WSET Level 2 Exam Questions and Answers (Graded A+) Definite Pass

WSET Level 2 Exam Questions and Answers (Graded A+) Definite Pass Four reasons for tasting notes - Answer-Provide a personal record, assist in articulating, assess the quality, monitor the progress of the wine. Five ideal conditions for tasting - Answer-No distracting odors, good natural light, clean white surface, clean palate, correctly filled ISO glass. Hazy appearance could indicate... - Answer-Presence of bacteria or secondary fermentation When assessing intensity in appearance, concentrate on... - Answer-The concentration of the color, not the color itself. What happens to the color of whites and roses as they age? - Answer-As they get older they gain more color. What happens to the color of reds as they age? - Answer-As they get older they lose color and go from purple when young to tawny when old. When smelling, what is the indication of an unclean nose? - Answer-Means that there is some fault: TCA, VA, bret, sulfur, mercaptans, geranium tone... When assessing the intensity of the nose, what are you looking for? - Answer-How much, not how many, of the aroma character there is. Struggle to get anything is light, if you get it before getting nose to glass, pronounced. In a dry wine, what two items can mask themselves as sweetness? - Answer-High alcohol and fruit intensity. For long term storage, temp of all wines should be... - Answer-Cool and constant, preferably between 10 and 15C (50-59F) Three considerations for storage of wine - Answer-Constant temperature, stored with cork on its side, away from strong light and vibrations. Why will a warmer environment "age" the wine? - Answer-Heat agitates molecules and cold slows them down. Cooler conditions puts wine in a stasis. Ideal temperature to serve medium to full bodied oaked whites? - Answer-Lightly chilled, 10-13C (50-55F) Ideal temperature to serve light to medium bodied white? - Answer-Chilled, 7-10C (45-50F) Ideal temperature to serve sweet wines? - Answer-Well chilled, 6-8C (43-45F) Ideal temperature to serve sparkling wines? - Answer-Well chilled, 6-10C (43-50F) Ideal temperature to serve light bodied reds? - Answer-Lightly chilled 13C (55F) Ideal temperature to serve medium to full bodied reds? - Answer-Room temperature (UK room temp, not California), 15-18C (59-64F) Main factors that determine how a wine will taste? - Answer-Grape variety used, environment in which it is grown, the care with which they are grown and harvested, how wine is made and how it is matured.