WSET LEVEL 2 UPDATED MAIN EXAMS SET QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS MARKED A+
✔✔What is the minimum legal period of yeast autolysis? - ✔✔15 months
✔✔What are Grandes Marques? - ✔✔famous Champagne houses
✔✔Describe Vintage Champagne - ✔✔Complex, intense fruity and autolytic flavors with
vegetal, nutty or honeyed complexity from bottle age.
✔✔What is Cremant? - ✔✔Indicates sparkling wine made using the traditional method.
The Loire / Saumur is a major region for production. (Chenin Blanc)
✔✔Where in the Loire Valley is Cremant made? - ✔✔Saumur, where Chenin Blanc is
the main grape variety. It has high acidity, green and citrus fruit flavors, with some
autolytic character.
✔✔What is Cava? - ✔✔Spanish term for traditional-method sparkling wines. The main
grape varieties are local Spanish ones.
✔✔What are Cava's characteristics? - ✔✔Fairly neutral fruit flavors, hint of pear,
medium acidity, and very little autolytic complexity
✔✔Characteristics of Sparkling Reds in Australia? - ✔✔made with Shiraz, full bodied,
with medium acidity, and intense black and red berry fruit notes.
✔✔What are 3 ways for yeast to stop processing sugar into alcohol? - ✔✔1. Remove
yeast, using a fine filter to ensure none remain
2.Yeast could be poisoned using sulfur dioxide
3. Fortify (add alcohol) during fermentation
✔✔What are Vin Doux Naturels? - ✔✔Sweet fortified wines from Southern France such
as:
Muscat de Beaumes de Venise
Muscat de Rivesaltes
✔✔What are characterisitcs of Muscat de Beaumes de Venise and Muscat de
Rivesaltes? - ✔✔unaged, intense fruity aromas (grape, peach, perfume). Medium/full-
bodied, and sweet, with high alcohol and medium or low acidity
✔✔Where is Moscatel de Valencia from? - ✔✔Spain
✔✔Where is Rutherglen Muscat from? - ✔✔Northern Victoria, Australia
,✔✔What are the tasting notes for Rutherglen Muscat? - ✔✔Aged for a long period in
oak, which oxydizes. Dried fruit and kernel flavors (raisin, prune, fig, dried apricot,
coffee, toffee). Sweet, full bodied, with high alcohol and med or low acidity
✔✔What is süssreserve? - ✔✔unfermented grape juice, used to sweeten medium or
sweet German wines
✔✔When do yeasts die? - ✔✔When alcohol reaches 15%
✔✔What are 3 ways to concentrate sugar in grapes? - ✔✔1. Dry the grapes
2. Noble Rot
3. Freeze the grapes
✔✔How are grapes dried? - ✔✔They shrivel on the vine, or are laid out in well-
ventilated, dry spaces that encourage evaporation.
✔✔What is Botrytis cinerea? - ✔✔Noble rot, it attacks the skins, weakens skins,
speeding up evaporation of water. The mold adds its own unique flavors
✔✔What does Botrytis need? - ✔✔ripe, healthy grapes, damp, misty mornings, warm
dry afternoons to speed the drying out of the grapes
✔✔Which grape varieties are susceptible to noble rot? - ✔✔Semillon, Riesling, Chenin
Blanc
✔✔What are tasting notes of botrytis wines? - ✔✔dried apricots, ryebread, pineapple,
sweet biscuit, cabbage, orange marmalade, pineapple, mushroom
✔✔Describe Sauternes - ✔✔region south of Graves AC in Bordeaux. Semillon is the
main grape variety. Full bodied wines have high alcohol and citrus stone fruit and
botrytis flavor (lemon, peach). Hint of new oak: vanilla, toast, coffee.
✔✔What is Tokaji? - ✔✔wine from NE Hungary, the most famous are Tokaji Aszú.
✔✔What are puttonyos? - ✔✔Level of sweetness in the wine. The sweetest is 6.
