WSET Level 3 Study Plan: 10-Week Exam Preparation Guide

WSET Level 3 is where wine study gets serious. The step up from Level 2 is not just more material — it is a fundamentally different kind of thinking. You are no longer just recalling facts. You are expected to explain why wines taste the way they do: what the climate does to the grapes, how the winemaker responds, how those decisions appear in the glass.

This 10-week plan is designed to build that understanding systematically.

How This Study Plan Works

The plan assumes 6 to 8 hours per week — about one hour on weekdays and a longer session at the weekend. Each week has a regional or thematic focus, ending with an active recall or practice test session.

If your exam is more than 10 weeks away, use the extra time for additional tasting practice and mock exam repetition. If it is closer, compress weeks 7 and 8 and prioritise mock exam work.

What You Need

• The official WSET Level 3 study materials from your approved provider
• A structured tasting notebook
• Our free WSET Level 3 cheat sheet as a quick-reference companion
• Our free WSET Level 3 mock exam for weekly testing
• Wine to taste — aim for at least one wine per study session

The Level 3 Framework: Cause and Effect

Before diving into regions, internalise this chain:

Climate → Grape choice → Viticulture decisions → Winemaking decisions → Wine style → Quality

Every Level 3 answer is a version of this chain. A question about why Chablis is lean and mineral is really asking you to walk from “cool continental climate” through to “high acidity, low alcohol, flinty character.” A question about Barossa Shiraz is asking you to go from “warm Mediterranean climate” through to “full body, ripe dark fruit, high alcohol.”

If you can construct this chain for every major region on the syllabus, you will pass.

Week 1: Climate and Terroir Fundamentals

Goal: Master the four climate types and understand how soil, topography, and aspect modify them.

• Cool continental (Burgundy, Alsace, Oregon): cold winters, warm summers, high diurnal range — preserves acidity, allows flavour development
• Warm continental (Mendoza at altitude, parts of Hungary): hot summers, cold winters — altitude moderates what would otherwise be excessive heat
• Maritime (Bordeaux, Marlborough, Western Australia): moderate temperatures, ocean influence — consistent ripening, risk of rain at harvest
• Mediterranean (Southern Rhone, Barossa, Priorat, McLaren Vale): hot dry summers, mild wet winters — full ripeness, irrigation often necessary

Soil study: gravel (Medoc), clay (Pomerol), limestone (Burgundy, Champagne), slate (Mosel), granite (Northern Rhone), chalk (Jerez, Champagne).

Weekend: Read the climate and soil sections of the Level 3 cheat sheet. Write the cause-and-effect chain for five regions from memory.

Week 2: France — Bordeaux and the Loire

Goal: Know Bordeaux (Left Bank vs Right Bank, classification systems, Sauternes) and Loire (key appellations by grape variety).

Bordeaux:

• Left Bank: Medoc, Haut-Medoc, Pauillac, St-Estephe, St-Julien, Margaux — gravel soils, Cabernet Sauvignon dominant
• Right Bank: St-Emilion, Pomerol — clay and limestone, Merlot dominant
• Sauternes: botrytis, Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc blends, noble rot conditions
• 1855 Classification and St-Emilion classification

Loire:

• Muscadet (Melon de Bourgogne, sur lie ageing)
• Anjou and Saumur (Chenin Blanc — dry to sweet, sparkling)
• Vouvray (Chenin Blanc in all styles)
• Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé (Sauvignon Blanc on limestone and flint)
• Chinon and Bourgueil (Cabernet Franc)

Weekend: Write a 200-word explanation of why Left Bank Bordeaux is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon and Right Bank by Merlot. Check it against your notes.

Week 3: France — Burgundy, Rhone, and Champagne

Goal: Understand Burgundy’s classification hierarchy, the Rhone’s two distinct zones, and how Champagne is produced.

Burgundy:

• Côte de Nuits (Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée) — Pinot Noir
• Côte de Beaune (Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Pommard) — Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
• Regional → Village → Premier Cru → Grand Cru hierarchy
• Beaujolais and the 10 crus

Rhone:

• Northern Rhone: Syrah, granitic soils, Côte-Rôtie (+ Viognier), Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, Saint-Joseph, Cornas; Condrieu and Château-Grillet for Viognier
• Southern Rhone: GSM blends (Grenache/Syrah/Mourvèdre), Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes du Rhône

Champagne: Traditional method, riddling, dosage, non-vintage blending philosophy, Blanc de Blancs vs Blanc de Noirs, Rosé Champagne.

