April 10, 2025 (London) — WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust), the global leader in drinks education, is delighted to announce the launch of two new Diploma centres in Toronto, Canada.
From August 2025, George Brown College will offer the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines – an expert-level qualification covering all aspects of wine.
This follows the opening of another Toronto-based Diploma center in November 2024, run by WSET approved course provider Fine Vintage. This approval comes 14 years after the institution first began delivering Diploma courses in Vancouver and Calgary.
These new openings bring WSET’s total number of Diploma centers to 42 worldwide, across 20 countries, including Canada, Australia, Japan and South Africa.
WSET has a global Diploma alumni community of more than 14,000 graduates. Many of them travel to London for the annual graduation ceremony, a prestigious event held at the historic Guildhall in the City of London.
The Diploma is the highest qualification in wine awarded by WSET and the prerequisite for entry into the Masters of Wine (MW) program.
Building on the knowledge and skills gained from the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines, the Diploma deepens students’ understanding of how and why wine production and business factors influence the style, quality, and price of wines.
Successful graduates acquire exceptional analytical skills and proficiency in evaluative wine tasting, gaining global recognition as authoritative wine specialists. Most students take between 12 and 24 months to complete the course.
Rachel Webster, WSET’s Global APP Development Director, said:
“We’re delighted to welcome the two new WSET Diploma centers in Toronto into our network.
“Becoming a Diploma center is a tremendous achievement for any WSET course provider and follows a highly rigorous approval process that takes many months.
“WSET’s challenging, but highly rewarding Diploma course enables students to gain specialist-level skill and in-depth knowledge about wines, as well as develop excellent research and analytical abilities, both transferrable skills are beneficial for career development.”
James Cluer MW, Owner, Fine Vintage, said:
“We are delighted to bring a high quality Diploma program to Toronto with options to enroll in the full program or take the course unit by unit.
“Fine Vintage is known for expert instructors and outstanding tastings, with a long history of high pass rates and 10 years of experience running the Diploma in Canada.”
Adrian Caravello, DipWSET, MBA, Coordinator and Professor, School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, added:
“We’re delighted to be offering WSET Diploma courses in Toronto at George Brown College.
“This is important to our college and all our students as we can develop, nurture and watch their growth from Level 1 through to the Diploma. Offering the Diploma puts our students in a strong position to excel in the global wine industry and that is a proud moment for all of us at George Brown College”.
Early applications are encouraged for the inaugural cohort at George Brown College. WSET Level 3 Award in Wines is a required prerequisite. A webinar will be held on 15 April 2025 for prospective students to learn more about the program structure and application process.
Prospective students may also register for Fine Vintage’s Diploma program which starts in July in Toronto and can be taken as a full program or on a unit-by-unit basis.
About WSET
WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) is the global leader in drinks education. Founded in 1969, and recognised by the awarding body Ofqual, we have awarded over 1.5 million people with a qualification since our inception. The courses are open to both industry professionals and interested enthusiasts who can take them across four levels, from one-day beginner to expert level diploma. Available in more than 15 languages and in over 70 countries, our qualifications have a strong reputation worldwide as the industry standard for knowledge. In the last academic year (2023/24) 134,000 candidates sat for a WSET qualification. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn
About George Brown College
Toronto’s George Brown College is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and other Indigenous peoples. George Brown prepares innovative, adaptable graduates with the skills to thrive in a rapidly changing job market. With three campuses in the downtown core, the college blends theory with experiential learning, applied research, and entrepreneurship opportunities. George Brown offers 175 full-time programs and 182 continuing education certificates/designations across a wide variety of professions to more than 30,100 full-time students and receives more than 53,900 continuing education registrations annually. Students can earn certificates, diplomas, graduate certificates, apprenticeships, and degrees. www.georgebrown.ca.
About Fine Vintage
Fine Vintage is the leading provider of WSET courses in Canada with locations in eight cities. Founded in 1995 in Toronto, the company prides itself on a team of expert instructors, pours triple the number of required samples, and operates in 5 star hotel locations. Fine Vintage is the Rolls Royce of wine education and runs the Diploma in 3 Canadian cities.
