{"id":37177,"date":"2026-05-08T14:21:05","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T14:21:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/37177\/"},"modified":"2026-05-08T14:21:05","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T14:21:05","slug":"wsets-michelle-brampton-on-the-future-of-drinks-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/37177\/","title":{"rendered":"WSET\u2019s Michelle Brampton on the future of drinks education"},"content":{"rendered":"

In an interview last month with the drinks business podcast,<\/a> Michelle Brampton outlined her vision for the future of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) as a more sustainable and global organisation that remains the benchmark for drinks education worldwide.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Since taking over as CEO nearly four years ago, Brampton has led a broad transformation of WSET \u2014 from its branding and teaching methods to its role within the wider drinks industry.<\/p>\n

Modernising a Global Institution<\/p>\n

Brampton described WSET as both a trusted institution and an organisation that needed to evolve with the changing drinks landscape.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I felt needed doing was really around modernisation,\u201d she said. \u201cMaking sure we move with the times and stay relevant to the industry is really important.\u201d<\/p>\n

That modernization includes the greater use of technology, along with hybrid learning models, more accessible educational materials, as well as online exams and remote invigilation, and a stronger focus on student experience.<\/p>\n

At the heart of the changes, Brampton said, is a desire to ensure WSET remains both inspirational and rigorous.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re focused on not just an inspiring learning experience, but a trusted qualification all over the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

A new identity for WSET<\/p>\n

One of the most visible changes is WSET\u2019s rebrand<\/a>. The organisation is shifting away from the full \u201cWine & Spirit Education Trust\u201d name and moving toward the simpler \u201cWSET,\u201d alongside a new strapline: \u201cGlobal Drinks Education\u201d (pictured, below).<\/p>\n

The changes are designed to reflect the organisation\u2019s growing scope beyond wine.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are a multi-category education body,\u201d Brampton explained. \u201cWe have qualifications across wine, spirits, sake and beer.\u201d<\/p>\n

The rebrand also removes the long-standing Ariadne logo, which depicted the figure from Greek mythology \u2013 who was married to Dionysus\u00a0\u2013 holding a wine glass (pictured, bottom).<\/p>\n

Brampton acknowledged that the imagery could feel exclusive or overly wine-focused.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe absolutely don\u2019t want to feel academic or exclusive,\u201d she said. \u201cThe brand is about making sure the language we use and the way we present ourselves is welcoming for people, and that everybody can belong.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added that simplifying the name and visual identity is also important for digital communication and global recognition.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt needs to be simple, digital, easy for people to talk about and understand that we are global drinks education.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sustainability as a core strategy<\/p>\n

Sustainability emerged as one of the central themes of the interview.<\/p>\n

Brampton said WSET now sees sustainability not simply as environmental responsibility, but as supporting the long-term health of the entire drinks trade.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow do you sustain the trade?\u201d she asked. \u201cIt\u2019s got a huge amount of headwinds at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

WSET is preparing to publish its first public sustainability report, detailing initiatives such as switching London offices to renewable energy, introducing digital certificates, reducing operational emissions, and integrating sustainability content into courses.<\/p>\n

According to Brampton, some internal initiatives have already reduced WSET\u2019s carbon emissions by 10%.<\/p>\n

But she also sees WSET playing a broader role as a facilitator of industry-wide knowledge sharing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see our role in this space as connecting people, helping them share best practice, and stimulating ideas in other people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Diversity, inclusion and social impact<\/p>\n

Alongside environmental sustainability, Brampton highlighted diversity and inclusion as strategic priorities.<\/p>\n

She argued that a more diverse drinks industry would ultimately become a more innovative and resilient one.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore diverse thought will lead to more innovation, and therefore the sustainability of this trade is more likely to thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n

WSET has expanded a number of social impact initiatives designed to improve access to education for underrepresented or financially disadvantaged groups.<\/p>\n

These include bursary programs; partnerships with charities; educational outreach projects, and international scholarship initiatives.<\/p>\n

