How Fells boosted employee engagement with WSET training

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As one of the UK’s leading fine wine distributors, Fells prides itself on representing exceptional, family-owned producers.

To ensure every employee felt confident discussing and engaging with its portfolio, Fells partnered with WSET to deliver tailored wine training that brought teams together and embedded wine knowledge across the business.

 

As one of the largest Napa Valley growers, they produce luxury grapes in 10 American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) and supply a leading portfolio of iconic American brands across the Americas. To support their sales teams and hospitality professionals in confidently communicting the story behind every bottle, they partnered with WSET to roll out a structured, scalable education programme.

 

The challenge

Historically, WSET qualifications were offered mainly to staff in sales or brand management roles where wine knowledge was essential. Fells wanted to make training more inclusive by offering all staff the chance to complete the WSET Level 1 Award in Wines, tailoring the course with tasting samples from the Fells portfolio. The goal was to increase engagement, broaden wine knowledge across departments, and create a stronger sense of connection to the company’s brands.

"It gave me a whole new understanding of wine, and I would highly recommend this class for any wine lovers or budding wine professionals. It has certainly inspired my thirst for Level 2!"

Alanah Juraszek, Financial Controller

The solution

Fells partnered with WSET School London to deliver two customised Level 1 Award in Wines courses at their head office. Holding the sessions on-site during working hours removed travel costs and scheduling barriers, ensuring maximum convenience for staff. WSET educators tailored the experience by incorporating wines from Fells’ own portfolio into the tasting exercises, giving employees practical knowledge of the products they work with. This approach not only enhanced the learning experience but also led to an increased understanding of the company’s wines.

Fells tasting

"I thoroughly enjoyed the WSET Level 1 training; it was an engaging and enriching experience that deepened my appreciation for wine while building a solid foundation of knowledge!”

James Wootton, Systems Manager

HHR Profile Test, QA Lead

The results

  • 62% of Fells employees are now WSET trained and qualified
  • Many participants included further WSET study as an objective in their appraisals
  • Wine understanding improved significantly among the finance and operations teams, which led to enhanced cross-collaboration between departments
  • There was a “palpable buzz” in the office during the training, with staff sharing insights and expressing enthusiasm for further learning
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