WSET LEVEL 3 ASSESSMENT SHEET 2026
STUDY FRAMEWORK COMPLETE GUIDE
100% ACCURATE.
⫸ cane training. Answer: Vines trained like this always have a trunk
with at least one cordon (permanent horizontal arms) and are usually
spur-pruned.
⫸ replacement cane pruning. Answer: these canes are longer than
those that are spur-pruned, they can have anything between 8 and 20
buds. Two spurs are also retained to replace the canes next year.
Usually one or two canes are trained horizontally to a supportive
trellis.
Pruning a vine in this manner is a skilled job and therefore it can be
more expensive since the labour force need skill to choose appropriate
canes and spurs.
This is sometimes known as Guyot.
⫸ spurs. Answer: short sections of one-year-old wood that have been
cut down to two or three buds. When a vine is head-trained, the spurs
are distributed around the top of the trunk.
⫸ gobelet. Answer: a head-trained, spur-pruned vine
⫸ Guyot. Answer: head-trained, replacement cane pruned
,⫸ Trellising. Answer: requires posts to be interspersed along a line of
vines. Wires are then run between the posts and the vine's canes and
shoots are tied to the wires.
⫸ yield. Answer: the amount of grapes produced
⫸ Yields can be measured in the following ways:. Answer: the weight
of harvested grapes
tonnes of grapes per hectare
volume, for example, hectolitres of wine per hectare
⫸ green harvesting. Answer: • Aka. *Vendange en Vert, Bunch
Thinning*
• Remove the least ripe grapes (3rd and 4th bunches)
• Crop reduced significantly → 1 bunch left per cane
• Optimal fruit:leaf ratio
• Best done around véraison
• Done by hand
• Time consuming → 50 hours per ha
⫸ Sustainable Agriculture. Answer: Although growers are
encouraged to monitor weather and the vineyard environment to help
protect against potential threats from pests and diseases, man-made
chemicals are not banned in sustainable agriculture. If a grower
routinely examines the vineyard, the vines won't have to be
unnecessarily sprayed; this is beneficial as environmentalists are
,becoming increasingly worried about the harmful damage chemical
fertilisers and sprays can do to the environment.
⫸ organic agriculture. Answer: Although growers are encouraged to
monitor weather and the vineyard environment to help protect against
potential threats from pests and diseases, man-made chemicals are not
banned in sustainable agriculture. If a grower routinely examines the
vineyard, the vines won't have to be unnecessarily sprayed; this is
beneficial as environmentalists are becoming increasingly worried
about the harmful damage chemical fertilisers and sprays can do to
the environment.
⫸ biodynamic agriculture. Answer: This concept is based on organic
practices, but builds upon them with cosmological and philosophical
concepts. The soil of a vineyard is viewed as part of an interconnected
system, involving the Earth, the air and the other planets; therefore,
growing practices are often adapted to coincide with the cycles of the
planets, moons and stars. Homeopathic remedies called 'preparations'
are used as fertilisers and pest controllers.
⫸ véraison. Answer: the point at which grapes begin to ripen
⫸ Machine harvester. Answer: shake the trunk of the vine and knock
off the ripe grapes. However, the machine does not discriminate
between clean ripe grapes, and those that may be slightly unripe,
unhealthy, damaged or even bits of other matter from the vine
⫸ MOG. Answer: "Matter Other than Grapes" collected during
harvest during machine harvesting.
, ⫸ Positives of machine harvesting. Answer: initial cost, this form of
harvesting can be cheaper, quicker and less labour-intensive
⫸ Negatives of machine harvesting. Answer: machines can only be
used on flat or gently sloping land. it is not suitable if the wine style
requires whole bunches like Beaujolais or some Champagne
⫸ hand harvesting. Answer: whole bunches of grapes are cut from the
vine with secateurs
⫸ Negatives of hand harvesting. Answer: much slower and labour
intensive
⫸ Positives of hand harvesting. Answer: the winemaker can be
selective about the quality of grapes that are taken to the winery;
those grapes which are damaged, unripe or not beset with the right
level of noble rot (only when making sweet wine) can be disregarded.
The stem is also retained, which is sometimes required to achieve
certain aromas in some wines.
⫸ vitis vinifera. Answer: produces nearly all the grapes used in
winemaking and has been used to make wine for several thousand
years
⫸ American vines. Answer: resistent to phylloxera. grafted onto vv
vines
STUDY FRAMEWORK COMPLETE GUIDE
100% ACCURATE.
