The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) has unveiled its biggest rebrand in decades, retiring its long-standing wine-glass-holding “goddess” logo in favour of a cleaner, more corporate identity, a move that has already sparked criticism across social media from wine professionals and students.
At its flagship graduation ceremony on April 27, the London-based drinks education body introduced a redesigned logo, updated student pins and a new slogan: “Global Drinks Education.”
The most dramatic change was the removal of “Ariadne,” the Greek mythological figure that had appeared in WSET’s branding for years holding a wine glass inside the organisation’s signature oval emblem. The new design strips the logo back to a simplified oval containing only the “WSET” lettering, while also downplaying the full “Wine & Spirit Education Trust” name in favour of the shorter and more globally recognisable “WSET” brand.
The redesign marks a clear shift away from WSET’s traditional academic and institutional image toward a more digital-first and globally positioned identity — one that the organisation says better reflects its expansion beyond wine into spirits, beer and sake education.
WSET Chief Executive Michelle Brampton said the rebrand reflects both the organisation’s evolution and its future ambitions.
“Our revitalised brand goes beyond how we look, reflecting how WSET has evolved and where we’re heading,” Brampton said. “We’re driven by our updated purpose – to empower people and support the drinks industry from producer to consumer.”
“We’re proud of our brand heritage and have retained key elements, while adapting them to better reflect a truly global organisation that is inclusive, forward-looking and closely aligned with the needs of a growing worldwide community of students, educators and the wider industry,” she added.
In a separate media interview, Brampton acknowledged that WSET’s previous branding had become too heavily associated with wine.
“The old imagery made us look quite wine-centric,” she said. “We needed something that better represents the full range of what we do.”
But the new look quickly drew some backlash online, particularly from students and industry professionals who argued the redesign stripped away much of WSET’s heritage, authority and prestige.
Some critics described the new identity as overly corporate and indistinguishable from a technology startup brand. On Reddit, one highly upvoted comment lamented that the redesign had erased the sense of history and pedigree once associated with the qualification.
“The WSET used to carry a certain weight. Part of the allure of taking those exams was the history and the pedigree. The old branding felt academic, established, and global. Now? It’s been completely ‘blue-washed’,” one user wrote.
Another commenter argued that, in prioritising accessibility and digital-first branding, WSET risked diluting its authority. “The depth of knowledge required to maintain authority across multiple categories risks dilution if not carefully managed,” wrote Monika Bielka-Vescovi, Founder of Napa Wine Class.
Alongside the new branding, WSET also introduced redesigned student pins made from more sustainable materials. The updated system uses colour coding to distinguish qualification levels — bronze for Level 1, silver for Level 2, gold for Level 3 and black for Level 4 — while incorporating visual references to different drinks categories.
Founded in London in 1969, WSET was originally established by the UK wine and spirits trade as an industry training body. Over the decades, it evolved into one of the world’s most recognised drinks education systems, expanding from wine and spirits into sake and beer education.
Today, WSET qualifications are offered in more than 70 countries and regions through over 800 approved programme providers, with courses available in 15 languages.
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