84 HOURS | WSET LEVEL 3 AWARD IN WINES | OFQUAL REGULATED, GLOBALLY RECOGNISED
WSET Level 3 Award in Wines
The advanced wine qualification for serious professionals and committed enthusiasts, taught by India's leading WSET Certified Educator.
This is where wine knowledge gets serious. The WSET Level 3 Award in Wines is an advanced, internationally recognised qualification designed for industry professionals and passionate enthusiasts who want to truly understand what is in the glass. And why.
You will go beyond tasting notes and into the heart of what makes wine. The land, the climate, the decisions made in the vineyard and the winery. With a minimum of 84 hours of structured study, including 30 hours of expert-led classroom or online tuition, this course will sharpen your palate, deepen your knowledge, and give you the language to explain wine style and quality with real authority.
Two units. One blind tasting exam. One qualification recognised in 70+ countries.
Who is this WSET Level 3 Wines course for?
Wine professionals advancing their careers
You work as a sommelier, beverage manager, F&B manager, wine buyer, or senior hospitality professional, and you need the recognised credential that marks the step from competent to expert. Level 3 is often the qualification employers look for when filling head sommelier, beverage manager, and wine buyer roles in premium hotels and fine dining restaurants.
Trade professionals building credibility
You work in wine import, distribution, brand ambassadorship, or premium retail, and you sell to sommeliers who expect you to match their level of knowledge. Level 3 gives you the vocabulary, the tasting discipline, and the regional depth to have credible conversations with buyers at any level.
Serious enthusiasts pursuing mastery
You have completed Level 2 or have equivalent experience, and you want to go deeper. Level 3 covers over 70 named regions across the wine producing world, including Bordeaux, Burgundy, Tuscany, Barolo, Rioja, Napa, Barossa, Marlborough, Central Otago, Mendoza, and the major fortified and sparkling wine regions. It is also the required entry qualification for the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines.
What you will learn in this WSET Level 3 Wines course
UNIT 1: THE WORLD OF WINE
Everything that shapes a wine, from soil to bottle.
- The key factors in wine production: location, grape growing, winemaking, maturation, and bottling. And how each one influences what ends up in your glass.
- How these factors shape the style and quality of the world's principal:
- Still wines, spanning France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Greece, the United States, Canada, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand
- Sparkling wines, from Champagne and Cava to Prosecco, Sekt, Cap Classique, and premium traditional method wines from across the New World
- Fortified wines, including Port, Sherry, and the fortified Muscats of France and Australia
- How to use this understanding to confidently explain and evaluate wine style and quality
UNIT 2: TASTING AND EVALUATION
Train your palate. Trust your instincts.
- How to taste, describe, and evaluate wines using the WSET Level 3 Systematic Approach to Tasting
- How to taste blind, identifying a wine's key characteristics and drawing accurate conclusions about its quality and readiness for drinking
Course Details
Entry Requirements
We recommend holding the WSET Level 2 Award in Wines, or being able to demonstrate an equivalent level of knowledge, before enrolling in this course.
You must be of legal drinking age in the country where you are attending the course and exam to take part in any tasting sessions. That said, if you are unable to participate in tastings, it is still possible to successfully complete Unit 1.
Not sure if you are ready for Level 3? Get in touch and we will help you figure out the best starting point.
Assessment
Unit 1 is assessed by a closed-book written exam. 50 multiple-choice questions plus a short written answer paper, testing your knowledge of the world's wines and the factors that shape them.
Unit 2 is assessed by a blind tasting of two wines, evaluated using the WSET Level 3 Systematic Approach to Tasting.
This qualification is regulated by Ofqual, ensuring it meets rigorous academic standards and is recognised by employers and institutions worldwide.
What does a WSET Level 3 course session look like?
Level 3 runs across multiple sessions of classroom teaching, structured tasting, and exam preparation, followed by a formal exam day.
