WSET Level 2 Exam Flashcards

Q: How many questions are on the WSET Level 2 exam and what is the pass mark?

The WSET Level 2 exam is a one-hour, closed-book test with 50 multiple-choice questions, each worth one mark with no negative marking. A mark of 55-69% earns a Pass (at least 28 of 50 correct), 70-84% earns Pass with Merit, and 85% or higher earns Pass with Distinction. Marks of 45-54% are an unclassified fail and 44% or below is a fail.

Q: What are the 8 principal grape varieties at WSET Level 2?

The eight principal grape varieties are four whites - Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris, and Riesling - and four reds - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Syrah/Shiraz. Together they make up the largest single portion of the exam, at roughly 38% of the marks, so mastering their climate, style, and regional profiles pays off the most.

Q: Is there a waiting period to retake the WSET Level 2 exam if I fail?

WSET does not publish a fixed, exam-wide waiting period in days. You can only book a resit after officially receiving a Fail result, and the resit itself is scheduled and invigilated by your WSET Approved Programme Provider (APP), whose own booking calendar typically requires a couple of weeks' notice. Course access with most APPs runs for about 12 months from the start date, after which a new exam fee applies.

Q: Does WSET Level 2 include a tasting exam?

No. The WSET Level 2 assessment is entirely written - 50 multiple-choice questions with no tasting component. Tasting is still central to the course itself (candidates taste a minimum of 43 wines while learning), and it teaches the vocabulary used in the exam's descriptive questions, but no wine is tasted or judged during the actual test. A blind tasting paper is first introduced at WSET Level 3.

Q: What is the difference between Pass, Merit, and Distinction at WSET Level 2?

All three are passing grades on the same 50-question exam, differentiated only by score: Pass is 55-69% correct, Merit is 70-84% correct, and Distinction is 85% or higher. There is no separate, harder exam for higher grades - the classification simply reflects how many of the 50 questions you answered correctly.

Q: How long does it take to study for WSET Level 2?

The official Total Qualification Time is 28 hours: 16 hours of instructor-led classroom or online teaching, 1 hour for the exam itself, and 11 hours of recommended private study. Most candidates spread this over 3-6 weeks, with extra self-study time focused on the principal grape varieties (38% of the exam) and regional varieties and wines (24%).

Q: Do I need to pass WSET Level 1 before taking Level 2?

No, WSET Level 1 is not a prerequisite for Level 2 and there are no formal entry requirements at all. Candidates with some existing wine knowledge often enroll directly in Level 2, though Level 1's introduction to grape growing, winemaking, and tasting vocabulary can make the jump into Level 2's greater depth easier.

Question 1

Cool climate vs. warm climate: effect on grapes

Accepted Answer

Cool climates give grapes more time to develop acidity relative to sugar, producing wines with higher acidity, lighter body, lower alcohol, and tart fruit character. Warm climates ripen grapes faster and fuller, producing riper fruit flavors, higher sugar/alcohol, lower acidity, and fuller body.

Question 2

Maritime vs. continental climate

Accepted Answer

Maritime climates (near a large body of water, e.g. Bordeaux) have a narrower range between summer/winter and day/night temperatures, plus more rainfall risk. Continental climates (inland, e.g. Mendoza's high plains or Burgundy's interior) see wider temperature swings and are more prone to frost and heat extremes.

Question 3

Effect of altitude on grape growing

Accepted Answer

Temperature drops roughly 0.6C for every 100m of elevation gain, so high-altitude vineyards (e.g. Salta, Argentina; Ribera del Duero, Spain) stay cooler than their latitude alone would suggest. Altitude also widens the diurnal temperature range, helping grapes retain acidity while still ripening.

Question 4

Why does slope aspect matter for site selection?

Accepted Answer

In the Northern Hemisphere, south-facing slopes catch more direct sunlight and are warmer, which helps ripen grapes in cool, marginal climates. Slopes also improve water drainage and let cold air drain away from vines, reducing frost risk compared to flat, low-lying sites.

Question 5

What does a vine need to ripen grapes well?

Accepted Answer

Vines need sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis (sugar production), adequate warmth to drive ripening, a moderate and well-timed water supply (some water stress can concentrate flavor, but drought harms yield), and balanced vigor so the canopy is not overly shaded or overly exposed.

Question 6

Malolactic conversion (MLF)

Accepted Answer

A bacterial process that converts sharp malic acid into softer lactic acid plus CO2, lowering perceived acidity and adding buttery/creamy (diacetyl) notes. Common in reds and richer, oaked whites like Californian Chardonnay; usually blocked in aromatic whites like Riesling to preserve freshness.

