In the interest of self-improvement, under the auspices of Continuing Professional Development – and generally wanting to choose the best wines for all the food she consumes – Ciara McQuillan enrolled in a WSET level 2 course at Vinspire Academy with sommelier Philip Dunne. Here’s how she got on.

Do you know your Chenin Blanc from your Chardonnay, or your Sauvignon Blanc from your Semillon?

Perhaps not. For many, wine lists can be baffling and if you happen to be interested in increasing your wine wisdom and learning how to decipher a wine list but are unsure where to start, read on. 

I love wine, simple as. I have never proclaimed to know a lot about the subject, in fact, it’s a little like that tired old saying about Art – I don’t know much about it, but I know what I like. Many moons ago, as a student in the former DIT on Cathal Brugha Street, part of my course was a module on wine studies under the immensely knowledgeable Mary O’Sullivan and it was one of my favourite subjects in my degree. On graduating, I was eager to learn more but as so often happens, life got in the way and the knowledge that I had garnered was promptly pushed to the recesses of my mind, unused and unappreciated. 

Fast forward a few years (well, let’s just agree it was ‘a few’) and the nagging feeling of unfinished business began to dominate my mind, and so I set about rekindling my wine education in the hope that this time, it might stick. Enter, sommelier Philip Dunne of Vinspire Academy who kindly agreed to take me in and educate my unschooled mind. In November this year, I went back to school, (well, wine school) and began my learning journey studying WSET level 2. 

Philip is one of Ireland’s most awarded sommeliers

Philip was previously Head Sommelier in Ashford Castle in Mayo, Head Sommelier of The Westbury in Dublin and is currently the Global Group Sommelier of The Doyle Collection. Twice awarded Ireland’s ‘Sommelier of the Year’ by the Sunday Business Post (2018 & 2019), Philip became an accredited educator for WSET (Wine Spirit Education Trust) in 2018 and it was this very course that I was invited to attend. Because Philip has educated over 3,000 students in wine and spirit education, I felt confident I was in safe hands. I mean, surely a man of his many talents could educate even me?

And educate he did. I was enrolled in the intensive course which took place over three full days in The Sycamore Rooms (above Dobbins) in Dublin 2, and on a cold wintery November Monday morning, a group of 12 wannabe wine enthusiasts gathered to taste, talk and learn, all things wine. There were the hospitality professionals, the would-be winemakers, the wine drinkers with a thirst for knowledge and the food writer who felt a little overwhelmed. There is a LOT to know about wine, but the wonderful thing about the subject is this – a little knowledge goes a long way and even on a basic level, a foundation in wine is a great skill to have. Should you decide to further your studies, the options are there and if not, you still know more than you did previously. 

Over the three days, Philip brought us on a journey through the world’s most important winemaking regions and imparted his (endless) knowledge and enthusiasm on the subject.

We tasted around 40 different wines over the three days

This is an exercise that immediately awakens your taste buds and highlights even the most subtle differences between grapes, styles and geographic influences on a wine. From Champagne to the Casablanca Valley we tasted and talked our way around the globe, evaluating, discussing and most importantly, enjoying the entire learning experience. Choosing to learn is fun and Philip was an enthusiastic instructor, generous with his time, all the while prompting and encouraging us to dig deep and have the confidence to say what we thought.

I learned a lot. For instance, I’m a low-tannin gal with a preference for medium – lighter-bodied reds and Marlborough Sauvignons are not for me. Ok, I might have known some of this before, but knowing the WHY was a soupçon of knowledge that was refreshing to learn. What surprised me, was the knowledge I learned many moons ago in DIT suddenly re-emerged and while the information didn’t exactly come rushing back, titbits of things I thought long forgotten began to come back to me. 

Philip had advised us that getting the best out of the course and maximising our learning, would require around eight hours of self-directed study after class over the three days. This proved difficult for me and I did find myself cramming like a 6^th year student in June on our final day. After lunch, we all trooped back up the stairs nervously to sit for our exam, pencils and paper at the ready. I was nervous, there is a lot of information to take in over a relatively short three-day period but on reading the exam paper, I was pleasantly surprised. Perhaps I knew more than I thought, I knew many of the answers instinctively, and some others, not so much. Time will tell. With results due any day now, I’m quietly optimistic but regardless, I certainly know a lot more about wine today than I did a month ago, and that in itself is a very fine thing indeed…..

The WSET Level 2 Award in Wine is open to anyone with an interest in wine and no previous knowledge is required. Ciara McQuillan attended the course as a guest of Vinspire Academy. 

Hotel baths, in-room dining, plush robes, and fancy hotel toiletries are just a few of the things that Ciara loves about hotels. Since her earliest hotel stays as a child (in the bygone days of the Ryan and Great Southern Hotel groups), Ciara has developed a taste for luxe hotels and unsurprisingly, it doesn’t appear to be diminishing…

Follow Ciara on Instagram @CiaraMcQuillan