WSET offers wine and spirits courses at sea

The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) has partnered with cruise line Cunard to launch the first WSET-certified wine and spirit courses at sea.

The partnership with Cunard is the first time WSET courses will be available to guests at sea

WSET courses will initially be available on Queen Mary 2’s Westbound Transatlantic Crossings and World Voyage trips with plans to extend courses to Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth later in 2017.

Classes will be led by WSET certified educator Andrés Solís Lira who has worked in wine for the past decade, joining Cunard in 2009 as a sommelier on Queen Mary 2 and rising to the position of educator for the Cunard Wine Academy, which offers food and wine pairings, tastings and masterclasses for guests.

Guests aboard Westbound Transatlantic Crossings from Southampton to New York can embark on a five-day course to achieve a WSET Level 1 Award in Wines.

Guests aboard Round World Voyages from Southampton to Cape Town, Cape Town to Fremantle, Hong Kong to Dubai and Dubai to Southampton, can participate in a 12-day course to achieve a WSET Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits.

The first Round World Voyage offering WSET courses will set off on 10 January 2017 from Southampton to Cape Town. Guests can book a WSET course by calling Cunard ahead of their journey or speaking to the sommelier whilst on board.

In October, the WSET opened its first international office in Hong Kong to better meet demand for industry education in Greater China.