Question 7

Effect of oak aging on wine

Accepted Answer

Oak contact adds flavors of vanilla, toast, spice, and clove, and allows slow micro-oxygenation that softens tannins and stabilizes color. New oak barrels impart much stronger flavor than old, neutral oak. American oak tends toward overt coconut/vanilla; French oak gives subtler spice notes.

Question 8

Lees aging (sur lie)

Accepted Answer

Aging wine in contact with the dead yeast cells left after fermentation, which adds body, texture, and creamy or biscuity/bready notes while also protecting the wine from oxidation. Classic examples include Muscadet sur lie, unoaked Chardonnay, and traditional-method sparkling wines like Champagne.

Question 9

What makes a wine age-worthy in the bottle?

Accepted Answer

Wines with higher levels of tannin, acidity, sugar, or alcohol have the structural components to age longer without falling apart. As a wine matures, fresh primary fruit aromas fade and are replaced by tertiary aromas such as dried fruit, leather, nuttiness, or honeyed notes.

Question 10

Chardonnay: how climate shapes style

Accepted Answer

Chardonnay is a neutral, highly adaptable grape. In cool climates (Chablis, Champagne) it makes lean, high-acid wines with green apple and citrus notes. In warm climates (California, Australia) it ripens into tropical fruit flavors (pineapple, mango) with fuller body, often softened by oak and MLF.

Question 11

Chardonnay: key benchmark regions

Accepted Answer

Chablis (northern Burgundy) makes lean, unoaked, high-acid, steely/mineral Chardonnay. Cote de Beaune (southern Burgundy) makes oaked, medium-to-full-bodied styles. California and Australia typically produce riper, fuller, often buttery, oak-influenced examples.

Question 12

Sauvignon Blanc: Loire Valley (Sancerre) style

Accepted Answer

Unoaked, high acidity, light-to-medium body and alcohol. Aromas lean green and herbaceous: green apple, gooseberry, blackcurrant leaf, and grassy notes. Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume are the classic benchmark appellations.

Question 13

Sauvignon Blanc: Marlborough (New Zealand) style

Accepted Answer

Intensely aromatic, high-acid style that became the grape's signature New World expression: pronounced passionfruit and other tropical notes alongside gooseberry, capsicum/bell pepper, and tomato leaf, usually unoaked.

Question 14

Pinot Grigio (Italy) vs. Pinot Gris (Alsace)

Accepted Answer

Pinot Grigio, mainly from northeast Italy, is light-bodied, high-acid, neutral, and unoaked with subtle citrus/green apple flavors. Pinot Gris, from Alsace, is fuller-bodied with lower acidity, riper stone-fruit and spice character, and sometimes noticeable residual sugar.

Question 15

Pinot Grigio/Gris: climate preference

Accepted Answer

An early-ripening variety best suited to cool-to-moderate climates. In Alsace's warmer, drier growing conditions than northeast Italy, it develops noticeably riper fruit, fuller body, and lower acidity than the lean Italian Pinot Grigio style.

Question 16

Riesling: climate and signature aromas

Accepted Answer

Thrives in cool climates such as Germany's Mosel and Rheingau, Alsace, Australia's Clare and Eden Valleys, and New York's Finger Lakes. Naturally very high acidity, with aromas of green apple, lime, and white flowers, developing a distinctive petrol/kerosene note with bottle age.

Question 17

Riesling: sweetness range

Accepted Answer

Among the most versatile grapes for sweetness: made bone-dry in Alsace and Australia, off-dry to medium in many German styles, and lusciously sweet in late-harvest wines like Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese. High natural acidity keeps every sweetness level balanced rather than cloying.

Question 18

German Pradikat ripeness levels

Accepted Answer

An ascending scale based on grape ripeness (must weight) at harvest: Kabinett, Spatlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, and Trockenbeerenauslese, with Eiswein made from frozen grapes at a comparably high ripeness. Higher levels generally mean riper grapes and more concentrated, often sweeter, wine.

Question 19

Cabernet Sauvignon: structure and aromas

Accepted Answer

Thick grape skins give naturally high tannin, and the variety also has high acidity. Core flavors are blackcurrant and black cherry, with a green, bell-pepper note in cooler sites. Frequently oak-aged, adding cedar and vanilla; its firm structure gives it strong aging potential.

Question 20

Cabernet Sauvignon: Left Bank Bordeaux

Accepted Answer

The gravel-rich soils of Bordeaux's Left Bank (Medoc, Graves) favor Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blends with Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Wines are full-bodied with firm tannin, blackcurrant fruit, and cedar notes, and are built to age for years to decades.