Sessions 1 and 2
Foundations of wine production
The natural and human factors in the vineyard and winery that determine style, quality, and price. Climate, soil, viticulture, vinification, maturation, blending, and bottling. These first sessions build the analytical framework you will apply to every region in the course.
Sessions 3 to 5
Still wines of France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal
The classical wine regions covering the largest share of exam weighting. Bordeaux, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Alsace, Loire, Rhone, Southern France, the full Italian DOC and DOCG landscape from Piemonte to Sicily, the Spanish appellation system, and the principal Portuguese regions. Tasting of the essential wines for each region.
Sessions 6 and 7
Still wines of the New World
The United States (California, Oregon, Washington, New York), Canada, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Principal grape varieties, regional styles, climate and site factors, and tasting of the essential New World wines listed in the WSET specification.
Sessions 8 and 9
Germany, Austria, Hungary, Greece, and sparkling wines
The cool climate regions of Europe plus Tokaj. Followed by the principal sparkling wines of the world and the production methods that define them: traditional method, transfer method, ancestral method, tank method, Asti method, and carbonation.
Sessions 10 and 11
Fortified wines, service, and exam preparation
Port, Sherry, and fortified Muscats. Wine storage and service, faults, food and wine pairing principles, and the social and health issues of excess consumption. Mock theory and tasting exams with detailed feedback on written answers and tasting notes.
Session 12
Exam day
A two hour closed book theory examination consisting of 50 multiple choice questions and four short written answer questions, followed by a 30 minute blind tasting of two wines. A pass mark of 55 per cent is required in each paper to earn the qualification.
Meet your WSET certified educator, Sovna Puri
Sovna Puri is India's leading WSET Certified Educator and an Approved Programme Provider with the Wine and Spirit Education Trust, London. She holds the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines and Spirits and was recognised in the WSET Future 50.
She has spent over a decade teaching wine in classrooms, vineyards, restaurants, and corporate boardrooms across India. Her teaching focuses on practical understanding over memorisation.
She approaches wine the way it is meant to be experienced: as part of a meal, a moment, and a culture. Students leave her sessions able to apply what they have learned the next time they open a bottle.
Her Level 3 batches have included sommeliers, hotel beverage managers, restaurateurs, importers, and senior hospitality professionals from across India and the Gulf.
For Level 3 students, she runs the course at the pace and rigour the qualification demands. The classroom blends technical analysis, blind tasting practice, and structured written response work, building the discipline needed to pass at WSET's diploma feeder level.
What students say about this WSET Level 3 Wines course
★★★★★
Did my Level 3 in wines with Sovna, I couldn't think of anyone else to choose to be my educator, guide and mentor through the gruel and intensity of this level and would hands down recommend her guidance to all those considering this biggie! It was a hybrid module with the theory sessions online and the tasting in person which were very well spread with sufficient times between sessions to soak it all in. The ease, patience, calm and clear guidance with which she conducts each online session(for which I had my inhibitions before, being online) made the subject so much more approachable and busted all myths in my mind against online sessions. She left no stone unturned to clarify the smallest, silliest and vaguest doubts we had and always encouraged to asked on. The tasting sessions were well planned with close to 50 odd tasting samples spread across 3 days, which was truly an enriching and satisfying experience under Sovna's immense knowledge and vast tasting expertise. Would have probably never got the opportunity to taste so many varieties all under one roof at the same time. amidst this all she ensured we were all well fed and loaded up on the carbs we needed ;). The exam session was well organised and crisp and clear. With specifics snd directions shared very well. Thank you so much for being the kindest person and the bestest educator any aspiring candidate can come across.
★★★★★
I am doing WSET Level 3 certification with Sovna Puri. The theory sessions were conducted in depth, with individual review and feedback sessions, which were very helpful. Great interactive tasting sessions, with a good selection of wines! Sovna is an amazing course provider, with in depth knowledge about the regions and wines! Thankyou for all the guidance!
