Level 2 topic quiz

WSET Level 2 Sparkling Wine Quiz: 20 Free Questions

Free WSET Level 2 sparkling wine quiz: 20 questions on the traditional and tank methods, Champagne, Prosecco, Cava, and the sweetness ladder.

Drill this topic

20 questions drawn at random from the 22 in Sommo's WSET Level 2 bank that cover sparkling wine. Explanations on every answer. Free, no sign-up, unlimited retakes.

20 Questions
70% Target score
22 In this topic

Sparkling wine is a small block of the Level 2 syllabus that produces an outsized number of dropped marks, mostly on two things: how the bubbles actually get there, and the sweetness ladder where “extra dry” is sweeter than “brut”.

This quiz drills both, along with Champagne’s grapes and styles, Prosecco and Glera, Cava, Cremant, Asti, and the New World sparkling regions. If you want the comparison side of it, Prosecco vs Cava and Champagne vs Prosecco cover the same ground in prose.

Common questions

What is the difference between the traditional and tank methods?

In the traditional method the second fermentation happens inside the bottle the wine is sold in, and long contact with the dead yeast gives bread, biscuit, and brioche character. In the tank method the second fermentation happens in a pressurized tank and the wine is bottled under pressure, which keeps the grape's own aromas fresh. Champagne uses the first, Prosecco the second.

Why is extra dry sweeter than brut?

The sparkling sweetness terms are a historical hangover from a time when almost all Champagne was sweet, so the scale was written from the sweet end. From driest to sweetest it runs brut nature, extra brut, brut, extra dry, sec, demi-sec, doux. Extra dry sits one step sweeter than brut, which catches out candidates every year.

Which grapes are used in Champagne?

The three principal grapes are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier. A blanc de blancs is made from white grapes only, in practice Chardonnay; a blanc de noirs is made from black grapes only. Rosé Champagne is usually made by blending in a little still red wine.

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