Question 21

Cabernet Sauvignon: New World benchmarks

Accepted Answer

Napa Valley, California produces ripe, powerful, often heavily oaked Cabernet Sauvignon with high alcohol. Coonawarra, Australia, with its red terra rossa soil, produces Cabernet marked by distinctive mint and eucalyptus notes alongside blackcurrant fruit.

Question 22

Merlot vs. Cabernet Sauvignon

Accepted Answer

Merlot has softer, rounder tannins than Cabernet Sauvignon and ripens earlier. Its fruit character leans toward plum and black cherry rather than Cabernet's blackcurrant. Merlot is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon to soften its tannic structure.

Question 23

Merlot: Right Bank Bordeaux

Accepted Answer

The clay-rich soils of Bordeaux's Right Bank (Pomerol, Saint-Emilion) favor Merlot-dominant blends, typically with Cabernet Franc. These wines are plusher and more plum-fruited, with softer tannin than the Cabernet Sauvignon-led wines of the Left Bank.

Question 24

Pinot Noir: growing challenges

Accepted Answer

Thin-skinned and early-budding, Pinot Noir is prone to spring frost and disease, and needs a cool climate to retain delicate acidity and aromatics without overripening. Benchmark cool regions include Burgundy, Central Otago (New Zealand), Oregon, and the Sonoma Coast.

Question 25

Pinot Noir: aroma and structure profile

Accepted Answer

Light-to-medium body with high acidity and low-to-medium tannin. Primary fruit is red - strawberry, red cherry, raspberry - with savory, earthy notes (forest floor, mushroom) emerging as the wine ages. Rarely blended with other grapes.

Question 26

Pinot Noir: why Burgundy matters

Accepted Answer

Burgundy's Cote d'Or is considered Pinot Noir's spiritual home. Vineyards are classified by quality level - village, Premier Cru, Grand Cru - reflecting how much subtle terroir differences over very short distances can change the wine's character and price.

Question 27

Syrah: Northern Rhone style

Accepted Answer

Full-bodied, high tannin, high acidity, medium-plus alcohol. Classic aromas include black pepper, blackberry, violet, and smoky or bacon-like notes. The cooler Northern Rhone climate (Hermitage, Cote-Rotie) produces a peppery, savory expression of the grape.

Question 28

Shiraz: Barossa Valley (Australia) style

Accepted Answer

The same grape as Syrah, but Barossa Valley's warm climate produces riper, jammier blackberry and plum fruit, higher alcohol, softer tannin, and often prominent oak influence - a fuller, less peppery style than cool-climate Syrah.

Question 29

Grenache / Garnacha: characteristics and regions

Accepted Answer

Thin-skinned with high natural sugar (and therefore alcohol) potential, but relatively low tannin and acidity. Flavors are ripe red berry and strawberry with peppery spice. Key to Southern Rhone blends (Chateauneuf-du-Pape) and, as Garnacha, to Spain's Priorat and Rioja blends.

Question 30

Tempranillo: characteristics

Accepted Answer

Medium tannin and acidity with medium alcohol. Flavors of red plum and strawberry develop leather and tobacco notes with oak aging. Spain's signature red grape, central to both Rioja and Ribera del Duero.

Question 31

Rioja: classification levels

Accepted Answer

Rioja reds are classified by an ascending scale of oak and bottle aging before release: Joven (little to no oak aging), Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva, with each higher level requiring progressively more time maturing before it can be sold.

Question 32

Nebbiolo: characteristics and Barolo/Barbaresco

Accepted Answer

Naturally high tannin and high acidity despite a pale color. Aromas of rose, tar, red cherry, and dried herbs. Grown in Piedmont, Italy, where it makes the powerful, long-lived wines of Barolo and Barbaresco that need extended aging to soften.

Question 33

Sangiovese: characteristics and Chianti

Accepted Answer

High acidity with medium-to-high tannin. Flavors of sour cherry and dried herb, with a savory tomato-leaf note. Tuscany's principal red grape, forming the backbone of Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino.

Question 34

Gamay: characteristics and Beaujolais

Accepted Answer

Light-bodied with low tannin and high acidity. Fresh red berry flavors (strawberry, red cherry), sometimes with banana or bubblegum notes from carbonic maceration. The grape of Beaujolais, France, often served lightly chilled.

Question 35

Chenin Blanc: versatility in the Loire Valley

Accepted Answer

High natural acidity lets Chenin Blanc be made in almost any style - bone dry, off-dry, sweet (including botrytized dessert wines), and sparkling. Apple, quince, and honey notes are typical. Classic home is the Loire Valley (e.g. Vouvray); also widely planted in South Africa.

