South Africa, Cape Town, 18 June 2024;  WSET  (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) with headquarters in London, in collaboration with the International Wine Education Centre based in Cape Town (IWEC), announced today that a bursary scheme has been granted to not-for-profit company the Black Cellar Club (BLACC) of five places on the highly prized WSET Level 3 Award in Wines programme.

The course will commence in September of this year and will be held at Klein Joostenberg farm in Stellenbosch. Applications are now open to BLACC-accredited members who meet the entrance criteria and who are interested in this life-changing opportunity.

This most excellent news follows an earlier announcement by WSET of fifteen bursaries granted to BLACC in May of this year to complete the WSET Level 2 Award in Wines course. The fifteen BLACC students wrote their examination in Stellenbosch last week and eagerly await their respective results!

The WSET Level 3 Wines course is valued at R15 200, 00 and WSET is providing a bursary of R12 000,00 to each of the five successful applicants.

Says Cathy Marston, DipWSET and owner of IWEC, “The WSET Level 3 in Wines course is one of the most challenging but rewarding qualifications in wine and IWEC is proud to be able to facilitate learning for what we hope will be the new leaders in the South African wine industry as well as further into Africa. Thanks to the Wine & Spirit Education Trust we are delighted to offer bursaries for deserving BLACC member students”.

Cara Powell, Head of APP Development – EMEA, WSET said, “We’re thrilled to be partnering again with BLACC and IWEC to sponsor five candidates on our Level 3 Award in Wines course. This is a rigorous but highly rewarding qualification that is immensely valuable for drinks professionals looking to accelerate their careers, as well as enthusiasts who wish to deepen their knowledge of wine. At WSET we’re passionate about making the global drinks industry more accessible and affordable. Working with partners such as BLACC and IWEC on our initiatives to create positive social impact is a privilege, they play such a pivotal role in enabling us to inspire and empower more people around the world through our learning experiences.”

The collaboration between the three organisations provides members of BLACC the opportunity to access this globally respected qualification, something that personal financial constraints or lack of employer support would otherwise render impossible.

BLACC was founded in 2016 by emerging Sommeliers and senior Wine Stewards in South Africa as a platform predominantly for but not exclusively to persons of colour who are interested to gain knowledge and experience about wines and spirits from around the globe. Since BLACC’s inception, the organisation has become more than just a wine club but a family of like-minded entrepreneurs, sommeliers, wine stewards, wine ambassadors and waiters in the premium wine and spirits sector.

WSET is the global leader in drinks education and offers qualifications in wine, spirits, sake and beer. Founded in 1969, WSET’s qualifications provide both drinks trade professionals and enthusiasts with the product knowledge and tasting skills that build their confidence and give them a framework for assessing quality.

IWEC is the largest provider of WSET courses on the African continent and has been operating for more than a decade. It is led by International Educator of the Year (2014), Cathy Marston, DipWSET.

The WSET Level 3 in Wine course will run one day per week throughout this September and the early part of October, followed by revision workshops and ultimately a tasting and theory exam. BLACC members who meet the criteria, including having passed WSET Level 2 in Wines with either a Distinction or a Merit, and who would not access this course, either due to personal financial barriers they face, or a lack of support from their employer are encouraged to apply.  Applications will close on 31^st July and the recipients will be announced on 16^th August 2024.

Applicants should contact Ian Hamilton Manley, Founder of BLACC, to obtain the application form via ian@blackcellarclub.com.

For more information about WSET, IWEC and BLACC, visit their respective websites:

www.wsetglobal.com / www.thewinecentre.co.za / www.blackcellarclub.com

Manley Communications Atelier proudly represents BLACC pro bono. For Press and media assistance contact Ian Hamilton Manley, co-owner of Manley Communications Atelier and Founder of BLACC via ian@publicity.co.za or call +27 (0) 82 826 0456.

ENDS/

Photography Credit: supplied by WSET and also photojournalist Jim Freeman