WSET 3: REGIONS AND GRAPES
COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE 2026
FULL QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
◍ What is the French PDO called?.
Answer: Appellation d'origine protegee
◍ What is the more widely seen PDO name on labels?.
Answer: Appellation d'origine contrôlèe
◍ What is the French PGI name.
Answer: Indication geographique protegee or IGP. Vin de Pays is also used
◍ Bourgogne AOC.
Answer: Regional appellation within Burgundy
◍ Côte d'Or.
Answer: Specific part of the Burgundy region where the most celebrated
vineyards are located. Divided into two halves. Northern is Côte de Nuits.
Southern is Côte de Beaune. (Pinot Noir)
◍ Vin de France.
Answer: Wines without a GI are termed this
◍ What are the two most famous villages in the Côte de Nuits?.
Answer: Gevrey-Chambertain AOC and Nuits-Saint-Georges AOC (Pinot
Noir)
◍ What are the two most famous villages in the Côte de Beaune?.
Answer: Beaune AOC and Pommard AOC (Pinot Noir)
◍ What is the largest appellation in France.
, Answer: Bordeaux
◍ What is the appellation in Alsace?.
Answer: Alsace AOC (Riesling)
◍ Where is Vouvray AOC located?.
Answer: Loire Valley (Chenin Blanc)
◍ Bordeaux AOC.
Answer: Regional appellation within Bordeaux
◍ Bordeaux Climate.
Answer: Moderate maritime climate that benefits from the effect of the gulf
stream, extending the growing season. Spring frosts not a problem, and
grapes will mature well into October. High level of rainfall and humidity.
Rain can disrupt flowering and fruit set, and can promote rot and dilute
flavours.
◍ What kind of wine is almost all red and white bordeauxs?.
Answer: Blends
◍ Sauternes AOC.
Answer: Small sub-region of Bordeaux (Sémillon)
◍ Chablis AOC.
Answer: Village appellation within Burgundy (Chardonnay)
◍ Meursault AOC and Puligny-Montrachet AOC.
Answer: Villages in the Côte de Beaune (Chardonnay)
◍ Mâconnais.
Answer: Sub-region in the south of Burgundy (Chardonnay)
◍ Mâcon AOC.
Answer: Basic appellation in Mâconnais (Chardonnay)
◍ Pouilly-Fuissé AOC.
Answer: Village appellation in Mâconnais (Chardonnay)
◍ Sancerre AOC and Pouilly-Fumé AOC.
, Answer: Two appellations of the Loire Valley where Sauvignon Blanc is the
only white variety permitted
◍ Touraine AOC.
Answer: Label for Sauvignon Blanc from the Touraine sub-region to the
west of Sancerre AOC and Pouilly-Fumé AOC
◍ Black grape varieties in Bordeaux.
Answer: Cab Sav, Merlot, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot
◍ Graves AOC and Pessac-Léognan AOC.
Answer: AOCs in Bordeaux (Sauvignon Blanc-Sémillon blends typically)
◍ Cabernet Sauvignon.
Answer: Dominates in the Haut Medoc and Graves. Stoney gravel soil
means the ground is well draining and warm. Cab is late ripening, but can
account for 3/4 of the blends in fine wines.
◍ Merlot.
Answer: The most widely planted variety in Bordeaux and is particularly
used in Saint Emilion and Pomerol. Merlot can successfully grow on the
cooler clay soils found here.
◍ Cabernet Franc.
Answer: Widely used in Saint Emilion and to a lesser extent in the Medoc
and Graves. It produces wines with less body and tannin than Cab Sav. It
can be herbaceous or stalky when unripe but can be vibrant and have fruit
and floral notes when ripe. Prefers warm well drained soils.
◍ Petit Verdot.
Answer: Has far smaller plantings. Ripens fully only in very hot years,
giving it a deeply coloured tannic wine that ages slowly. Never plays more
than a minor role in a blend where it is used mainly to add tannin colour and
some spicy notes.
◍ How are most Bordeaux red wines aged?.
Answer: In 225L Barriques, new oak for the best quality wines and neutral
, for the more generic ones.
◍ What are the white grapes used in Bordeaux?.
Answer: Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle
◍ delle Venezie DOC and Veneto IGT.
Answer: Labels of Pinot Grigio produced in the Veneto region in the
Northeast of Italy
◍ Sauvignon Blanc.
Answer: Produces wines with citrus and green fruit aromas. Used for dry
varietal wines. An exception to the bordeaux blend rule. When blended, it
adds acidity, necessary for sweet wines.
◍ Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
Answer: A region in northern Italy's eastern corner for Pinot Grigio
◍ Condrieu AOC.
Answer: Appellation in France's Northern Rhône (single-varietal Viognier)
◍ Semillon.
Answer: Given its thin skin and affinity for noble rot it is the most important
grape in Bordeaux for sweet wine production. Usually blended with
sauvignon blanc in regions like Pessac Leognan and Graves where it adds
body.
◍ Rías Baixas DO.
Answer: north-west corner of Spain (Albariño)
◍ Muscadelle.
Answer: Has a pronounced grapey floral flavour and plays an important role
in sweet and dry white wine production. Makes up only a small percentage
of any blend.
◍ Bordeaux Supérieur AOC.
Answer: Regional appellation within Bordeaux. (typically Merlot-dominated
blends)Subject to slightly stricter rules than Bordeaux AOC
◍ How are most Bordeaux white wines aged?.
COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE 2026
FULL QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
◍ What is the French PDO called?.
Answer: Appellation d'origine protegee
◍ What is the more widely seen PDO name on labels?.
Answer: Appellation d'origine contrôlèe
◍ What is the French PGI name.
Answer: Indication geographique protegee or IGP. Vin de Pays is also used
◍ Bourgogne AOC.
Answer: Regional appellation within Burgundy
◍ Côte d'Or.
Answer: Specific part of the Burgundy region where the most celebrated
vineyards are located. Divided into two halves. Northern is Côte de Nuits.
Southern is Côte de Beaune. (Pinot Noir)
◍ Vin de France.
Answer: Wines without a GI are termed this
◍ What are the two most famous villages in the Côte de Nuits?.
Answer: Gevrey-Chambertain AOC and Nuits-Saint-Georges AOC (Pinot
Noir)
◍ What are the two most famous villages in the Côte de Beaune?.
Answer: Beaune AOC and Pommard AOC (Pinot Noir)
◍ What is the largest appellation in France.
, Answer: Bordeaux
◍ What is the appellation in Alsace?.
Answer: Alsace AOC (Riesling)
◍ Where is Vouvray AOC located?.
Answer: Loire Valley (Chenin Blanc)
◍ Bordeaux AOC.
Answer: Regional appellation within Bordeaux
◍ Bordeaux Climate.
Answer: Moderate maritime climate that benefits from the effect of the gulf
stream, extending the growing season. Spring frosts not a problem, and
grapes will mature well into October. High level of rainfall and humidity.
Rain can disrupt flowering and fruit set, and can promote rot and dilute
flavours.
◍ What kind of wine is almost all red and white bordeauxs?.
Answer: Blends
◍ Sauternes AOC.
Answer: Small sub-region of Bordeaux (Sémillon)
◍ Chablis AOC.
Answer: Village appellation within Burgundy (Chardonnay)
◍ Meursault AOC and Puligny-Montrachet AOC.
Answer: Villages in the Côte de Beaune (Chardonnay)
◍ Mâconnais.
Answer: Sub-region in the south of Burgundy (Chardonnay)
◍ Mâcon AOC.
Answer: Basic appellation in Mâconnais (Chardonnay)
◍ Pouilly-Fuissé AOC.
Answer: Village appellation in Mâconnais (Chardonnay)
◍ Sancerre AOC and Pouilly-Fumé AOC.
, Answer: Two appellations of the Loire Valley where Sauvignon Blanc is the
only white variety permitted
◍ Touraine AOC.
Answer: Label for Sauvignon Blanc from the Touraine sub-region to the
west of Sancerre AOC and Pouilly-Fumé AOC
◍ Black grape varieties in Bordeaux.
Answer: Cab Sav, Merlot, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot
◍ Graves AOC and Pessac-Léognan AOC.
Answer: AOCs in Bordeaux (Sauvignon Blanc-Sémillon blends typically)
◍ Cabernet Sauvignon.
Answer: Dominates in the Haut Medoc and Graves. Stoney gravel soil
means the ground is well draining and warm. Cab is late ripening, but can
account for 3/4 of the blends in fine wines.
◍ Merlot.
Answer: The most widely planted variety in Bordeaux and is particularly
used in Saint Emilion and Pomerol. Merlot can successfully grow on the
cooler clay soils found here.
◍ Cabernet Franc.
Answer: Widely used in Saint Emilion and to a lesser extent in the Medoc
and Graves. It produces wines with less body and tannin than Cab Sav. It
can be herbaceous or stalky when unripe but can be vibrant and have fruit
and floral notes when ripe. Prefers warm well drained soils.
◍ Petit Verdot.
Answer: Has far smaller plantings. Ripens fully only in very hot years,
giving it a deeply coloured tannic wine that ages slowly. Never plays more
than a minor role in a blend where it is used mainly to add tannin colour and
some spicy notes.
◍ How are most Bordeaux red wines aged?.
Answer: In 225L Barriques, new oak for the best quality wines and neutral
, for the more generic ones.
◍ What are the white grapes used in Bordeaux?.
Answer: Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle
◍ delle Venezie DOC and Veneto IGT.
Answer: Labels of Pinot Grigio produced in the Veneto region in the
Northeast of Italy
◍ Sauvignon Blanc.
Answer: Produces wines with citrus and green fruit aromas. Used for dry
varietal wines. An exception to the bordeaux blend rule. When blended, it
adds acidity, necessary for sweet wines.
◍ Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
Answer: A region in northern Italy's eastern corner for Pinot Grigio
◍ Condrieu AOC.
Answer: Appellation in France's Northern Rhône (single-varietal Viognier)
◍ Semillon.
Answer: Given its thin skin and affinity for noble rot it is the most important
grape in Bordeaux for sweet wine production. Usually blended with
sauvignon blanc in regions like Pessac Leognan and Graves where it adds
body.
◍ Rías Baixas DO.
Answer: north-west corner of Spain (Albariño)
◍ Muscadelle.
Answer: Has a pronounced grapey floral flavour and plays an important role
in sweet and dry white wine production. Makes up only a small percentage
of any blend.
◍ Bordeaux Supérieur AOC.
Answer: Regional appellation within Bordeaux. (typically Merlot-dominated
blends)Subject to slightly stricter rules than Bordeaux AOC
◍ How are most Bordeaux white wines aged?.
