WSET Level 2 Cheatsheet: Free Printable PDF
A free printable WSET Level 2 cheatsheet: 20 grape profiles, the key regions, sparkling and fortified styles, SAT vocabulary, pairing and serving temperatures.
Level 2 on a few sheets of paper: the grapes, the regions, the styles, the vocabulary you are graded on. Use it actively, covering a column and naming what belongs under it, because reading a table is not recalling one. The full Level 2 study guide carries the explanations.
Principal white grapes
| Grape | Body, acidity | Aroma markers | Classic regions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chardonnay | Light to full, medium | Apple, citrus, melon; vanilla if oaked | Burgundy, California |
| Sauvignon Blanc | Light to medium, high | Grass, gooseberry, passion fruit | Sancerre, Marlborough |
| Riesling | Light, high | Lime, apple, peach, petrol with age | Mosel, Alsace, Clare |
| Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris | Light to medium, medium | Lemon in Italy; peach, honey in Alsace | Northeast Italy, Alsace |
| Gewurztraminer | Full, low | Lychee, rose, ginger | Alsace |
| Viognier | Full, low | Peach, apricot, blossom | Condrieu |
| Albarino | Light to medium, high | Citrus, stone fruit, saline | Rias Baixas |
| Chenin Blanc | Light to full, high | Apple, quince, wet wool | Vouvray, South Africa |
| Semillon | Medium to full, low | Lemon, lanolin; toast, honey with age | Bordeaux, Hunter Valley |
| Muscat | Light to medium, low | Grape, orange blossom | Asti, Rutherglen |
Principal red grapes
| Grape | Body, tannin | Aroma markers | Classic regions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabernet Sauvignon | Full, high | Blackcurrant, cedar, green pepper | Medoc, Napa |
| Merlot | Medium to full, medium | Plum, blackberry, chocolate | Saint-Emilion, Chile |
| Pinot Noir | Light to medium, low | Cherry, strawberry, mushroom | Burgundy, Oregon |
| Syrah, Shiraz | Full, medium to high | Blackberry, black pepper, smoke | Northern Rhone, Barossa |
| Grenache, Garnacha | Medium to full, low | Strawberry, red plum, high alcohol | Southern Rhone |
| Tempranillo | Medium to full, medium | Cherry, leather, vanilla from oak | Rioja, Ribera del Duero |
| Sangiovese | Medium to full, high | Sour cherry, dried herb, high acidity | Chianti, Montalcino |
| Nebbiolo | Full, very high | Rose, tar, cherry; pale garnet | Barolo, Barbaresco |
| Malbec | Full, medium to high | Blackberry, plum, violet | Mendoza, Cahors |
| Gamay | Light, low | Red cherry; banana if carbonic | Beaujolais |
Also know Gruner Veltliner (white pepper), Torrontes (floral) and Zinfandel (jammy, high alcohol).
France
| Region | Key appellations | Grapes | Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bordeaux, Left Bank | Medoc, Pauillac, Margaux | Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot | Full, tannic, blackcurrant |
| Bordeaux, Right Bank | Saint-Emilion, Pomerol | Merlot, Cabernet Franc | Rounder, plum, earlier |
| Bordeaux whites | Entre-Deux-Mers, Sauternes | Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon | Crisp dry, or botrytis sweet |
| Burgundy | Chablis, Cote de Nuits, Cote de Beaune | Chardonnay, Pinot Noir | Steely to rich whites, elegant reds |
| Beaujolais | Beaujolais-Villages, 10 crus | Gamay | Light, juicy, low tannin |
| Northern Rhone | Cote-Rotie, Hermitage, Condrieu | Syrah, Viognier | Peppery reds, perfumed whites |
| Southern Rhone | Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Cotes du Rhone | Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre | Full, spicy blends |
| Loire | Muscadet, Vouvray, Sancerre, Chinon | Melon Blanc, Chenin, Sauvignon Blanc | Crisp whites, light reds |
| Alsace | Alsace Grand Cru | Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris | Labeled by variety, dry to sweet |
| Champagne | Champagne | Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Meunier | Traditional method, biscuit |
Italy
| Region | Key names | Grapes | Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piedmont | Barolo, Barbaresco, Gavi | Nebbiolo, Barbera, Cortese | High tannin, high acid reds |
| Tuscany | Chianti Classico, Brunello, Bolgheri | Sangiovese, Cabernet | Sour cherry, dried herb, firm |
| Veneto | Prosecco, Soave, Valpolicella, Amarone | Glera, Garganega, Corvina | Light fizz, dried grape reds |
| Northeast Italy | Delle Venezie, Alto Adige | Pinot Grigio | Light, neutral |
| Sicily and the south | Etna, Puglia | Nero d’Avola, Primitivo | Warm, ripe, generous |
Quality ladder: DOCG, DOC, IGT, Vino.
