'with Merit' 🤣! Miquel quoted me - happy screech! I held my breath as I waited for your ultimate conclusion...and exhaled with a smile and a laugh because you did a fine job of balancing the pros and cons of formal wine studies. It really was so nice to learn more about your path as I so admire you and your writing. I thoroughly enjoyed this read (perhaps because I'd already jumped on my high horse and vented through Henry 🤣?)
At the end of the day and for clarity, I don't work in the wine industry and nobody forced me to do the Diploma. I was raised with formal learning and feeling validated by an exam...I enjoy the stress of exams. But by now we should all know better - there are different ways of learning.
I have great admiration for the diligence of autodidacts...who don't get the pin. It's for this reason I will never wear the pin or add the letters to IG or my email signature. Ultimately, I didn't know about you or Henry's qualifications and I didn't care...because your writing proves that you taste far more widely and so are far better tasters than I could ever be. You're also hella great communicators...coz gooseberries aren't universal and I believe in my granny's cupboard.
Hah...I've realised my world is Instagram. I'm not a writer able to generate consistently long form thoughts for Substack. But I am a reader of long form thoughts...so it's great to learn from you and all the writers on SS.
I enjoyed your comments and particularly appreciate your notion of a "melding" effect. I recently published a book titled: "Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove: Discerning and Communicating Wine Quality." I have a chapter devoted to "Expertise in Judging Wine Quality" that makes some claims that resonate with your point of view. I hope you will check it out: https://a.co/d/2R63U4v
Hmm. Hard work, discipline,and credentials. Yes and with merit. Just like a university degree. Was very glad when Jancis Robinson and Steven Spurrier handed me the WSET Diploma. You don’t have to have them to be a great writer, but let’s give credit to persistence, curiosity, and follow-through. My MW friends are writers and teachers, winemakers and consultants. I admire them tremendously.
The credentials are all good if you happen to earn them, but the real crux here is to get to a certain level of knowledge. Spurrier is a perfect example as he never attained any of the credentials we now hold in high regard.
I think some people need a qualification in whatever field they’re studying in order to gain some degree of self assurance. Others, like me, have little ability (patience?) to undertake formalised study and just get on with it. Whatever works for you I do feel though that the WSET system is outdated & cumbersome for many of us.
Hi there ,Bob. WSET is most definitely overkill and the problem with it and the MW is that they're really for people working in the trade in terms of sales, export/import and they've been shoehorned into being de facto systems of education for all facets of wine. It's why realizing one's "melding" moment is so much more important.
Great reading. In gastronomy we have the same thing - not all the best writers come out of the Basque Culinary Centre, or Pollenzo. Quite the opposite, in fact.
'with Merit' 🤣! Miquel quoted me - happy screech! I held my breath as I waited for your ultimate conclusion...and exhaled with a smile and a laugh because you did a fine job of balancing the pros and cons of formal wine studies. It really was so nice to learn more about your path as I so admire you and your writing. I thoroughly enjoyed this read (perhaps because I'd already jumped on my high horse and vented through Henry 🤣?)
At the end of the day and for clarity, I don't work in the wine industry and nobody forced me to do the Diploma. I was raised with formal learning and feeling validated by an exam...I enjoy the stress of exams. But by now we should all know better - there are different ways of learning.
I have great admiration for the diligence of autodidacts...who don't get the pin. It's for this reason I will never wear the pin or add the letters to IG or my email signature. Ultimately, I didn't know about you or Henry's qualifications and I didn't care...because your writing proves that you taste far more widely and so are far better tasters than I could ever be. You're also hella great communicators...coz gooseberries aren't universal and I believe in my granny's cupboard.
Many thanks 'Cape'. Just glad to have you on board as an engaged reader.
Hah...I've realised my world is Instagram. I'm not a writer able to generate consistently long form thoughts for Substack. But I am a reader of long form thoughts...so it's great to learn from you and all the writers on SS.
I enjoyed your comments and particularly appreciate your notion of a "melding" effect. I recently published a book titled: "Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove: Discerning and Communicating Wine Quality." I have a chapter devoted to "Expertise in Judging Wine Quality" that makes some claims that resonate with your point of view. I hope you will check it out: https://a.co/d/2R63U4v
Great, will have a look!
Hmm. Hard work, discipline,and credentials. Yes and with merit. Just like a university degree. Was very glad when Jancis Robinson and Steven Spurrier handed me the WSET Diploma. You don’t have to have them to be a great writer, but let’s give credit to persistence, curiosity, and follow-through. My MW friends are writers and teachers, winemakers and consultants. I admire them tremendously.
The credentials are all good if you happen to earn them, but the real crux here is to get to a certain level of knowledge. Spurrier is a perfect example as he never attained any of the credentials we now hold in high regard.
I think some people need a qualification in whatever field they’re studying in order to gain some degree of self assurance. Others, like me, have little ability (patience?) to undertake formalised study and just get on with it. Whatever works for you I do feel though that the WSET system is outdated & cumbersome for many of us.
Hi there ,Bob. WSET is most definitely overkill and the problem with it and the MW is that they're really for people working in the trade in terms of sales, export/import and they've been shoehorned into being de facto systems of education for all facets of wine. It's why realizing one's "melding" moment is so much more important.
Great reading. In gastronomy we have the same thing - not all the best writers come out of the Basque Culinary Centre, or Pollenzo. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Gastronomy is perhaps even more difficult as everyone eats and everyone thinks they can write about what they eat.
Agree! And also eat what they read about - or better, see on social media.