Printable grid

Free Tasting Grid PDFs: WSET SAT & CMS Deductive

Three free printable tasting grids: the WSET SAT at Levels 2 and 3, plus the Court of Master Sommeliers deductive grid. Print or save as PDF, no sign-up.

WSET Level 2 SAT

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Appearance

CallOptions
ClarityClear · Hazy
IntensityPale · Medium · Deep
Color (white only)Lemon · Gold · Amber
Color (red only)Purple · Ruby · Garnet · Tawny

Nose

CallOptions
ConditionClean · Unclean
IntensityLight · Medium · Pronounced
Aroma characteristics (white only)Green fruit · Citrus · Stone fruit · Tropical fruit · Floral · Herbaceous · Spice · Oak · Yeast or autolytic · Dried fruit
Aroma characteristics (red only)Red fruit · Black fruit · Floral · Herbaceous · Herbal · Spice · Oak · Earth · Dried fruit · Meaty or animal

Palate

CallOptions
SweetnessDry · Off-dry · Medium · Sweet
AcidityLow · Medium · High
Tannin (red only)Low · Medium · High
BodyLight · Medium · Full
Flavor intensityLight · Medium · Pronounced
Flavor characteristicsThe flavors you actually taste
FinishShort · Medium · Long

Conclusion

CallOptions
Quality levelFaulty · Poor · Acceptable · Good · Very good · Outstanding

WSET Level 3 SAT

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Appearance

CallOptions
ClarityClear · Hazy
IntensityPale · Medium · Deep
Color (white only)Lemon-green · Lemon · Gold · Amber · Brown
Color (red only)Purple · Ruby · Garnet · Tawny · Brown
Other observationsNone · Legs or tears · Deposit · Petillance · Bubbles

Nose

CallOptions
ConditionClean · Unclean
IntensityLight · Medium minus · Medium · Medium plus · Pronounced
Primary aromasFruit, floral, herbaceous, spice
Secondary aromasNone · Oak · Malolactic · Autolytic or lees · Oak and malolactic
Tertiary aromasNone · Deliberate oxidation · Fruit development · Bottle age
DevelopmentYouthful · Developing · Fully developed · Tired or past its best

Palate

CallOptions
SweetnessDry · Off-dry · Medium-dry · Medium-sweet · Sweet · Luscious
AcidityLow · Medium minus · Medium · Medium plus · High
Tannin level (red only)Low · Medium minus · Medium · Medium plus · High
Tannin nature (red only)Ripe and soft · Grippy · Firm · Coarse · Green or unripe
AlcoholLow · Medium · Medium plus · High
BodyLight · Medium minus · Medium · Medium plus · Full
Flavor intensityLight · Medium minus · Medium · Medium plus · Pronounced
Flavor characteristicsThe flavors you actually taste
FinishShort · Medium minus · Medium · Medium plus · Long

Conclusions

CallOptions
Quality levelFaulty · Poor · Acceptable · Good · Very good · Outstanding
Reasons for the quality callBLIC: balance, length, intensity, complexity
Level of readiness for drinkingToo young · Can drink now but has potential · Drink now · Too old
Reasons for the readiness callStructure, fruit condition, development

CMS deductive tasting grid

Fill this one in on screen instead

Sight

CallOptions
ClarityClear · Hazy · Turbid
BrightnessBright · Dull
ConcentrationPale · Medium · Deep
Color (white only)Water white · Straw · Yellow · Gold · Amber · Brown
Color (red only)Purple · Ruby · Garnet · Tawny · Brown
Rim variationNone · Slight · Pronounced
Secondary observationsNone · Gas · Sediment · Tears · Gas and sediment
StainingNot staining · Staining

Nose

CallOptions
ConditionClean · Unclean
IntensityDelicate · Moderate · Powerful
Fruit (white only)Citrus · Orchard · Stone · Tropical · Melon · Dried or cooked fruit
Fruit (red only)Red fruit · Black fruit · Blue fruit · Dried or cooked fruit
Fruit ripenessUnder ripe · Ripe · Over ripe · Cooked or stewed
Non-fruitFloral · Herbal · Vegetal · Spice · Confectionery · Mineral · None called
EarthNone · Forest floor · Mushroom · Potting soil · Barnyard · Dust or clay
WoodNo wood · Neutral oak · New French oak · New American oak
Wood markersNone · Vanilla · Baking spice · Toast · Smoke · Coconut · Dill · Cedar
Age assessment on the noseYouthful · Developing · Developed · Fully mature

Palate

CallOptions
SweetnessBone dry · Dry · Off dry · Medium sweet · Sweet · Lusciously sweet
AcidLow · Medium minus · Medium · Medium plus · High
Tannin (red only)Low · Medium minus · Medium · Medium plus · High
AlcoholLow · Medium · Medium plus · High
BodyLight · Medium minus · Medium · Medium plus · Full
TextureLean · Round · Creamy · Oily · Grippy · Chalky
Flavor intensityDelicate · Moderate · Powerful
ComplexitySimple · Moderate · Complex
FinishShort · Medium minus · Medium · Medium plus · Long

Initial conclusion

CallOptions
Old World or New WorldOld World · New World
ClimateCool · Moderate · Warm
Age range1 to 3 years · 3 to 5 years · 5 to 10 years · 10 years or more
Quality levelAcceptable · Good · Very good · Outstanding
Grape candidatesTwo or three, best first

Final conclusion

CallOptions
GrapeOne answer
CountryOne answer
Region or appellationAs specific as you dare
VintageA single year

The single fastest way to improve at tasting is to stop tasting freely. A structured grid forces you to make calls you would otherwise skip, and it makes your notes comparable to each other, which is where the learning actually happens.

Three grids are below, ready to print: the WSET Systematic Approach to Tasting at Levels 2 and 3, and the Court of Master Sommeliers deductive grid. All three are also available as interactive sheets that assemble a written note from your calls.

Which one, and when

Use the Level 2 SAT while you are learning the vocabulary. It is short enough to complete on every glass without the exercise becoming a chore, which matters more than completeness in the early weeks.

Move to the Level 3 SAT once the Level 2 calls are automatic. The additions are the whole point: development, the aroma categories, tannin nature as distinct from tannin level, and a readiness call you have to justify.

Use the deductive grid if you are heading for the Court of Master Sommeliers, and use it out loud. The exam is spoken, on a clock, and no amount of silent grid-filling prepares you for the moment you have to keep talking while your brain is still deciding.

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Common questions

What is the difference between the SAT and the deductive grid?

They ask for different things. The WSET SAT is an assessment framework: describe the wine accurately, then justify a quality and readiness conclusion. The Court's deductive grid is an identification framework: use the evidence to eliminate options until you can name a grape, a place, and a year. Same glass, different destination.

Which grid should I print for a home tasting?

If you are studying for WSET, print the sheet for your level. If you are studying for the Court, print the deductive grid. If you are neither and just want to taste better, print the Level 2 SAT: it is short enough to finish and structured enough to build a habit.

Should I print one sheet per wine?

Yes, for exam practice. A grid per glass forces you to make every call rather than comparing across a table, which is what you will have to do under exam conditions. For a casual flight, one sheet with a column per wine is fine.

Do the printed grids match the interactive versions?

Exactly. Both render from the same data file, so a call that exists on screen exists on paper and the option lists are identical. Nothing here can quietly fall a version behind.

Can I use these for a wine club or a class?

Yes, print as many as you like. A link back to this page is appreciated but not required.

Paper is a start

A printout cannot quiz you back.

Sommo turns the same material into daily practice: spaced repetition, adaptive sessions that target your weak areas, and a wrong-answer bank that never lets a gap slide.