Examples mentioned in the interview included projects in Angola with Sogrape and UK hardship support through The Drinks Trust.<\/p>\n

Brampton said WSET has supported around 1,000 learners across 36 countries through these programmes.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nThe rise of the enthusiast learner<\/p>\n

One notable shift for WSET is the changing composition of its student base.<\/p>\n

Brampton revealed that students are now split roughly equally between trade professionals and enthusiasts.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt used to be slightly more trade, but it\u2019s become more enthusiast,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Those enthusiasts range from casual learners to retired professionals pursuing wine and spirits education purely for personal interest.<\/p>\n

She noted that one of the strongest aspects of WSET courses is the sense of community they create.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat they all seem to get from it is a sense of community on those courses \u2013 the people they meet, the things they learn from each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why drinks education matters<\/p>\n

Throughout the interview, Brampton repeatedly emphasized the importance of education within the drinks industry.<\/p>\n

For trade professionals, she believes education builds confidence and credibility, along with communication skills and a commercial advantage.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf somebody knows what they\u2019re talking about and displays that confidence, you\u2019re more likely to listen and learn from them.\u201d<\/p>\n

She also argued that education creates a shared language across the global drinks trade.<\/p>\n

\u201cEducation gives you the language to be able to understand and communicate to other people.\u201d<\/p>\n

For consumers, education enhances confidence and enjoyment.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a much nicer experience than looking at a 50-page wine list and wondering where on earth to start.\u201d<\/p>\n

In defence of training during tough times<\/p>\n

When asked about businesses cutting education budgets during difficult market conditions, Brampton offered a clear response.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

She argued that investing in staff development during downturns can create long-term competitive advantages.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the market\u2019s tough, your people knowing what they\u2019re talking about is a competitive advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Training, she said, improves retention, engagement, product knowledge, and sales performance.<\/p>\n

Maintaining standards in a global network<\/p>\n

WSET now operates through nearly 800 providers across more than 100 countries, delivering courses in 15 languages.<\/p>\n

Maintaining consistency across such a large network is a major challenge.<\/p>\n

Brampton stressed that educators must complete WSET qualifications, while providers must include certified teaching staff, and courses are governed by strict quality-control systems.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe course is consistent globally, which is one of its strengths.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the same time, she acknowledged the practical challenges of sourcing benchmark wines in emerging markets.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur providers have to work really hard to get the samples that they need.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking ahead<\/p>\n

Toward the end of the interview, Brampton hinted at future expansion into new educational formats and categories.<\/p>\n

WSET has already added beer qualifications in recent years and is exploring short-form specialist courses, along with bespoke business training, and potentially no- and low-alcohol education.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re open to thinking about new things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ultimately, Brampton said she hopes WSET evolves into more than simply an exam provider.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope it feels like it really makes a difference to the trade,\u201d she said. \u201cThat people see us as a place to come, to share knowledge, to collaborate, and to benefit everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n

In essence, her vision is of WSET as a global educational community \u2013 one that supports the drinks industry from producer to consumer while helping shape its future.<\/p>\n

\"\"The new logo and strapline for WSET
\n\"\"The old logo featuring Ariadne, wife of Dionysus \u2013 the Greek god of wine<\/p>\n

Related news<\/p>\n

\n
\n WSET drops Greek goddess from logo in brand overhaul
\n <\/a>\n <\/p>\n

\n
\n Australia leads as WSET celebrates global Diploma graduates
\n <\/a>\n <\/p>\n

\n
\n WSET beer courses now regulated by Ofqual
\n <\/a>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In an interview last month with the drinks business podcast, Michelle Brampton outlined her vision for the future…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":37178,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[90,171,16133,16134,16135,16136],"class_list":["post-37177","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-brampton","tag-brampton","tag-education","tag-michelle-brampton","tag-wine","tag-wine-spirit-education-trust","tag-wset"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37177","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37177"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37177\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37178"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37177"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37177"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37177"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}