WSET Level 2 Study Guide — Award in Wines

Qualification

Award in Wines

Study Time

~28 hours

Exam Format

50 MCQs

Pass Mark

55%

View Cheatsheet → Take the Mock Test → Study Flashcards →

What Is WSET Level 2?

WSET Level 2 is an intermediate qualification that dramatically expands on Level 1. You will study 20+ grape varieties in detail, explore wine regions across every major producing country, learn how winemaking techniques influence flavour, and develop a systematic vocabulary for describing wine. The exam is 50 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes (55% pass, 65% merit, 80% distinction).

Level 1 teaches what wines taste like; Level 2 teaches why — connecting grape characteristics with specific regions, climates, and winemaking choices.

The Systematic Approach to Tasting (SAT)

The SAT is a structured method for evaluating wine objectively across four stages:

Appearance — clarity, colour intensity (pale/medium/deep), colour hue (lemon through gold for whites; purple through garnet for reds)
Nose — condition (clean or faulty), intensity (light to pronounced), aroma characteristics (primary fruit/floral, secondary winemaking, tertiary ageing)
Palate — sweetness, acidity, tannin (reds), alcohol, body, flavour intensity, finish length
Conclusions — overall quality assessment (poor to outstanding) based on balance, intensity, complexity, and length

Grape Varieties

White grape varieties (10 key grapes)

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.

Red grape varieties (11 key grapes)

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).

Major Wine Regions

France

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, Spain, Germany, and Portugal

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

New World regions

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

Winemaking, Sparkling & Fortified

Key winemaking techniques

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.

Sparkling wine production

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

[Fortified wines](/wine-types/fortified-wine/): Port and Sherry

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.

Labelling and Classification

France — AOC/AOP (strictest) → IGP → Vin de France
Italy — DOCG → DOC → IGT
Spain — DOCa/DO + oak ageing terms (Joven, Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva)
Germany — Pradikatswein (Kabinett through TBA/Eiswein) → Qualitatswein → Landwein → Deutscher Wein
New World — varietal labelling (75-85% minimum of named grape), geographic indications (AVA, GI)

Exam Strategy

Weeks 1-2: Build grape variety profiles — body, acidity, tannin, aromas, 2-3 key regions per grape
Weeks 2-3: Learn regions country by country — principal grapes, climate type, distinctive features
Weeks 3-4: Winemaking, sparkling, and fortified — understand cause-and-effect chains
Weeks 4-5: Classification systems and SAT vocabulary
Weeks 5-6: Timed mock exams (50 questions in 60 minutes), target weak spots

Use Sommo’s adaptive daily practice throughout your study period. Each session selects 10 questions based on your weak areas and spaced repetition scheduling. The AI study plan generates a personalised readiness score and tells you exactly which topics to focus on next.

Common mistakes to avoid:

Confusing climate effects (warm = riper fruit, higher alcohol, lower acidity)
Mixing up Pinot Grigio (Italian, light) vs. Pinot Gris (Alsatian, richer)
Skipping Port and Sherry (several exam questions)
Not practising under time pressure (just over 1 minute per question)

View Cheatsheet → Take the Mock Test → Study Flashcards →

Frequently Asked Questions

What topics does WSET Level 2 cover?

WSET Level 2 covers grape varieties in depth, wine regions of the world, the Systematic Approach to Tasting (SAT), winemaking processes, labelling terminology, and food and wine pairing.

Is WSET Level 2 difficult?

Level 2 is a significant step up from Level 1. The volume of content is much larger, covering dozens of grape varieties and regions. With consistent study over 4-6 weeks, most students pass.

Do I need Level 1 before taking Level 2?

No, WSET Level 1 is not a prerequisite. You can start directly at Level 2 if you have basic wine knowledge or industry experience.

What is the Systematic Approach to Tasting?

The SAT is a structured tasting method developed by WSET for evaluating wine. It guides you through assessing appearance, nose, palate, and quality in a consistent, objective way.

How is the WSET Level 2 exam structured?

The exam consists of 50 multiple-choice questions to be completed in 60 minutes. The pass mark is 55%, with merit at 65% and distinction at 80%.