✔✔Describe Tokaji - ✔✔Amber in color, full bodied, sweet, medium alcohol, dried fruits,
sweet spices (orange peel, orange marmalade, dried apricots, raisins, cinnamon,
ryebread). With age, gain notes of nut, coffee, caramel, and honey
✔✔True or False: In order to be classified as a BA or a TBA, the levels of sugar in the
most are so high that they can normally be achieved with the help of botrytis. - ✔✔True
, ✔✔Where can botrytis affected sweet wines be made in the Loire, and what grape
varietal? - ✔✔Vouvray AC; Chenin Blanc
✔✔Which Alsacatian grape varietals can be affected by botrytis? - ✔✔Riesling,
Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat
✔✔Which Australian grape varietals can be affected by botrytis? - ✔✔Semillon; Riesling
✔✔What is Eiswein? - ✔✔Sweet wine that is made from grapes crushed while still
frozen so that ice crystals can be removed, leaving an intensely concentrated sugary
grape syrup.
✔✔What are the characteristics of Eiswein? - ✔✔pure, pronounced, varietal-fruity
flavors, high acidity, full body and syrupy sweetness.
✔✔Where is Eiswein made? - ✔✔Canada, Germany, Austria
✔✔What do healthy grapes need? - ✔✔CO2, Sunlight, water, warmth, and nutrients
✔✔What is climate? - ✔✔Weather conditions (temperatures, rainfall, sunshine)
✔✔What do Hot Climate Grape Wines have? - ✔✔more alcohol, fuller body, more
tannin, less acidity
✔✔What do cool climate grape wines have? - ✔✔less alcohol, lighter body, less tannin,
more acidity
✔✔What tasting notes does a chardonnay have in a cool climate? - ✔✔Green fruit
(apple, pear), citrus, high acidity, dry
✔✔What tasting notes does a chardonnay have in a moderate climate? - ✔✔Citrus,
stone fruit, melon, med/high acidity, dry
✔✔What are tasting notes does a chardonnay have in a hot climate? - ✔✔Tropical fruit
(peach, banana, pineapple, mango), medium acidity, dry
✔✔What are Chardonnay's Classical Regions? - ✔✔Chablis, Puligny-Montrachet,
Mersault, Mâcon, Pouilly-Fuisse
✔✔What is the purpose for Malolactic Fermentation? - ✔✔To soften harsh acids.
Comes from wine-making techniques, dairy flavor
✔✔What are lees? - ✔✔dead yeast cells left behind after fermentation has finished.
AND ANSWERS MARKED A+
✔✔What is the minimum legal period of yeast autolysis? - ✔✔15 months
✔✔What are Grandes Marques? - ✔✔famous Champagne houses
✔✔Describe Vintage Champagne - ✔✔Complex, intense fruity and autolytic flavors with
vegetal, nutty or honeyed complexity from bottle age.
✔✔What is Cremant? - ✔✔Indicates sparkling wine made using the traditional method.
The Loire / Saumur is a major region for production. (Chenin Blanc)
✔✔Where in the Loire Valley is Cremant made? - ✔✔Saumur, where Chenin Blanc is
the main grape variety. It has high acidity, green and citrus fruit flavors, with some
autolytic character.
✔✔What is Cava? - ✔✔Spanish term for traditional-method sparkling wines. The main
grape varieties are local Spanish ones.
✔✔What are Cava's characteristics? - ✔✔Fairly neutral fruit flavors, hint of pear,
medium acidity, and very little autolytic complexity
✔✔Characteristics of Sparkling Reds in Australia? - ✔✔made with Shiraz, full bodied,
with medium acidity, and intense black and red berry fruit notes.
✔✔What are 3 ways for yeast to stop processing sugar into alcohol? - ✔✔1. Remove
yeast, using a fine filter to ensure none remain
2.Yeast could be poisoned using sulfur dioxide
3. Fortify (add alcohol) during fermentation
✔✔What are Vin Doux Naturels? - ✔✔Sweet fortified wines from Southern France such
as:
Muscat de Beaumes de Venise
Muscat de Rivesaltes
✔✔What are characterisitcs of Muscat de Beaumes de Venise and Muscat de
Rivesaltes? - ✔✔unaged, intense fruity aromas (grape, peach, perfume). Medium/full-
bodied, and sweet, with high alcohol and medium or low acidity
✔✔Where is Moscatel de Valencia from? - ✔✔Spain
✔✔Where is Rutherglen Muscat from? - ✔✔Northern Victoria, Australia
,✔✔What are the tasting notes for Rutherglen Muscat? - ✔✔Aged for a long period in
oak, which oxydizes. Dried fruit and kernel flavors (raisin, prune, fig, dried apricot,
coffee, toffee). Sweet, full bodied, with high alcohol and med or low acidity
✔✔What is süssreserve? - ✔✔unfermented grape juice, used to sweeten medium or
sweet German wines
✔✔When do yeasts die? - ✔✔When alcohol reaches 15%
✔✔What are 3 ways to concentrate sugar in grapes? - ✔✔1. Dry the grapes
2. Noble Rot
3. Freeze the grapes
✔✔How are grapes dried? - ✔✔They shrivel on the vine, or are laid out in well-
ventilated, dry spaces that encourage evaporation.