⫸ cane training. Answer: Vines trained like this always have a trunk
with at least one cordon (permanent horizontal arms) and are usually
spur-pruned.
⫸ replacement cane pruning. Answer: these canes are longer than
those that are spur-pruned, they can have anything between 8 and 20
buds. Two spurs are also retained to replace the canes next year.
Usually one or two canes are trained horizontally to a supportive
trellis.
Pruning a vine in this manner is a skilled job and therefore it can be
more expensive since the labour force need skill to choose appropriate
canes and spurs.
This is sometimes known as Guyot.
⫸ spurs. Answer: short sections of one-year-old wood that have been
cut down to two or three buds. When a vine is head-trained, the spurs
are distributed around the top of the trunk.
⫸ gobelet. Answer: a head-trained, spur-pruned vine
⫸ Guyot. Answer: head-trained, replacement cane pruned
,⫸ Trellising. Answer: requires posts to be interspersed along a line of
vines. Wires are then run between the posts and the vine's canes and
shoots are tied to the wires.
⫸ yield. Answer: the amount of grapes produced
⫸ Yields can be measured in the following ways:. Answer: the weight
of harvested grapes
tonnes of grapes per hectare
volume, for example, hectolitres of wine per hectare
⫸ green harvesting. Answer: • Aka. *Vendange en Vert, Bunch
Thinning*
• Remove the least ripe grapes (3rd and 4th bunches)
• Crop reduced significantly → 1 bunch left per cane
• Optimal fruit:leaf ratio
• Best done around véraison
• Done by hand
• Time consuming → 50 hours per ha
⫸ Sustainable Agriculture. Answer: Although growers are
encouraged to monitor weather and the vineyard environment to help
protect against potential threats from pests and diseases, man-made
chemicals are not banned in sustainable agriculture. If a grower
routinely examines the vineyard, the vines won't have to be
unnecessarily sprayed; this is beneficial as environmentalists are
,becoming increasingly worried about the harmful damage chemical
fertilisers and sprays can do to the environment.
⫸ organic agriculture. Answer: Although growers are encouraged to
monitor weather and the vineyard environment to help protect against
potential threats from pests and diseases, man-made chemicals are not
banned in sustainable agriculture. If a grower routinely examines the
vineyard, the vines won't have to be unnecessarily sprayed; this is
beneficial as environmentalists are becoming increasingly worried
about the harmful damage chemical fertilisers and sprays can do to
the environment.
⫸ biodynamic agriculture. Answer: This concept is based on organic
practices, but builds upon them with cosmological and philosophical
concepts. The soil of a vineyard is viewed as part of an interconnected
system, involving the Earth, the air and the other planets; therefore,
growing practices are often adapted to coincide with the cycles of the
planets, moons and stars. Homeopathic remedies called 'preparations'
are used as fertilisers and pest controllers.
⫸ véraison. Answer: the point at which grapes begin to ripen
⫸ Machine harvester. Answer: shake the trunk of the vine and knock
off the ripe grapes. However, the machine does not discriminate
between clean ripe grapes, and those that may be slightly unripe,
unhealthy, damaged or even bits of other matter from the vine
⫸ MOG. Answer: "Matter Other than Grapes" collected during
harvest during machine harvesting.
, ⫸ Positives of machine harvesting. Answer: initial cost, this form of
harvesting can be cheaper, quicker and less labour-intensive
⫸ Negatives of machine harvesting. Answer: machines can only be
used on flat or gently sloping land. it is not suitable if the wine style
requires whole bunches like Beaujolais or some Champagne
⫸ hand harvesting. Answer: whole bunches of grapes are cut from the
vine with secateurs
⫸ Negatives of hand harvesting. Answer: much slower and labour
intensive
⫸ Positives of hand harvesting. Answer: the winemaker can be
selective about the quality of grapes that are taken to the winery;
those grapes which are damaged, unripe or not beset with the right
level of noble rot (only when making sweet wine) can be disregarded.
The stem is also retained, which is sometimes required to achieve
certain aromas in some wines.
⫸ vitis vinifera. Answer: produces nearly all the grapes used in
winemaking and has been used to make wine for several thousand
years
⫸ American vines. Answer: resistent to phylloxera. grafted onto vv
vines
