Napa Wine Tour With the K&L Wine Merchants Sales Team - August 30, 2023

A wine trip in Napa Valley with the K&L Wine Merchants sales team division. Images as shown from bottom left to top right: Kaneda Yoshida (me), Ryan Woodhouse, Michael Pires, John Majeski, and Dejah Overby. I learned so much from these guys and from the wine makers of the vineyard on the property. This was such a great introduction two months before my online wine courses for the WSet Level I certification. 

Course content materials.

Level 1 Award in Wines September 4th - October 1st 2023 Online Course Content Summary

This was a four week online and instructor lead course by teacher, Jorge Orte Tudela (DipWSET), that covers the basic wine knowledge for beginners in the wine field. I have studied the materials related to this online course for WSET Level I. The Knowledge Checks are test quizzes from Week 1 to Week 4 module courses. 

The course material covers an introduction to wine where I have learned the following:

• What Is Wine & Why We Taste Wine: Objective vs. Subjective 
• What Makes the Color of Wine: Skin/Flesh of Wine Grapes
• Understanding Tannins & Acidity In Wines
• Stages Of The Wine Harvest 
• Understanding 3 Types of Wine Labeling
• Understanding 3 Types of Wine: Still, Sparkling, & Fortified 
• How Each Wine Is Made: Red, Rose & White
• The Wine Process & Fermentation of Wine Grapes
• Wine Grapes & Common Grape Varieties
• Styles & Types of Wines
• How To Taste Wine & How To Take Wine Tasting Notes
• Comparing Wines
• Proper Wine Storage
• Proper Glassware for Types of Wine: Red, White, Champagne
• How To Open Corked Wine & How to Safely Open Champagne
• Pairing Wine With Foods
• How To Serve Wine

On the upper right links are links to the quiz questions, answers, and overall scores from each week of the course content and class. I have retaken the quizzes to mark the highest scores on my final grade. The Mock Examination is a prep examination before the Final Examination taken online. My first attempt for the Mock Examination was originally 30 out of 25 correct answered questions, which is a good score but I aspire to score the highest on the Final Examination. The course also keeps the highest scores on these quizzes so candidates can retake these test quizzes as many time for practice. 

The online Final Examination to obtain the WSET Level I certificate was originally scheduled for Saturday October 21st at 11:00 am but I have reached out to my Course Provider/WSET Program Manager, Shannon Crowley-Avella, to reschedule my online Final Examination for Monday October 23rd at 11:00 am as to avoid any conflict with my current working schedule.

There is a two week grace period starting Monday October 2nd through Friday October 20th for me to further study, review any materials, continue my wine tasting and comparing wine studies utilizing the WSET Global SAT (systematic-approach-to tasting) method, and prep prior to the online Final Examination. I want to thank my colleagues at K&L Wine Merchants for their support and guidance throughout my pursuit in obtaining my WSET Level I certificate from the month of August to the start of October. I hope to pass the Final Examination with flying colors and next year, I intend to take the next step to obtain my WSET Level II certificate. 

My goal is to become an adequate wine consultant or wine expert so I can enhance my own knowledge in wine and assist the consumers that drinks them.

- - - - - Kaneda Yoshida

The course required the following wines for the wine tasting class, thankfully, my instructor understood that some of the wines listed below may be hard to procure and he was feasible with any equivalent:

• A medium-sweet White Zinfandel
• A full-bodied Australian Shiraz
• A young, basic-level Pinot Grigio
• An oaked Chilean Chardonnay
• A New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
• A dry, young Beaujolais
• A medium-sweet German, Mosel Riesling
• A dry Italian Chianti
• A Chilean Pinot Noir
• A Merlot or Cabernet Bordeaux blend

This is from a wine tasting assignment on week 1 course module via Introduction To Wine Tasting by comparing a white and red wine to understand tannin and acidity. 

• Medium-sweet White Zinfandel (or equivalent)
• Full-bodied Australian Shiraz (or equivalent)

This is from a wine tasting assignment on week 2 course module via Comparing White Wines and understanding the difference between 3 whites from different regions.

• A young, basic-level Pinot Grigio (or equivalent)
• An oaked Chilean Chardonnay (or equivalent)
• A New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (or equivalent)

It took three months for my official certificate of completion of the WSet Level I course with badge pin to arrive in the mail from London, UK. It was well worth the price, the time, and the wait. I look forward to pursuing my wine knowledge and accomplishing my WSet Level II in the near future and enhance my wine career. I look forward to seeking and working for a great wine company that I can proudly serve and sell wine for as well as continue to learn and share wine knowledge.