.

I have an in-person "review day" with the local FWS provider tomorrow. It was part of the package that I selected. ( book, online modules, review day, test ). I will let you know how that turns out when I return tomorrow evening.

WJCP The AWS Wine Judging Certification Program is still moving along. So far there have been several required readings, some of them older books, but we just got a new requirement to read "Wine Faults: Causes , Effects, Cures" by John Hudelson. Many of us also bought the Vinquiry fault kit for $100 ( ouch !!) with the appropriate chemicals to create 50ml of faulted wine. Since this is one of the key parts of the WJCP 1st year test, and also part of the Certified Wine Educator test, it seemed like a good thing to get. I got my kit last week and I will spend this afternoon preparing and smelling the wines to learn those characteristics. We have been told that the base wine for these faults will be Franzia Chardonnay - so i have 5 liter box in my fridge and have been tasting it to learn the base wine.

We still have a monthly phone conference to compare tasting notes on various wines and trying to standardize our impressions. Again, this is test prep, where we will be looking to correlate our impressions with 3 certified judges. (Sort of like how it takes 3 bishops to consecrate a new one).

WSET I still have not heard back on my Unit 6 test. These things usually take 7-10 weeks and it has only been 6 weeks so far, so I am not surprised. Since I think I failed, no big hurry in finding out. Just need to work on writing exercises and find out the next time I can take it.

On the other hand, I am moving forward on Unit 1 requirements. I have started research on the 2500 word course work assignment due this November. It is a paper on advances in viticulture and winemaking over the last 50 years. I have one strong topic and one weaker one and am pulling together the research for both of them to see if I have enough for a good paper. Part of the grade is simply on structure of writing a good paper with distinct sections and annotations as well as quality of research. Need to decide in early September and register to submit the paper. Also will attempt the in-person written paper exam also in November that completes the 2nd Unit 1 requirement. We won't know the topic for this until 1 month before the exam itself. We then have 1 month to study and the exam is without notes.

CWE "Certified Wine Educator". This exam is being given locally ( in Napa ) in September. I may not be ready to take it yet, but because the requirements are relatively vague ( read a lot of books, drink a lot of wine ) I am tempted to try it never-the-less. This was one of the reasons for attempting French Wine Scholar - I have now done extensive study on 1 major producer. I think I need to do more on Italy and Spain and then might have a good chance to pass the written test. There are several parts to this exam. As well as the written test, there is the wine faults test ( similar to WJCP ). There is the wine components test ( ditto WJCP ). There is a wine description test ( similar to WSET tasting notes ). And there is the written test which builds on the CSW exam which I have already passed. When I add in my "Location Specialist" exam for Champagne and the Douro, and my WSET Unit 6 studies for Fortified Wines, I think I have a chance. Even if I fail I will have a better idea of what the requirements are and level of study. Plus I may eliminate a couple of the units even if I fail the written exam. ( i.e. I can still pass the components and wine descriptions ).

In general
I study ~ 2 hours a day for at least 4 days a week. I do feel a little fractured in that I am focusing on different exams, but at the same time, there is some synergy between all the courses, and study for one can only help the others. For example about 17% of the CWE questions involve France - so my FWS studies get me part way to a pass on that exam. Another 20-25% of the questions are on Viticulture, Enology which I am comfortable with and also researching some for Unit 1 exam. Another 5-7% is on Sensory analysis which fits in with WJCP studies. So there are some good fits. I also read that it takes on average 2 tries to get the CWE certification, so I won't feel bad to fail parts of the exam the first time.

We'll see.

john