Spain and Portugal
| Region | Grapes | Style |
|---|---|---|
| Rioja | Tempranillo, Garnacha | Oak aged, cherry, vanilla, leather |
| Ribera del Duero | Tempranillo, or Tinto Fino | Deeper, firmer, high altitude |
| Rias Baixas | Albarino | Citrus, stone fruit, saline |
| Priorat | Garnacha, Carinena | Concentrated, mineral, high alcohol |
| Cava | Macabeo, Xarel-lo, Parellada | Traditional method, citrus |
| Vinho Verde | Loureiro, Alvarinho | Light, tart, low alcohol |
| Douro and Alentejo | Touriga Nacional, Aragonez | Dark firm reds, or soft ripe |
Rioja red aging: Crianza 24 months with 12 in oak, Reserva 36 with 12, Gran Reserva 60 with 24.
Germany and Austria
| Region | Grapes | Style |
|---|---|---|
| Mosel | Riesling | Light, 7 to 9% alcohol, lime, slate |
| Rheingau | Riesling | Fuller, riper, dry and sweet |
| Pfalz | Riesling, Spatburgunder | Warmest, rounder, good Pinot Noir |
| Baden | Spatburgunder | Germany’s Pinot Noir region, riper |
| Wachau, Kremstal, Kamptal | Gruner Veltliner, Riesling | Dry, citrus, white pepper |
| Burgenland | Blaufrankisch, Zweigelt | Medium to full reds, sweet wines |
Trocken is dry, Halbtrocken and Feinherb off-dry. The Pradikat ladder ranks ripeness at harvest, not sweetness: Kabinett, Spatlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Eiswein, Trockenbeerenauslese.
The New World
| Region | Signature grapes | Style |
|---|---|---|
| Napa Valley | Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay | Ripe, full, oaked |
| Sonoma, Russian River | Pinot Noir, Chardonnay | Fog cooled, bright acidity |
| Willamette Valley | Pinot Noir | Red cherry, earth, restrained |
| Chile | Cabernet, Carmenere, Sauvignon Blanc | Ripe fruit, herbal edge |
| Mendoza and Salta | Malbec, Torrontes | High altitude, deep color |
| Barossa, McLaren Vale | Shiraz, Grenache | Full, sweet spice, chocolate |
| Clare and Eden Valley | Riesling | Bone dry, lime, high acidity |
| Coonawarra, Margaret River | Cabernet, Chardonnay | Structured, Bordeaux in shape |
| Marlborough, Central Otago | Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir | Pungent whites, silky reds |
| Stellenbosch, Swartland | Cabernet, Pinotage, Chenin | Bordeaux blends, old vine whites |
Sparkling wine
| Method | Second fermentation | Character | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional | In the bottle sold to you | Fine mousse, biscuit from lees | Champagne, Cava, Cremant |
| Tank, or Charmat | In a sealed pressurized tank | Primary fruit, no autolysis | Prosecco, Asti |
| Carbonation | None, gas is injected | Large bubbles that fade fast | Inexpensive sparkling |
Non vintage Champagne ages 15 months minimum, 12 on the lees; vintage needs 36 months.
