WSET LEVEL 2 PRACTICAL EXAM
CERTIFICATION SCRIPT 2026 FULL
QUESTIONS WITH DETAILED SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
⩥ The most common fault that can be discovered on the nose is?
Answer: Cork taint:
low levels - strips wine of fresh, friuty aromas
high levels - adds pungent, unpleasant damp cardboard or musty smell to
wine
⩥ Wines that are slightly sweet are called?
Answer: off-dry
⩥ Tannin is present is grapes skins. High levels of tannins indicate what
type of climate?
Answer: warm/hot climate
⩥ What is the body of the wine?
Answer: "mouth-feel"; richness, weight or viscosity
⩥ What characteristics indicate a good wine?
,Answer: well balanced, smooth, complexity, layers to wine
⩥ What wine would match a rich heavyweight food?
Answer: full-bodied wines. Preferably red wine, but full-bodied white
can go well
⩥ What does a wine need to match tomatoes, olive oil and vinegar?
Answer: high acidity
⩥ If you have a dry wine with a dessert what happens to the wine?
Answer: it will seem tart and over-acidic
⩥ What component in wine is a good match with protein?
Answer: wines with high levels of tannin
⩥ In order to grow a vine needs:
a, b, c, d, e
Answer: a. Carbon dioxide (CO2)
b. Sunlight
c. Water
d. Warmth
e. Nutrients
,⩥ What affects the style and quality of wine each year?
Answer: Climate; weather conditions vary from year to year
⩥ What are four vineyard activies?
Answer: 1. careful pruning
2. controlling the number of bunches of grapes on each vine
3. pest control
4. careful positioning of leaves to increase or decrease temperature of
grape bunches, or their degree of exposure to sunlight
⩥ Lower yields result in ________ grapes
Answer: riper; with more concentrated flavors
⩥ What are two pests in the vineyard?
Answer: Animal pests (birds & insects)
Fungal diseases (long-term diseases caused by fungi, bacteria, or viruses
⩥ When does harvesting occur?
Answer: once the grapes have ripened. End of September or end of
August if it's a good summer
, ⩥ White wines and red wines are both crushed but what extra step
happens to white wines after they have been crushed?
Answer: they are pressed to separate juice from skins
⩥ What temperature does white wine get fermented at?
Answer: 12-22 Celsius (53.6-71.6 Fahrenheit): preserves delicate fruit
aromas
⩥ What temperature does red wine get fermented at?
Answer: 20-32 Celsius (68-89.6 Fahrenheit)
⩥ What vessels can wine mature in?
Answer: barrels or large neutral wooden or stainless steel vats, concrete.
Also takes place in bottle after bottling
⩥ What vessels allow oxidation?
Answer: new and old vats or barrels (oak)
⩥ What vessels do not allow oxidation?
Answer: bottles, cement, and stainless steel vats
⩥ What does vintage mean?
Answer: the year the grapes were harvested
CERTIFICATION SCRIPT 2026 FULL
QUESTIONS WITH DETAILED SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
⩥ The most common fault that can be discovered on the nose is?
Answer: Cork taint:
low levels - strips wine of fresh, friuty aromas
high levels - adds pungent, unpleasant damp cardboard or musty smell to
wine
⩥ Wines that are slightly sweet are called?
Answer: off-dry
⩥ Tannin is present is grapes skins. High levels of tannins indicate what
type of climate?
Answer: warm/hot climate
⩥ What is the body of the wine?
Answer: "mouth-feel"; richness, weight or viscosity
⩥ What characteristics indicate a good wine?
,Answer: well balanced, smooth, complexity, layers to wine
⩥ What wine would match a rich heavyweight food?
Answer: full-bodied wines. Preferably red wine, but full-bodied white
can go well
⩥ What does a wine need to match tomatoes, olive oil and vinegar?
Answer: high acidity
⩥ If you have a dry wine with a dessert what happens to the wine?
Answer: it will seem tart and over-acidic
⩥ What component in wine is a good match with protein?
Answer: wines with high levels of tannin
⩥ In order to grow a vine needs:
a, b, c, d, e
Answer: a. Carbon dioxide (CO2)
b. Sunlight
c. Water
d. Warmth
e. Nutrients
,⩥ What affects the style and quality of wine each year?
Answer: Climate; weather conditions vary from year to year
⩥ What are four vineyard activies?
Answer: 1. careful pruning
2. controlling the number of bunches of grapes on each vine
3. pest control
4. careful positioning of leaves to increase or decrease temperature of
grape bunches, or their degree of exposure to sunlight
⩥ Lower yields result in ________ grapes
Answer: riper; with more concentrated flavors
⩥ What are two pests in the vineyard?
Answer: Animal pests (birds & insects)
Fungal diseases (long-term diseases caused by fungi, bacteria, or viruses
⩥ When does harvesting occur?
Answer: once the grapes have ripened. End of September or end of
August if it's a good summer
, ⩥ White wines and red wines are both crushed but what extra step
happens to white wines after they have been crushed?
Answer: they are pressed to separate juice from skins
⩥ What temperature does white wine get fermented at?
Answer: 12-22 Celsius (53.6-71.6 Fahrenheit): preserves delicate fruit
aromas
⩥ What temperature does red wine get fermented at?
Answer: 20-32 Celsius (68-89.6 Fahrenheit)
⩥ What vessels can wine mature in?
Answer: barrels or large neutral wooden or stainless steel vats, concrete.
Also takes place in bottle after bottling
⩥ What vessels allow oxidation?
Answer: new and old vats or barrels (oak)
⩥ What vessels do not allow oxidation?
Answer: bottles, cement, and stainless steel vats
⩥ What does vintage mean?
Answer: the year the grapes were harvested
