WSET Level 2 Study Guide — Award in Wines

• Chardonnay — versatile, neutral canvas. Cool climate: apple, citrus, mineral (Chablis). Warm climate: tropical, melon (California, Australia). Oak adds vanilla, toast, butter.
• Sauvignon Blanc — pungent, aromatic. Cut grass, gooseberry (Loire Valley). Passion fruit, grapefruit (Marlborough). Almost always unoaked, high acidity.
• Riesling — high acidity, lime, green apple, floral. Petrol note with age. Bone-dry to lusciously sweet. Germany (Mosel) and Alsace.
• Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris — light and neutral as Pinot Grigio (Italy); richer with peach and honey as Pinot Gris (Alsace).
• Gewurztraminer — lychee, rose petal, ginger. Full body, low acidity. Alsace is spiritual home.
• Viognier — full-bodied, peach, apricot, orange blossom. Condrieu (Northern Rhone). Can be co-fermented with Syrah.
• Albarino — refreshing, high acid, peach, citrus, saline quality. Rias Baixas, Spain.
• Chenin Blanc — extremely versatile (dry to sweet, still to sparkling). Apple, quince, honey. Loire Valley and South Africa.
• Semillon — susceptible to noble rot (Sauternes). Lemon, lanolin, waxy. Hunter Valley (Australia) produces age-worthy dry versions.
• Muscat — intensely grapey, floral. Light sweet fizzy Moscato d’Asti to fortified Rutherglen Muscat.

• Cabernet Sauvignon — deep colour, high tannin, blackcurrant, cedar, mint. Bordeaux Left Bank and Napa Valley. Ages well with new oak.
• Merlot — softer, rounder. Plum, chocolate, herbal. Bordeaux Right Bank and Chile.
• Pinot Noir — light body, low tannin, cherry, strawberry, earthy. Burgundy, Oregon, Central Otago.
• Syrah/Shiraz — peppery and structured in Northern Rhone; rich and ripe in Barossa Valley. Blackberry, violet, spice.
• Grenache — warm-climate, thin-skinned. Strawberry, raspberry, white pepper. Southern Rhone (Chateauneuf-du-Pape), Spain.
• Tempranillo — cherry, leather, vanilla, tobacco. Rioja and Ribera del Duero. Responds well to oak ageing.
• Sangiovese — high acidity, high tannin, sour cherry, dried herbs. Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino.
• Nebbiolo — pale colour but very high tannin and acidity. Rose, tar, cherry, leather. Barolo and Barbaresco. Needs time.
• Malbec — deeply coloured, full body, plum, blackberry, violet. Mendoza, Argentina (high altitude).
• Gamay — light body, low tannin, bright cherry, banana (carbonic maceration). Beaujolais.
• Zinfandel/Primitivo — bold, high-alcohol, ripe blackberry, jam, spice. California and Puglia (Italy).

• Bordeaux — Left Bank (Cabernet Sauvignon, gravel soils, tannic); Right Bank (Merlot, clay/limestone, rounder). Dry and sweet whites. 1855 Classification.
• Burgundy — Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Quality hierarchy: Regional → Village → Premier Cru → Grand Cru. Cote de Nuits (reds), Cote de Beaune (whites), Chablis (steely Chardonnay).
• Rhone Valley — North: Syrah reds (Hermitage, Cote-Rotie), Viognier whites (Condrieu). South: Grenache blends (Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Cotes du Rhone).
• Loire Valley — Sauvignon Blanc (Sancerre), Chenin Blanc (Vouvray), Cabernet Franc (Chinon), Melon de Bourgogne (Muscadet).
• Alsace — aromatic whites labelled by variety: Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat. Grand Cru vineyards.
• Languedoc-Roussillon — warm south, Grenache/Syrah/Mourvedre blends and international varieties (IGP Pays d’Oc).

Italy:

• Piedmont — Nebbiolo (Barolo, Barbaresco), Barbera, Dolcetto
• Tuscany — Sangiovese (Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile). Super Tuscans.
• Veneto — Pinot Grigio, Prosecco (Glera, Charmat method), Valpolicella, Amarone (appassimento)
• Sicily — Nero d’Avola, Grillo

Spain:

• Rioja — Tempranillo. Oak ageing: Joven, Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva. American oak (vanilla, coconut).
• Ribera del Duero — powerful Tempranillo (Tinto Fino)
• Rias Baixas — Albarino
• Priorat — old-vine Garnacha on llicorella slate

Germany:

• Mosel — steep slate, light Riesling, high acidity, often residual sugar. Pradikat system (Kabinett through TBA).
• Rheingau — fuller-bodied Riesling. Pfalz — warmest, diverse styles including Spatburgunder (Pinot Noir).

Portugal:

• Douro Valley — Port and unfortified reds from Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz
• Vinho Verde — light, crisp, slightly effervescent whites

• California — Napa Valley (Cabernet Sauvignon), Sonoma (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay), Central Coast/Valley
• Oregon — Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (cool-climate, Burgundian character)
• Washington — Columbia Valley reds (Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah)
• Chile — Central Valley (Cabernet, Merlot), Casablanca/Leyda (cool-climate whites, Pinot Noir), Carmenere
• Argentina — Mendoza (high-altitude Malbec), Torrontes (aromatic white)
• Australia — Barossa Valley (Shiraz), Hunter Valley (Semillon), Margaret River (Bordeaux blends), Yarra Valley (Pinot Noir)
• New Zealand — Marlborough (Sauvignon Blanc), Central Otago (Pinot Noir), Hawke’s Bay (Bordeaux reds)
• South Africa — Stellenbosch (Cabernet), Chenin Blanc (most planted white), Pinotage

• Fermentation vessel — stainless steel (preserves fruit), oak barrels (adds vanilla, toast, micro-oxidation), concrete (neutral, thermal stability)
• Temperature — cool fermentation (12-16°C whites, preserves aromas), warm fermentation (20-30°C reds, extracts colour and tannin)
• Malolactic fermentation (MLF) — converts sharp malic acid to softer lactic acid. Standard for reds. Optional for whites (adds creaminess to oaked Chardonnay; blocked for Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling).
• Oak ageing — new oak adds strong flavour (vanilla, toast, spice); old oak allows gentle oxidation. French oak: subtle, fine-grained. American oak: pronounced vanilla, coconut.
• Lees contact — adds richness, creaminess, bready notes. Key for Muscadet sur lie and white Burgundy.

• Traditional method (Champagne, Cava, Cremant) — second fermentation in bottle, lees ageing (15+ months for NV Champagne), riddling, disgorgement, dosage
• Charmat/tank method (Prosecco) — second fermentation in pressurised tank, preserves fresh fruity/floral character, minimal lees contact

Port (Douro Valley, Portugal):

• Ruby — fresh, fruity, short ageing. LBV — single vintage, 4-6 years in large vessels. Vintage Port — finest, decades of bottle ageing.
• Tawny — oxidative ageing in small barrels, colour fades to amber, develops nuts, caramel, dried fruit. Labelled by age (10, 20, 30, 40 year).

Sherry (Jerez, Spain, from Palomino):

• Fino/Manzanilla — biological ageing under flor yeast. Light, pale, dry, yeasty, almond.
• Oloroso — oxidative ageing without flor. Dark, rich, walnut, toffee, dried fruit.
• Amontillado — starts under flor, then ages oxidatively. Combines both characters.
• Pedro Ximenez (PX) — intensely sweet from sun-dried grapes. Raisins, figs, molasses.