| Sweetness term | Sugar, grams per liter |
|---|---|
| Brut Nature | 0 to 3 |
| Extra Brut | 0 to 6 |
| Brut | 0 to 12 |
| Extra Dry | 12 to 17 |
| Sec or Dry | 17 to 32 |
| Demi-Sec | 32 to 50 |
| Doux | 50 and above |
Fortified wine
| Style | How it is made | Taste |
|---|---|---|
| Ruby and Reserve Port | Large vessels, little oxygen | Deep color, fresh black fruit |
| Late Bottled Vintage | One year, 4 to 6 in large vessels | Ready on release |
| Vintage Port | One declared year, bottled after 2 years | Decades in bottle |
| Tawny with age indication | Small barrels, oxidative | Amber, walnut, caramel |
| Fino and Manzanilla | Fortified to 15%, under flor | Pale, dry, almond, saline |
| Amontillado | Flor first, then oxidative | Amber, nutty, dry |
| Oloroso | Fortified to 17%, no flor | Dark, rich, walnut, dry |
| Pedro Ximenez | Sun dried grapes | Black, viscous, raisin |
| Madeira | Deliberately heated | High acid, caramel, dry to sweet |
Port is fortified during fermentation and stays sweet; Sherry is fortified afterwards, so classic styles are dry.
The SAT vocabulary
| Element | Scale |
|---|---|
| Clarity | Clear, hazy |
| Appearance intensity | Pale, medium, deep |
| Color | White: lemon, gold, amber. Rose: pink, salmon, orange. Red: purple, ruby, garnet |
| Condition | Clean, or unclean plus the fault |
| Aroma and flavor intensity | Light, medium, pronounced |
| Sweetness | Dry, off-dry, medium, sweet |
| Acidity, tannin, alcohol | Low, medium, high |
| Body | Light, medium, full |
| Finish | Short, medium, long |
| Quality | Poor, acceptable, good, very good, outstanding |
Primary aromas come from the grape, secondary from winemaking, tertiary from aging. Level 2 uses low, medium and high; the medium minus and plus refinements arrive at Level 3.
Food and wine
| On the plate | What it does to the wine |
|---|---|
| Sweetness | Wine seems less sweet, more acidic and astringent |
| Umami | The same hardening effect, more bitter |
| Acidity | Wine seems less acidic, sweeter, more fruity |
| Salt | Wine seems less bitter and astringent |
| Bitterness | Bitterness in the wine increases |
| Chili heat | Alcohol burns harder, sweetness falls |
| Fat and oil | Acidity or tannin cleans the palate |
Serving temperatures
| Style | Celsius | Fahrenheit |
|---|---|---|
| Sparkling and sweet | 6 to 8 | 43 to 46 |
| Crisp white, rose, Fino | 7 to 10 | 45 to 50 |
| Oaked white, Tawny Port | 10 to 13 | 50 to 55 |
| Light red | 12 to 14 | 54 to 57 |
| Medium red | 14 to 16 | 57 to 61 |
| Full red | 16 to 18 | 61 to 64 |
What paper cannot do
A printout cannot calibrate your palate against other tasters, and it cannot make you answer under a running clock. That is where the marks go, so add the Level 2 mock exam for timing, the topic quizzes for weak spots and the flashcards for daily retrieval. The Sommo app schedules that practice around what you keep getting wrong; the other free downloads cover grids and charts.
Get the next one before everyone else
Join the Sommo letter for one email a month of exam-prep material: new printables, mock exams, and the study tactics that actually move a score. No spam, unsubscribe in one click.
Common questions
It covers the recallable part: the grapes, the regions, the styles, the SAT vocabulary, and the service and pairing rules. What it cannot compress is the reasoning behind them, which is why every section links back to the full study guide. Use the sheet to check what you know and the guide to fix what you do not.
Three or four on A4 or US Letter, depending on your browser and margins. Print it double sided and it is two sheets of paper, which is small enough to carry and read on a train the morning of the exam.
For the theory, close. The exam is 50 multiple choice questions in one hour with a 55% pass mark, and most of it is recall of exactly this material. What a sheet does not build is speed: you need to answer in roughly a minute per question, and that only comes from timed practice.
Cover the right hand columns and name the aromas from the grape, then reverse it and name the grape from the aromas. The second direction is the one the exam actually tests, and it is much harder, so spend most of your time there.
Very few. The Rioja aging minimums, the Champagne lees aging minimums, the sparkling sweetness ladder, and the serving temperature bands are the ones that turn up as fact questions. Everything else is better learned as cause and effect than as a number.