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WSET Level 3 Award in Wines QUESTIONS AND
DETAILED SOLUTIONS JUST RELEASED
WSET Level 3 Award in Wines.
POINT-FORM SUMMARY OF EXAM COVERAGE (WSET Level 3)
Viticulture: The vine, grape varieties, clones, and the vine growth cycle (dormancy to ripening)
Natural Factors: Climate (cool/moderate/warm/hot, continental/maritime/Mediterranean), weather,
soil, aspect, latitude, altitude
Human Factors in Vineyard: Vine training, pruning, irrigation, frost protection, canopy management,
organic/biodynamic/conventional approaches
Human Factors in Winery: Fermentation vessels (oak, stainless steel, concrete), temperature control,
maceration techniques, pressing
White Winemaking: Crushing, pressing, settling, fermentation temp choices, skin contact, lees aging
Red Winemaking: Destemming, crushing, pre-fermentation extraction, punch-downs/pump-overs,
extended maceration, malolactic conversion
Rosé Methods: Direct pressing, short maceration, blending (where permitted)
Sweet Wines: Interrupting fermentation, adding sweetener, concentrating sugars (noble rot, drying,
freezing)
Oak Aging: Species (French/American), toast level, barrel size, new vs used, alternatives (staves, chips)
Sparkling Wine Methods: Traditional method (Champagne), tank method (Prosecco), transfer method,
ancestral method
Fortified Wines: Sherry (solera, flor, biological/oxidative aging), Port (traditional, single quinta, LBV,
tawny), Muscat (VDN, Rutherglen)
Principal Grape Varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc,
Riesling, Syrah/Shiraz, Grenache, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Tempranillo
France: Bordeaux, Burgundy (Côte d’Or, Chablis, Beaujolais), Rhône (Northern/Southern), Loire, Alsace,
Champagne, Southern France
Italy: Regions and key wines (Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello, Chianti, Amarone, Prosecco)
Spain: Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Priorat, Sherry, Cava
Germany: Riesling styles (Kabinett to Trockenbeerenauslese), Pradikat system, Grosses Gewächs
New World: USA (California, Oregon, Washington), Australia (Barossa, Margaret River, Clare/Eden
Valley), New Zealand (Marlborough, Central Otago), South Africa (Stellenbosch, Constantia), Chile,
Argentina
Wine Tasting (SAT): Appearance, nose, palate, quality assessment, readiness for drinking
Law & Commerce: Label terminology (AOC, DOCG, AVA, GI), classification systems, pricing factors
Storage & Service: Ideal conditions, decanting, temperature, glassware
1. A winemaker using the traditional method for sparkling wine adds a mixture of wine, sugar, and yeast
to the base wine. What is this mixture called?
A) Dosage
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B) Liqueur de tirage
C) Liqueur d’expédition
D) Cuvée
Answer: B – Liqueur de tirage initiates the second fermentation in bottle. Dosage is added after
disgorgement .
2. In which French wine region would you expect to find red wines dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon
blended with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot?
A) Côte d’Or
B) Châteauneuf-du-Pape
C) Bordeaux (Left Bank)
D) Côtes du Rhône
Answer: C – Left Bank Bordeaux (Médoc, Graves) is Cabernet-dominant; Right Bank is Merlot-dominant .
3. A wine labeled “Grosses Gewächs” (GG) from Germany must be made from what quality level of
grapes, according to the VDP classification?
A) Kabinett
B) Spätlese
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C) Auslese
D) Dry wine from Erstes Gewächs (or GG) sites
Answer: D – Grosses Gewächs are dry wines from top vineyard sites (VDP classification), typically at
Spätlese/Auslese ripeness.
4. Which of the following is the key natural factor that distinguishes the vineyards of Hermitage
(Northern Rhône) from those of Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Southern Rhône)?
A) Soil is primarily limestone in Hermitage, clay in Châteauneuf
B) Hermitage is continental with steeper slopes; Châteauneuf is Mediterranean with galets roulés
C) Châteauneuf has higher altitude than Hermitage
D) Hermitage uses only stainless steel fermentation
Answer: B – Northern Rhône (Hermitage) has continental climate and steep granite/limestone slopes;
Southern Rhône (Châteauneuf) is Mediterranean with distinctive galets (stones) .
5. What is the primary role of malolactic conversion (MLC) in white winemaking?
A) To increase alcohol content
B) To add bubbles
C) To reduce acidity and add buttery/creamy notes
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D) To remove tannins
Answer: C – MLC converts malic acid (harsh) to softer lactic acid, often adding diacetyl (buttery) notes,
especially in Chardonnay .
6. Which of the following sparkling wine production methods involves a secondary fermentation in the
same bottle as the final sale, without disgorgement, and typically does not have added dosage?
A) Traditional method
B) Ancestral method (Méthode Ancestrale)
C) Tank method (Charmat)
D) Transfer method
Answer: B – Ancestral method (pétillant naturel) traps the CO₂ from the first fermentation, bottled
before completion. Lees are not removed .
7. A wine labeled “Vin Santo” from Tuscany is typically made using which grape-drying technique?
A) Noble rot (Botrytis cinerea)
B) Freezing grapes on the vine (Eiswein)
C) Drying grapes on straw mats (appassimento) after harvest
D) Fortification during fermentation
WSET Level 3 Award in Wines QUESTIONS AND
DETAILED SOLUTIONS JUST RELEASED
WSET Level 3 Award in Wines.
