WSET LEVEL 3 TOP ACTUAL EXAM
PAPER 2026 QUESTIONS WITH
ANSWERS GRADED A+
◍ Clarity.
Answer: The visual assessment of how clear or hazy a wine appears,
indicating potential faults.
◍ pairing for goat cheese.
Answer: Sancerre
◍ local food pairs with.
Answer: local wine
◍ Intensity (Appearance).
Answer: The depth of color in a wine, classified as pale, medium, or deep.
◍ pairing with stilton cheese.
Answer: port
◍ pair w/ sweet food.
Answer: sweeter wine/no tannins
◍ 3 species of grapes native to north america.
Answer: vitis riparia, vitis berlandieri, vitis rupestris
◍ what is a "shoot" on a vine.
Answer: the new growth a vine produces each year
◍ Colour (White).
Answer: The color spectrum for white wines includes lemon-green, lemon,
gold, amber, and brown.
◍ Colour (Rosé).
, Answer: The color spectrum for rosé wines includes pink, salmon, and
orange.
◍ Colour (Red).
Answer: The color spectrum for red wines includes purple, ruby, garnet,
tawny, and brown.
◍ what does bitterness in food do.
Answer: increases bitterness in wine
◍ Other observations (Appearance).
Answer: Additional visual characteristics such as legs/tears, deposit,
pétillance, and bubbles.
◍ Condition (Nose).
Answer: The assessment of the wine's aroma quality, indicating if it is clean
or faulty.
◍ Intensity (Nose).
Answer: The strength of the aromas present in the wine, ranging from light
to pronounced.
◍ Aroma characteristics.
Answer: The specific scents detected in the wine, which can be primary,
secondary, or tertiary.
◍ Development (Nose).
Answer: The stage of the wine's aroma evolution, categorized as youthful,
developing, fully developed, or tired.
◍ chili heat in food does what?.
Answer: increases perception of bitterness, astringency, acidity, and alcohol
burndecreases the perception of body, richness, sweetness, and fruitiness in
wine
◍ "reduction" giveaway.
Answer: rotten eggs
◍ pairing for curry.
, Answer: light bodied unoaked white wine
◍ non-conventional pairing w/ sweet wine.
Answer: salty food
◍ Cleanliness (Palate).
Answer: The assessment of whether the wine is clean or has faults.
◍ Sweetness (Palate).
Answer: The level of sweetness in the wine, ranging from dry to luscious.
◍ TCA giveaway.
Answer: damp cardboard
◍ what is a "cane" of a vine.
Answer: a long vine with 8-15 buds
◍ what is a "spur" of a vine.
Answer: a short vine with only 2-3 buds
◍ color descriptors for WSET red wines.
Answer: ruby, purple, garnet, brown
◍ Acidity (Palate).
Answer: The level of acidity in the wine, classified as low, medium, or high.
◍ sweetness on the tongue location.
Answer: tip
◍ Tannin (Palate).
Answer: The level of tannins present in the wine, categorized as low,
medium, or high.
◍ Alcohol (Palate).
Answer: The perception of alcohol in the wine, which can be low, medium,
or high.
◍ Body (Palate).
Answer: The weight and fullness of the wine on the palate, classified as
light, medium, or full.
, ◍ tannin in the mouth is found.
Answer: mainly the gums, especially the front top
◍ salt in food does what.
Answer: increases the perception of body in winedecreases the perception of
astringency, bitterness, and acidity in wine
◍ oxidation giveaway.
Answer: deeper colored and browner than it should bescents of toffee,
honey, caramel or coffee with a lack of fruit
◍ volatile acidity (VA) giveaway.
Answer: vinegar or nail polish remover
◍ Sulphur dioxide giveaway.
Answer: acrid smell like a stuck match(more present in sweet white wines)
◍ Primary aromas.
Answer: fruity and floral (aromas due to the actual grapes)
◍ Mousse (Palate).
Answer: The texture of bubbles in sparkling wines, which can be delicate,
creamy, or aggressive.
◍ secondary aromas.
Answer: aromas that arise due to production processes like oak or malo or
lees contacti.e. nutty/buttery (malo), yeasty and creamy (lees)
◍ dry wine = ___ g/L?.
Answer: up to about 4 g/l
◍ Flavour intensity (Palate).
Answer: The strength of the flavors in the wine, ranging from light to
pronounced.
◍ medium sweet = ___ g/l?.
Answer: about 10-45 g/l
◍ medium dry = ___ g/l?.