✔✔What is Botrytis cinerea? - ✔✔Noble rot, it attacks the skins, weakens skins,
speeding up evaporation of water. The mold adds its own unique flavors
✔✔What does Botrytis need? - ✔✔ripe, healthy grapes, damp, misty mornings, warm
dry afternoons to speed the drying out of the grapes
✔✔Which grape varieties are susceptible to noble rot? - ✔✔Semillon, Riesling, Chenin
Blanc
✔✔What are tasting notes of botrytis wines? - ✔✔dried apricots, ryebread, pineapple,
sweet biscuit, cabbage, orange marmalade, pineapple, mushroom
✔✔Describe Sauternes - ✔✔region south of Graves AC in Bordeaux. Semillon is the
main grape variety. Full bodied wines have high alcohol and citrus stone fruit and
botrytis flavor (lemon, peach). Hint of new oak: vanilla, toast, coffee.
✔✔What is Tokaji? - ✔✔wine from NE Hungary, the most famous are Tokaji Aszú.
✔✔What are puttonyos? - ✔✔Level of sweetness in the wine. The sweetest is 6.
✔✔Describe Tokaji - ✔✔Amber in color, full bodied, sweet, medium alcohol, dried fruits,
sweet spices (orange peel, orange marmalade, dried apricots, raisins, cinnamon,
ryebread). With age, gain notes of nut, coffee, caramel, and honey
✔✔True or False: In order to be classified as a BA or a TBA, the levels of sugar in the
most are so high that they can normally be achieved with the help of botrytis. - ✔✔True
, ✔✔Where can botrytis affected sweet wines be made in the Loire, and what grape
varietal? - ✔✔Vouvray AC; Chenin Blanc
✔✔Which Alsacatian grape varietals can be affected by botrytis? - ✔✔Riesling,
Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat
✔✔Which Australian grape varietals can be affected by botrytis? - ✔✔Semillon; Riesling
✔✔What is Eiswein? - ✔✔Sweet wine that is made from grapes crushed while still
frozen so that ice crystals can be removed, leaving an intensely concentrated sugary
grape syrup.
✔✔What are the characteristics of Eiswein? - ✔✔pure, pronounced, varietal-fruity
flavors, high acidity, full body and syrupy sweetness.
✔✔Where is Eiswein made? - ✔✔Canada, Germany, Austria
✔✔What do healthy grapes need? - ✔✔CO2, Sunlight, water, warmth, and nutrients
✔✔What is climate? - ✔✔Weather conditions (temperatures, rainfall, sunshine)
✔✔What do Hot Climate Grape Wines have? - ✔✔more alcohol, fuller body, more
tannin, less acidity
✔✔What do cool climate grape wines have? - ✔✔less alcohol, lighter body, less tannin,
more acidity
✔✔What tasting notes does a chardonnay have in a cool climate? - ✔✔Green fruit
(apple, pear), citrus, high acidity, dry
✔✔What tasting notes does a chardonnay have in a moderate climate? - ✔✔Citrus,
stone fruit, melon, med/high acidity, dry
✔✔What are tasting notes does a chardonnay have in a hot climate? - ✔✔Tropical fruit
(peach, banana, pineapple, mango), medium acidity, dry
✔✔What are Chardonnay's Classical Regions? - ✔✔Chablis, Puligny-Montrachet,
Mersault, Mâcon, Pouilly-Fuisse
✔✔What is the purpose for Malolactic Fermentation? - ✔✔To soften harsh acids.
Comes from wine-making techniques, dairy flavor
✔✔What are lees? - ✔✔dead yeast cells left behind after fermentation has finished.