POINT-FORM SUMMARY OF EXAM COVERAGE (WSET Level 3)
Viticulture: The vine, grape varieties, clones, and the vine growth cycle (dormancy to ripening)
Natural Factors: Climate (cool/moderate/warm/hot, continental/maritime/Mediterranean), weather,
soil, aspect, latitude, altitude
Human Factors in Vineyard: Vine training, pruning, irrigation, frost protection, canopy management,
organic/biodynamic/conventional approaches
Human Factors in Winery: Fermentation vessels (oak, stainless steel, concrete), temperature control,
maceration techniques, pressing
White Winemaking: Crushing, pressing, settling, fermentation temp choices, skin contact, lees aging
Red Winemaking: Destemming, crushing, pre-fermentation extraction, punch-downs/pump-overs,
extended maceration, malolactic conversion
Rosé Methods: Direct pressing, short maceration, blending (where permitted)
Sweet Wines: Interrupting fermentation, adding sweetener, concentrating sugars (noble rot, drying,
freezing)
Oak Aging: Species (French/American), toast level, barrel size, new vs used, alternatives (staves, chips)
Sparkling Wine Methods: Traditional method (Champagne), tank method (Prosecco), transfer method,
ancestral method
Fortified Wines: Sherry (solera, flor, biological/oxidative aging), Port (traditional, single quinta, LBV,
tawny), Muscat (VDN, Rutherglen)
Principal Grape Varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc,
Riesling, Syrah/Shiraz, Grenache, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Tempranillo
France: Bordeaux, Burgundy (Côte d’Or, Chablis, Beaujolais), Rhône (Northern/Southern), Loire, Alsace,
Champagne, Southern France
Italy: Regions and key wines (Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello, Chianti, Amarone, Prosecco)
Spain: Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Priorat, Sherry, Cava
Germany: Riesling styles (Kabinett to Trockenbeerenauslese), Pradikat system, Grosses Gewächs
New World: USA (California, Oregon, Washington), Australia (Barossa, Margaret River, Clare/Eden
Valley), New Zealand (Marlborough, Central Otago), South Africa (Stellenbosch, Constantia), Chile,
Argentina
Wine Tasting (SAT): Appearance, nose, palate, quality assessment, readiness for drinking
Law & Commerce: Label terminology (AOC, DOCG, AVA, GI), classification systems, pricing factors
Storage & Service: Ideal conditions, decanting, temperature, glassware
1. A winemaker using the traditional method for sparkling wine adds a mixture of wine, sugar, and yeast
to the base wine. What is this mixture called?
A) Dosage
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B) Liqueur de tirage
C) Liqueur d’expédition
D) Cuvée
Answer: B – Liqueur de tirage initiates the second fermentation in bottle. Dosage is added after
disgorgement .
2. In which French wine region would you expect to find red wines dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon
blended with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot?
A) Côte d’Or
B) Châteauneuf-du-Pape
C) Bordeaux (Left Bank)
D) Côtes du Rhône
Answer: C – Left Bank Bordeaux (Médoc, Graves) is Cabernet-dominant; Right Bank is Merlot-dominant .
3. A wine labeled “Grosses Gewächs” (GG) from Germany must be made from what quality level of
grapes, according to the VDP classification?
A) Kabinett
B) Spätlese
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C) Auslese
D) Dry wine from Erstes Gewächs (or GG) sites
Answer: D – Grosses Gewächs are dry wines from top vineyard sites (VDP classification), typically at
Spätlese/Auslese ripeness.
4. Which of the following is the key natural factor that distinguishes the vineyards of Hermitage
(Northern Rhône) from those of Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Southern Rhône)?
A) Soil is primarily limestone in Hermitage, clay in Châteauneuf
B) Hermitage is continental with steeper slopes; Châteauneuf is Mediterranean with galets roulés
C) Châteauneuf has higher altitude than Hermitage
D) Hermitage uses only stainless steel fermentation
Answer: B – Northern Rhône (Hermitage) has continental climate and steep granite/limestone slopes;
Southern Rhône (Châteauneuf) is Mediterranean with distinctive galets (stones) .
5. What is the primary role of malolactic conversion (MLC) in white winemaking?
A) To increase alcohol content
B) To add bubbles
C) To reduce acidity and add buttery/creamy notes
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D) To remove tannins
Answer: C – MLC converts malic acid (harsh) to softer lactic acid, often adding diacetyl (buttery) notes,
especially in Chardonnay .
6. Which of the following sparkling wine production methods involves a secondary fermentation in the
same bottle as the final sale, without disgorgement, and typically does not have added dosage?
A) Traditional method
B) Ancestral method (Méthode Ancestrale)
C) Tank method (Charmat)
D) Transfer method
Answer: B – Ancestral method (pétillant naturel) traps the CO₂ from the first fermentation, bottled
before completion. Lees are not removed .
7. A wine labeled “Vin Santo” from Tuscany is typically made using which grape-drying technique?
A) Noble rot (Botrytis cinerea)
B) Freezing grapes on the vine (Eiswein)
C) Drying grapes on straw mats (appassimento) after harvest
D) Fortification during fermentation
