WSET DIPLOMA D3 COMPREHENSIVE
EXAMINATION TEST 2026 COMPLETE
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FULL
SOLUTION EXPERT VERIFIED GRADED A+
⩥ Harvest (for Sparkling wines). Answer: Typically by hand to minimize
phenolic extraction and oxidation
Lower must weights than still wine
⩥ Whole Bunch Pressing. Answer: Gentle extraction with minimal
phenolics
Particularly important for red grapes
Often limited by law
⩥ First Fermentation. Answer: Rapid and warm
Stainless steel most common but oak found
⩥ Blending (assemblage). Answer: Most important part of sparkling
wine production
May include multiple vintages, plots, fermentation styles, varietals
Non-vintage wines aim to produce house style
,⩥ Bottling and tirage. Answer: Approximately 24g sucrose needed
Beet, cane or grape sugars
Specific strains of inoculated yeasts are common
Typically sealed with crown cap (historically cork) and stored
horizontally
⩥ Liqueur de tirage. Answer: mixture of sugar, yeast and yeast nutrients
added to base wine upon bottling
⩥ Second Fermentation. Answer: Slow and cold (around 10 degrees
celcius)
Typically 4-8 weeks
5-6 atmospheres created from CO2 produced
increase of 1.2-1.3% ABV
⩥ Lees aging. Answer: Min 9 months most common
Yeast Autolysis
Creates toasty, bready flavors
Reduces risk of oxidation
Very important factor
⩥ Autolysis. Answer: Destruction of the internal structure of yeast cells
by their own enzymes
,⩥ Riddling. Answer: Gentle movement of the bottle to sur point position
so sediment travels into the neck of the bottle
Facilitates disgorgement
By hand (6 + weeks) or gyropalatte (3 days - matter of hours)
⩥ Disgorging. Answer: Removal of sediment from the neck of a
sparkling wine bottle
By hand or mechanized
Bottle neck frozen in brine solution to create frozen plug ejected
automatically by internal pressure
May be facilitated by addition of bentonite or other substances
⩥ Topping Up and Dosage. Answer: also called Liqueur d'expedition
Blend of wine and sugar to balance the final wine
May also affect color
⩥ Transfer method. Answer: Second fermentation in bottle.
Wine disgorged, filtered, dosed and rebottled under pressure
Common in champagne for unusual sizes (split, jeroboam +)
⩥ Tank Method. Answer: Second fermentation in pressurized tank
AKA Charmat or Martinotti
, Bottled under pressure
May have some aging and lees stirring
Cheaper and faster
⩥ Asti Method. Answer: Variation on tank method
Must stored at 0 degrees Celcius until needed
Fermentation -single fermentation as required
temp raised, CO2 allowed to escape until tank
sealed
Continues until approx 7% ABV and 5-6 bars
Leaves some residual sugar
Filtered under pressure to remove yeast
⩥ Carbonation. Answer: Injection of CO2 gas then bottled under
pressure
Wine must be clear and stable
Cheapest methhod
⩥ Rosé Production - Blending. Answer: Red wine produced and blended
with white base
Must fermented on skins until 6% ABV - then skins removed and
fermentation continues
Minimal tannins
EXAMINATION TEST 2026 COMPLETE
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FULL
SOLUTION EXPERT VERIFIED GRADED A+
⩥ Harvest (for Sparkling wines). Answer: Typically by hand to minimize
phenolic extraction and oxidation
Lower must weights than still wine
⩥ Whole Bunch Pressing. Answer: Gentle extraction with minimal
phenolics
Particularly important for red grapes
Often limited by law
⩥ First Fermentation. Answer: Rapid and warm
Stainless steel most common but oak found
⩥ Blending (assemblage). Answer: Most important part of sparkling
wine production
May include multiple vintages, plots, fermentation styles, varietals
Non-vintage wines aim to produce house style
,⩥ Bottling and tirage. Answer: Approximately 24g sucrose needed
Beet, cane or grape sugars
Specific strains of inoculated yeasts are common
Typically sealed with crown cap (historically cork) and stored
horizontally
⩥ Liqueur de tirage. Answer: mixture of sugar, yeast and yeast nutrients
added to base wine upon bottling
⩥ Second Fermentation. Answer: Slow and cold (around 10 degrees
celcius)
Typically 4-8 weeks
5-6 atmospheres created from CO2 produced
increase of 1.2-1.3% ABV
⩥ Lees aging. Answer: Min 9 months most common
Yeast Autolysis
Creates toasty, bready flavors
Reduces risk of oxidation
Very important factor
⩥ Autolysis. Answer: Destruction of the internal structure of yeast cells
by their own enzymes
,⩥ Riddling. Answer: Gentle movement of the bottle to sur point position
so sediment travels into the neck of the bottle
Facilitates disgorgement
By hand (6 + weeks) or gyropalatte (3 days - matter of hours)
⩥ Disgorging. Answer: Removal of sediment from the neck of a
sparkling wine bottle
By hand or mechanized
Bottle neck frozen in brine solution to create frozen plug ejected
automatically by internal pressure
May be facilitated by addition of bentonite or other substances
⩥ Topping Up and Dosage. Answer: also called Liqueur d'expedition
Blend of wine and sugar to balance the final wine
May also affect color
⩥ Transfer method. Answer: Second fermentation in bottle.
Wine disgorged, filtered, dosed and rebottled under pressure
Common in champagne for unusual sizes (split, jeroboam +)
⩥ Tank Method. Answer: Second fermentation in pressurized tank
AKA Charmat or Martinotti
, Bottled under pressure
May have some aging and lees stirring
Cheaper and faster
⩥ Asti Method. Answer: Variation on tank method
Must stored at 0 degrees Celcius until needed
Fermentation -single fermentation as required
temp raised, CO2 allowed to escape until tank
sealed
Continues until approx 7% ABV and 5-6 bars
Leaves some residual sugar
Filtered under pressure to remove yeast
⩥ Carbonation. Answer: Injection of CO2 gas then bottled under
pressure
Wine must be clear and stable
Cheapest methhod
⩥ Rosé Production - Blending. Answer: Red wine produced and blended
with white base
Must fermented on skins until 6% ABV - then skins removed and
fermentation continues
Minimal tannins