★★★★★
I attended a WSET 1 course conducted in Mumbai India by Sovna Puri. She is extremely well informed in her subject and is an excellent teacher. It is the mark of someone who has a command over her subject, that she makes it very easy for the students to understand. This is what Sovna is able to do. She doesn't "dumb it down"....rather she explains the fundamentals in clear simple terms that I was able to grasp. Sovna has taken me through WSET levels 1, 2 and 3. While the level 3 results are awaited, the fact that I could tackle level 3 at all, is testament to Sovna's superb teaching skills and ability. At level 3, one realizes just how complex a subject this is and how extraordinary it is for someone to not merely be able to master it - but to be able to convey that knowledge in a manner that is comprehensible and digestible to those of us who are novices in the world of wine. That is Sovna's special gift. My most grateful thanks to Sovna for making it possible for me to complete this journey.
4.9 stars from 812+ students on Google
Read all reviewsAbout the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines course
LIST PRICE
Rs. 1,30,000
ALL INCLUSIVE
EARLY BIRD PRICE
To be announced
All-inclusive: tasting samples, study materials, and exam fees.
Be the first to get early bird pricing when the next batch is announced.
Limited seats per batch. No payment now.
WSET Cancellation policyWhat is included
- WSET candidate registration and examination fees
- Official WSET Level 3 in Wines study pack delivered before course start
- 50 or more tasting wines across still, sparkling, and fortified categories
- Classroom tuition across all scheduled sessions
- Mock theory paper with written answer marking and feedback
- Mock blind tasting with individual feedback
- Sample multiple choice practice papers
- Tasting vocabulary support using the WSET Level 3 Systematic Approach to Tasting
- Formal WSET administered theory and tasting examinations
- Digital and physical certificate on successful completion
Course facts
- Duration
- 84 hours total qualification time
- Total study time
- 30 hours classroom minimum, 51.5 hours private study
- Exam format
- 50 multiple-choice questions plus short written answers, plus blind tasting of two wines
- Pass mark
- 55 per cent in each paper
- Delivery
- Classroom or Hybrid
- Language
- English
- Entry requirement
- WSET Level 2 in Wines recommended.
- Certificate issued by
- Wine and Spirit Education Trust, London
Next WSET Level 3 Wines batch
Dates for the next Level 3 Wines batch will be announced shortly. Join Early Bird Waitlist to receive first access to batch dates, early bird pricing, and priority enrolment.
Batch dates and venue are confirmed per intake and shared with waitlist members first.
Where does WSET Level 3 take you?
Career progression in the wine trade
Level 3 is the qualification most frequently listed in senior sommelier, head sommelier, beverage manager, and wine buyer job descriptions at premium hospitality groups and fine dining restaurants internationally. For trade professionals at importers, distributors, and premium retail, it marks the shift from salesperson to consultant. Many employers sponsor Level 3 for staff on a promotion track.
Pathway to the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines
Level 3, or equivalent experience, is the required entry qualification for the Level 4 Diploma in Wines. The Diploma is the most advanced WSET qualification and is widely recognised as the benchmark for expert level wine knowledge. It is also the most common entry qualification for the Master of Wine study programme.
Authority as a wine communicator
Level 3 gives you the vocabulary, the framework, and the breadth to write, speak, teach, and consult on wine with credibility. Wine writers, podcasters, educators, consultants, and retail entrepreneurs use Level 3 as the foundation that separates informed opinion from hobbyist talk.
Frequently asked questions about the WSET Level 3 Wines course
The WSET Level 3 Award in Wines is the advanced qualification in the Wine and Spirit Education Trust's wines pathway. It covers the principal still, sparkling, and fortified wines of the world and requires both a theoretical and a blind tasting examination. The qualification is regulated in the UK by Ofqual and is recognised internationally.
Ready to begin?
Join Early Bird Waitlist
Be first to hear about the next Level 3 Wines batch. Early bird waitlist members receive priority enrolment, early bird pricing, and first access to batch dates.
Talk to Sovna before you enrol
If you are weighing whether Level 3 is right for you, or whether your existing knowledge is enough to skip Level 2, get in touch. Sovna will discuss your background and goals before you commit.