PAPER 2026 QUESTIONS WITH
ANSWERS GRADED A+
◍ Clarity.
Answer: The visual assessment of how clear or hazy a wine appears,
indicating potential faults.
◍ pairing for goat cheese.
Answer: Sancerre
◍ local food pairs with.
Answer: local wine
◍ Intensity (Appearance).
Answer: The depth of color in a wine, classified as pale, medium, or deep.
◍ pairing with stilton cheese.
Answer: port
◍ pair w/ sweet food.
Answer: sweeter wine/no tannins
◍ 3 species of grapes native to north america.
Answer: vitis riparia, vitis berlandieri, vitis rupestris
◍ what is a "shoot" on a vine.
Answer: the new growth a vine produces each year
◍ Colour (White).
Answer: The color spectrum for white wines includes lemon-green, lemon,
gold, amber, and brown.
◍ Colour (Rosé).
, Answer: The color spectrum for rosé wines includes pink, salmon, and
orange.
◍ Colour (Red).
Answer: The color spectrum for red wines includes purple, ruby, garnet,
tawny, and brown.
◍ what does bitterness in food do.
Answer: increases bitterness in wine
◍ Other observations (Appearance).
Answer: Additional visual characteristics such as legs/tears, deposit,
pétillance, and bubbles.
◍ Condition (Nose).
Answer: The assessment of the wine's aroma quality, indicating if it is clean
or faulty.
◍ Intensity (Nose).
Answer: The strength of the aromas present in the wine, ranging from light
to pronounced.
◍ Aroma characteristics.
Answer: The specific scents detected in the wine, which can be primary,
secondary, or tertiary.
◍ Development (Nose).
Answer: The stage of the wine's aroma evolution, categorized as youthful,
developing, fully developed, or tired.
◍ chili heat in food does what?.
Answer: increases perception of bitterness, astringency, acidity, and alcohol
burndecreases the perception of body, richness, sweetness, and fruitiness in
wine
◍ "reduction" giveaway.
Answer: rotten eggs
◍ pairing for curry.
, Answer: light bodied unoaked white wine
◍ non-conventional pairing w/ sweet wine.
Answer: salty food
◍ Cleanliness (Palate).
Answer: The assessment of whether the wine is clean or has faults.
◍ Sweetness (Palate).
Answer: The level of sweetness in the wine, ranging from dry to luscious.
◍ TCA giveaway.
Answer: damp cardboard
◍ what is a "cane" of a vine.
Answer: a long vine with 8-15 buds
◍ what is a "spur" of a vine.
Answer: a short vine with only 2-3 buds
◍ color descriptors for WSET red wines.
Answer: ruby, purple, garnet, brown
◍ Acidity (Palate).
Answer: The level of acidity in the wine, classified as low, medium, or high.
◍ sweetness on the tongue location.
Answer: tip
◍ Tannin (Palate).
Answer: The level of tannins present in the wine, categorized as low,
medium, or high.
◍ Alcohol (Palate).
Answer: The perception of alcohol in the wine, which can be low, medium,
or high.
◍ Body (Palate).
Answer: The weight and fullness of the wine on the palate, classified as
light, medium, or full.
, ◍ tannin in the mouth is found.
Answer: mainly the gums, especially the front top
◍ salt in food does what.
Answer: increases the perception of body in winedecreases the perception of
astringency, bitterness, and acidity in wine
◍ oxidation giveaway.
Answer: deeper colored and browner than it should bescents of toffee,
honey, caramel or coffee with a lack of fruit
◍ volatile acidity (VA) giveaway.
Answer: vinegar or nail polish remover
◍ Sulphur dioxide giveaway.
Answer: acrid smell like a stuck match(more present in sweet white wines)
◍ Primary aromas.
Answer: fruity and floral (aromas due to the actual grapes)
◍ Mousse (Palate).
Answer: The texture of bubbles in sparkling wines, which can be delicate,
creamy, or aggressive.
◍ secondary aromas.
Answer: aromas that arise due to production processes like oak or malo or
lees contacti.e. nutty/buttery (malo), yeasty and creamy (lees)
◍ dry wine = ___ g/L?.
Answer: up to about 4 g/l
◍ Flavour intensity (Palate).
Answer: The strength of the flavors in the wine, ranging from light to
pronounced.
◍ medium sweet = ___ g/l?.
Answer: about 10-45 g/l
◍ medium dry = ___ g/l?.