Question 36

Viognier: characteristics and Condrieu

Accepted Answer

Low-to-medium acidity, full body, and high alcohol combine with intensely perfumed aromas of peach, apricot, and blossom. Its benchmark expression is Condrieu, in the Northern Rhone.

Question 37

Gewurztraminer: characteristics

Accepted Answer

Low acidity, full body, and high alcohol, often finishing slightly off-dry. Extremely aromatic, with signature notes of lychee, rose petal, and ginger spice. A defining grape of Alsace, France.

Question 38

Malbec: characteristics and Argentina

Accepted Answer

Medium-to-high tannin and medium acidity in a full-bodied wine, with ripe black fruit (blackberry, plum) and a soft, velvety texture. Argentina's high-altitude Mendoza vineyards are its benchmark region.

Question 39

Zinfandel / Primitivo: characteristics

Accepted Answer

Prone to high sugar levels, giving high-alcohol wines with medium-to-high tannin. Flavors are jammy, brambly black and red fruit, sometimes with a peppery edge. The same grape as Italy's Primitivo; California's signature red.

Question 40

Carmenere: characteristics and Chile

Accepted Answer

Medium tannin and acidity, with dark berry fruit alongside a distinctive green, bell-pepper/herbal note when not fully ripe. Long confused with Merlot in Chilean vineyards; now recognized as Chile's signature red grape.

Question 41

Traditional Method sparkling wine

Accepted Answer

The second (bubble-creating) fermentation takes place inside the same bottle the wine is sold in. This produces fine, persistent bubbles and, with lees aging, biscuity or toasty autolytic character. Used for Champagne and Cava.

Question 42

Champagne: grapes and region

Accepted Answer

Made in the Champagne region of France, mainly from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier, using the Traditional Method. The region's cool climate preserves the high acidity essential for balance, freshness, and long aging potential.

Question 43

Tank Method (Charmat) sparkling wine

Accepted Answer

The second fermentation happens in a large, sealed pressurized tank rather than in the bottle. This preserves fresh, fruity primary aromas instead of developing biscuity autolytic notes, and is generally faster and cheaper than the Traditional Method. Used for Prosecco and Asti.

Question 44

Cava vs. Prosecco: production method

Accepted Answer

Cava (Spain) is made by the Traditional Method, giving it bottle-fermented, biscuity autolytic character similar to Champagne. Prosecco (Italy, from the Glera grape) is made by the Tank Method, preserving fresh, fruity primary aromas instead.

Question 45

Port: production and Ruby vs. Tawny styles

Accepted Answer

A fortified wine from Portugal's Douro Valley. Fermentation is stopped early by adding grape spirit, which leaves residual sugar and raises alcohol to about 20%. Ruby Port is fruity and aged briefly in bulk; Tawny Port is aged longer in barrel, developing oxidative nutty and caramel notes.

Question 46

Sherry: Fino vs. Oloroso

Accepted Answer

A fortified wine from Jerez, Spain. Fino ages biologically under a protective layer of flor yeast, staying pale and developing tangy, yeasty, almond-like notes. Oloroso is fortified to a higher strength that kills the flor, so it ages oxidatively into a darker, richer, nuttier style.

Question 47

Ideal wine storage conditions

Accepted Answer

Store bottles at a constant, cool temperature (roughly 10-15C / 50-59F), away from light and vibration, with moderate humidity around 70%. Bottles sealed with a natural cork should be stored on their side to keep the cork moist and prevent it from drying out and letting in air.

Question 48

Serving temperatures by wine style

Accepted Answer

Full-bodied reds are best around 16-18C (room temperature); light reds and rose around 12-14C (lightly chilled); full-bodied whites around 10-13C; light whites and sparkling wines around 6-10C (well chilled). Serving too warm exaggerates alcohol; too cold mutes aroma and flavor.

Question 49

Common wine faults

Accepted Answer

Cork taint/TCA smells musty, like wet cardboard. Oxidation makes a still wine taste flat and dull with a browning color and sherry-like aroma. Volatile acidity smells like vinegar or nail-polish remover. Reduction smells of rotten egg or struck match, usually from excess sulfur compounds.

Question 50

Food and wine pairing: acidity and sweetness rules

Accepted Answer

High-acid wines pair well with fatty or acidic foods because the acidity cuts through richness and refreshes the palate. A wine should generally be at least as sweet as the dish, or it will taste thin and sour by comparison. Tannic reds pair better with protein and fat than with delicate or spicy dishes.

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