Management consultant Darren Oemcke’s work regularly takes him into the local wine industry but it was his desire to “expand horizons” on the international market that drew him back to the classroom to study the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 4 Diploma in Wines at TAFE SA.

The sought-after qualification includes a comprehensive study of the world’s wine regions and the development of wine-tasting skills to an expert level.

“In my role I can be advising on anything from building packaging lines to setting overseas marketing strategies,” Darren says. “I wanted to gain a better understanding of the regions and the competition.”

Darren is a partner and marketing director at Hydra Consulting, which provides a range of growth services to businesses in wine, food, agriculture, and manufacturing sectors.

“At Hydra Consulting we do a lot of work in the wine industry, consulting on wine making and packaging processes to marketing and selling,” he says.

Darren, who is also Chair of Riverland Wine, says all the team at Hydra completed the WSET Level 2 Award in Wines, and afterwards he decided to continue with the WSET awards program which led on to the Diploma.

While he jokes about his new skills in navigating wine lists, he says he appreciates the depth of knowledge he’s gained which is a “good grounding to have conversations more deeply”.

“From a work point of view, having the extra knowledge about wine regions, their climates and how they operate has been really beneficial,” he says.

“I was in Bordeaux for meetings a few weeks ago and having that knowledge of the region meant that I could engage with businesses in the region so much more effectively.”

Darren says he enjoyed the opportunity to taste different wines as part of the course and was especially interested in the sparkling and fortified wine units as well as the study of European wine regions.

“Studying the Diploma has given me a greater appreciation of wine and wine styles and an understanding of Australian styles in a global construct,” he says.

Winemaker Jessica Ferguson (pictured) has been travelling between Brisbane and Adelaide for study since 2020, navigating COVID restrictions, floods and work commitments to build on her knowledge of overseas wines at TAFE SA.

A winemaker at Sirromet Wines and wine educator, Jessica came to the course with some prior knowledge but says the “worldwide focus” of the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines was important.

“The Diploma has opened my eyes to different styles around the world, I’ve gained an understanding of the way different varietals are made with different approaches in different regions,” she says.

The grapes for Sirromet Wines are grown in the Granite Belt region of Queensland where the climate is cool to moderate and the range of wines includes Chardonnay, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon as well as newer Italian varieties such as Fiano and Nebbiolo.

Jessica says she enjoys working with new wine varieties and the course has challenged her to be more experimental in her thinking.

The Diploma is taught by a range of industry specialists including Master of Wine, Phil Reedman, and oenologist Geoff Cowey, who previously worked at the Australian Wine Research Institute, and Jessica says their involvement has been a highlight for her.

“The lecturers in the wines of the world unit have been brilliant. They can tell you stories about each region because they’ve been there and their experience and knowledge add real depth to the learning,” she says.

Through WSET, Jessica was awarded the Vintners’ Bursary for her research project, enabling her to visit a wine-producing region to further her interest in sustainability in the wine industry.

In December 2023, Jessica used the bursary to travel to northern Italy visiting the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region and Goriska Brda in Slovenia.

“It’s interesting because the region covers two countries and they have a reputation for quality white wine making and they have some good examples of natural wine,” she says.

“It’s one tiny bit of the world but it was so interesting and because I knew little about the region it was really beneficial to visit.”

More information about TAFE SA’s wine education program is available on the website.