Wine, Cheese and WSET Level 1 Course With Emily O'Hare
Friday, 9th May to Monday, 12th May 2025
This is a two day/three night residential course held in a beautifully restored medieval Tuscan castle at Castello di Potentino.
Learn the essentials about wine with a special focus on the wines of Italy, following the globally recognised WSET approach. Eat fabulous food prepared by Potentino's house chefs.
Participate in morning food and wine pairing workshops and afternoon cheese making and pasta making classes.
The course will be led by Decanter Italian wine writer and VIA Italian Wine Ambassador, Emily O’Hare – previously Head Sommelier and Wine Buyer at London’s The River Café.
Emily O’Hare is a WSET instructor, wine writer and VIA Italian Wine Ambassador. Based in Tuscany she contributes to publications Decanter, Club Oenologique and Quench on Tuscan Wines.
Day 1 – Friday
Evening
6pm ish
Welcome aperitivo and Wine Tasting with Charlotte Horton, Castello di Potentino’s owner and winemaker who will guide you through the castle’s award-winning wines.
8pm Dinner prepared in the kitchens at Potentino using local meats and vegetables from our vegetable garden.
Day 2 – Saturday
Morning
8:00 Breakfast
9:30am WSET course begins
1pm Lunch under the loggia in the courtyard or in the grand dining room at Potentino
Cheese making display with the Luisa using raw sheep's milk from a local flock of sheep. You will learn about the different types of cheese made locally from sheep's-milk including pecorino and ricotta as well as learn about the local traditions. Tuscan wines matched to each cheese.
8pm A light dinner in the grand dining room.
Day 3 – Sunday
Morning
WSET course continues in
the classroom
1pm Lunch
Pasta Making and foraging walk (using the ricotta from the previous day's cheesemaking.)
Examination
Post examination Negronis
8pm Dinner at the castle
Day 4 – Monday
Morning
Breakfast
Farewells
If you would like to pay a deposit
The payment system asks for payment in full. If you would rather pay a non-refundable 30% deposit at the time of booking, please enter the code DEPOSIT30 at checkout. The final payment will be due two months before the start of the course. If you need to rebook for a later date, you can do so before the two-month point, however there may be a penalty to pay for the lost examination etc.
If you have any issues booking
Sometimes, it takes a few attempts to clear the cart if you need to make any changes to your room selection etc. if you remove everything, it usually clears any issues.
If you have any issues at all, please contact Alexander Greene alexander.greene@potentino.com
What's included
- Full board and lodging at Castello di Potentino
- Cheese-making demonstration to make pecorino a traditional sheep's milk cheese.
- Pasta-making
- All course material and the WSET 1 examination.
What's not included
- Transfers or flights.
- Printed course materials for the WSET 1
Room Prices vary depending on the room chosen and the number of guests.
Single occupancy prices start at: €1,690
Double occupancy prices start at: €1,490 per person
Triple room prices start at: €1,430 per person