Weekend: Sit 25 questions from the Level 3 mock exam focused on French regions. Review every incorrect answer.

Week 4: Italy

Goal: Know Piedmont and Tuscany in depth; understand the broader DOC/DOCG system.

Piedmont:

• Barolo and Barbaresco: 100% Nebbiolo, DOCG, long ageing requirements, tar and roses, high tannin and acidity
• Barbera d’Asti and Barbera d’Alba: high acidity, low tannin, food-friendly
• Moscato d’Asti: DOCG, low alcohol, slight fizz, Muscat grape

Tuscany:

• Chianti and Chianti Classico: Sangiovese-based, DOCG, quality tiers (standard, Riserva, Gran Selezione)
• Brunello di Montalcino: 100% Sangiovese, 5 years minimum ageing, one of Italy’s longest-lived reds
• Bolgheri and the Super Tuscans: Sassicaia, Ornellaia — Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, outside traditional DOC rules
• Vernaccia di San Gimignano: Italy’s first DOC white

Other regions: Veneto (Soave, Valpolicella, Amarone, Ripasso), Prosecco DOC and DOCG (Glera grape, Charmat method), Friuli-Venezia Giulia (aromatic whites).

Weekend: Draw the DOC/DOCG quality hierarchy and map the key regions from memory.

Week 5: Spain and Germany

Goal: Understand Rioja’s ageing system, Priorat’s terroir, and Germany’s Prädikatswein classification.

Spain:

• Rioja: Tempranillo, Garnacha; Joven/Crianza/Reserva/Gran Reserva ageing tiers; Rioja DOCa, three sub-zones (Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa, Rioja Oriental)
• Ribera del Duero: Tempranillo (Tinto Fino), continental climate, altitude
• Priorat: DOCa status, llicorella (slate and quartz soils), Garnacha and Carignan (Cariñena), low yields, concentrated wines
• Rías Baixas: Albariño, Atlantic influence, saline freshness
• Cava: Traditional method sparkling, primarily Macabeo/Xarello/Parellada, Penedès

Germany:

• Mosel: Riesling on steep slate slopes, low alcohol, high acidity, the Kabinett through Trockenbeerenauslese sweetness ladder
• Rheingau: fuller-bodied Riesling, Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir)
• Pfalz and Rheinhessen: warmer, riper styles
• Prädikatswein levels: Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Eiswein, Trockenbeerenauslese

Weekend: Write a comparison between a Mosel Riesling Spätlese and a Clare Valley Riesling — same grape, very different styles. What explains the difference?

Week 6: New World — Americas and South Africa

Goal: Understand the key regions, their climates, and their signature varieties.

USA:

• Napa Valley: Cabernet Sauvignon, Mediterranean climate, warm days, cool nights from bay influence, mountain vs valley floor differences
• Sonoma: more diverse, Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley), Chardonnay, Zinfandel
• Oregon: Willamette Valley, cool climate, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay

Chile:

• Maipo: Cabernet Sauvignon, proximity to Santiago
• Casablanca and San Antonio: cool coastal, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
• Carmenère: Chile’s signature variety, once confused with Merlot

Argentina:

• Mendoza: Malbec, high altitude (600–1,200m), extreme diurnal range, irrigation from Andes meltwater
• Salta/Cafayate: very high altitude (1,500–3,000m), Torrontés

South Africa:

• Stellenbosch: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chenin Blanc, Pinotage
• Constantia: cool, historic, Sauvignon Blanc, Vin de Constance
• Robertson: Chardonnay, limestone soils

Week 7: New World — Australia and New Zealand

Goal: Know the diverse Australian regions and understand what makes New Zealand distinctive.

