Introducing WSET and WSG Qualifications

WSET provides best-in-class education and qualifications to inspire and empower the world’s wine and spirits professionals and enthusiasts. We offer a comprehensive suite of qualifications covering wines and spirits.

WSET qualifications are globally recognised as the international standard in wine and spirit knowledge. They are designed for those who are just starting out in their careers, as well as established professionals, and the many enthusiasts who have a passion for wines and spirits.

The Tasting Class is an approved provider of WSET’s best-in-class education and qualifications, inspiring and empowering the world’s beverage professionals and enthusiasts. We are proud to introduce certifications on behalf of the Wine Scholar Guild to our portfolio.

The Tasting Class launched the first course under the Wine Scholar Guild which is the Spanish Wine Scholar program. The Spanish Wine Scholar™ education program is the most advanced and comprehensive certification course on the wines of Spain. The course takes a regional approach and discusses all Spanish wine appellations and the factors that shape them. The Spanish Wine Scholar study and certification program is ideal for wine enthusiasts and professionals. With a school network encompassing 30 countries on 5 continents, the SWG credential has true international recognition. Pursue your wine passion and specialize in the wines of Spain!

The French and Italian Program’s will be launched in 2023!

The Tasting Class is an approved provider of WSET’s best-in-class education and qualifications, inspiring and empower the world’s beverage professionals and enthusiasts.

Founded in 2017 by our fearless CEO, Lindsay Trivers, The Tasting Class has fast become the reputable leader in wine education across the Middle East.

In addition to delivering WSET Qualifications for students across GCC, you can find our team delivering a number of bespoke tasting experiences such as:

  • Home Tastings - invite friends and family over to your place and be inspired as you upskill your knowledge and expertise on all things grape.

  • Public Events - delivering 150+ events annually for 10,000+ happy customers. Attend an event yourself, or enquire how we can help your venue create unforgettable experiences.

  • UAE Vine Festival - hosting the region’s first nationwide wine festival. Our last two festivals sold out in weeks and we have big plans in the pipeline for the next one!

We also offer food consultancy, specialising in training & education, product & menu development, concept management & development as well as turn-key solutions for food businesses.

Meet the Team

  • Lindsay Trivers

    The Tasting class is led by Lindsay Trivers, a wine professional whose beverage and hospitality service experience spans five continents. Lindsay holds qualifications with The Wine & Spirit Education Trust, The Court of Master Sommeliers, Auckland University of Technology, and also studied in Belgium under Master Beer Sommelier, Sofie Vanraflegehm.

  • Joe Mattar

    Bitten by the wine bug back in 2014 while sitting in a small wine farm in South Africa, Joe now finds himself encapsulated in the world of wine. After successfully navigating WSET L3 Joe now teaches the WSET programme in the UAE and is studying for his WSET Diploma. An avid traveler, Joe has visited wine regions in Hungry, German, Spain, the US, South Africa, Italy and the UK.

  • Amin El Aissami

    After tasting his first white Burgundy, Amin decided he wanted to explore the world of wine entirely, corks and labels included. A chemical engineer by trade, Amin is a graduate of The Wine & Spirits Education Trust Advanced wine program and a Wine Educator with The Tasting Class. Amin has been living in the UAE for the past three years, he is Venezuelan of Lebanese descent.

  • David Noakes

    A chance encounter with Kevin Zraly's Windows On The World in 2017 hooked David into the world of wine. After expanding his wine repertoire and attending tasting events he stepped up his wine game by completing levels 2, 3 and 4 of the WSET qualifications, and he now proudly calls himself a diploma holder, one of only 10,000 in the world. He likes nothing more than spending time in the vineyards with a glass of wine in hand.

  • Núria Frau Trullen

    Núria completed her WSET Diploma in 2009 in London. She is a Certified Educator teaching Levels 1,2 and 3. Surrounded by wine most of her life, Núria is a passionate Sommelier from Germany. Born in Spain, food & wine was a massive influence in her upbringing. This, coupled with an innate  curiosity for epicurean experiences, led to a deep exploration of the world of wine taking her to  the most celebrated gastronomic capitals of the world; Paris, London, New York, Berlin, and Barcelona, where she honed her skills as a wine professional.

Keen to Join Our Team?

As our business grows and expands we’re always on the lookout for educators we can add to our team of freelancers. If you’re a passionate beverage professional who has completed WSET Level 3 or higher, drop us a message below. We’d love to hear from you.