Australia:

• Barossa Valley: warm, old-vine Shiraz, full body, high alcohol
• Eden Valley: cooler (altitude), Riesling and Shiraz with more elegance
• Clare Valley: maritime and altitude influence, Riesling with lime and slate
• Coonawarra: terra rossa over limestone, Cabernet Sauvignon
• McLaren Vale: Mediterranean, Grenache/Syrah/Mourvèdre blends
• Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula: cool climate, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
• Hunter Valley: Semillon (low alcohol, high acid, ages remarkably), Shiraz

New Zealand:

• Marlborough: Sauvignon Blanc (grassy, passion fruit, high acid), also Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
• Central Otago: southernmost major wine region, extreme continental, Pinot Noir with ripe dark fruit

Weekend: Sit the full Level 3 mock exam under timed conditions. Record your score.

Week 8: Sparkling, Fortified, and Sweet Wines

Goal: Master the production methods and style profiles for the key sparkling, fortified, and sweet wines.

Sparkling:

• Traditional method: secondary fermentation in bottle, riddling, disgorgement, dosage — Champagne, Cava, Franciacorta, English sparkling
• Tank method (Charmat): secondary fermentation in tank — Prosecco, Asti Spumante
• Transfer method: secondary fermentation in bottle, transferred under pressure, filtered
• Ancestral method: single fermentation, unfiltered — Pét-nat

Fortified:

• Port: Douro Valley, foot-treading, fortification during fermentation (retains residual sugar), styles (Ruby, Tawny, Vintage, LBV, Single Quinta, White)
• Sherry: Jerez, flor yeast for biological ageing (Fino/Manzanilla), oxidative ageing (Amontillado/Oloroso), sweetening wines (PX, Moscatel), Solera system
• Madeira: estufagem, four styles by grape (Sercial, Verdelho, Bual, Malmsey)

Sweet wines: Sauternes (botrytis), German Beerenauslese/Trockenbeerenauslese/Eiswein, Vin Santo, Recioto, late harvest styles worldwide.

Week 9: The Essay Exam — Structure and Practice

Goal: Learn to write Level 3 short-answer and essay responses under time pressure.

Level 3 short-answer questions expect structured, precise answers. The most common formats are:

“Explain how [factor] affects [wine style]” Use the cause-and-effect chain: name the factor → state its direct effect → connect to the wine characteristic. Example: “The high altitude of Mendoza (600–1,200m) creates a significant diurnal temperature range. Cool nights slow the breakdown of malic acid, preserving freshness. This explains why Mendoza Malbec, despite high daytime temperatures, retains a lively acidity alongside its ripe fruit.”

“Compare [region A] with [region B]” Identify the key differences in climate, soil, grape variety, winemaking, and resulting style. Be specific.

“Assess the quality of [wine]” Use SAT language, state a quality level with justification (complexity, length, balance, typicity), and suggest readiness to drink with reasoning.

Practice exercises:

• Write a 150-word answer explaining why Burgundy Grand Cru commands a premium over regional Bourgogne
• Write a 150-word comparison of Champagne and Prosecco production and style
• Complete a full SAT assessment in writing for a wine you taste

Week 10: Final Consolidation

Goal: Identify remaining weak spots, build confidence, and arrive exam-ready.

• Day 64: Full mock exam — timed, no notes. Score and review.
• Day 65: Target your lowest-scoring topic from the mock exam.
• Day 66: Tasting practice — two wines, full written SAT assessments.
• Day 67: Second full mock exam. Are you scoring above 60%? If yes, you are ready.
• Day 68: Essay practice only — write two practice short-answer responses from memory.
• Day 69: Light review of the cheat sheet. No new material.
• Day 70: Exam day. You are ready.

Tasting Exam Preparation

The tasting exam is often where students lose marks — not because they taste incorrectly, but because their written SAT is poorly structured or their quality justification is vague.

Three rules:

1. Be specific about quality descriptors. “Complex and persistent” beats “nice and long.” Name specific aromas and flavours.
2. Justify every quality conclusion. If you write “Outstanding,” you must explain why — the complexity, length, and typicity that earn that rating.
3. Practise writing under time pressure. The tasting exam has strict time limits. Train yourself to complete a full SAT in 10 minutes.

What Comes Next

After Level 3, the next step is WSET Level 4 Diploma — a two-year, six-unit qualification that is the industry standard for serious wine professionals. Our Level 4 cheat sheet and Level 4 mock exam are available to give you a taste of what lies ahead.

Level 3 is a significant achievement. The study is demanding, but the depth of understanding you gain is genuinely transformative. Good luck.