WSET LEVEL 1 EXAM SCRIPT VERIFIED QUESTIONS WITH
DETAILED ANSWER EXPLANATIONS 2026
• What is *Wine*? -✓✓ An Alcoholic drink made from the total or partial
fermentation of freshly-picked grapes' juice.
• What is *Fermentation*? -✓✓ Yeast feed on sugar, converting it into alcohol and
carbon dioxide gas and heat
• *Types* of wine. -✓✓ 1. Still wine
2. Sparkling wine
3. Fortified wine
• *Still* wines. -✓✓ • They have no bubbles
• 8-15% alcohol
• Named after a region (old world)
• Named after a grape variety (new world)
• *Sparkling* wines. -✓✓ • Carbon dioxide trapped (bubbles)
• Champagne is the best known French Sparkling
• Crémant is also an sparkling wine from France
• Cava is made in Spain
• Prosecco is made in Italy
• Sekt is made in Austria and Germany
• *Fortified* wines. -✓✓ • Extra alcohol added
,• 15-22% alcohol
• E.g. Sherry (Spain) & Port (Portugal)
• *Styles* of wine. -✓✓ • Colour
• Sweetness
• Body
• Oak
• Tannins
• Acidity
• *Colour* of wine. -✓✓ • *Red* ➜ Black grapes. Juice fermented in contact with
skins
• *White* ➜ Usually white grapes but black grapes as well, no skin contact.
Lighter & refreshing
• *Rosé* ➜ Black grapes. Less skin contact.
• Level of *Sweetness*. -✓✓ • Yeast dies at 15% above
• Remaining sugar will determine how sweet the wine is
• Dry - Medium - Sweet
• *Dry* wines. -✓✓ • No sugar left during fermentation
• Most wines are dry
• Examples of *Dry* wines. -✓✓ • *White* ➜ Sauvignong Blanc from NZ,
Sherry from Spain & Brut Champagne from France
, • *Red* ➜ Chianti from Italy, Cabernet Sauvignon from California &
Châteauneuf-du-Pape from France
• *Medium* wines. -✓✓ • Usually white or rosé wines
• Winemaker either stops fermentation by removing yeast before all sugars are
consumed or adds unfermented grape juice
• Examples of *Medium* wines. -✓✓ • Germany white wines (Riesling)
• White Zinfandel (rosé) from California
• *Sweet* wines. -✓✓ • Wine made out of grapes rich in sugar, yeast dies before
all sugars are consumed or yeast dies because of the addition of extra alcohol
• Sweetness and acidiy must be balanced ➜ not cloying
• Examples of *Sweet* wines. -✓✓ • *Sauternes* from France
• *Port* from Portugal
• What is *Body*? -✓✓ • The general feel of the wine in the mouth when you taste
it
• Light - Medium - Full
• *Light* bodied wine. -✓✓ • Refreshing and easy to drink
• E.g. Pinot Grigio (Italy) & Beaujolais (France)
• *Medium* bodied wine. -✓✓ • Richer more substantial
• Oak barrels ➜ extra texture
DETAILED ANSWER EXPLANATIONS 2026
• What is *Wine*? -✓✓ An Alcoholic drink made from the total or partial
fermentation of freshly-picked grapes' juice.
• What is *Fermentation*? -✓✓ Yeast feed on sugar, converting it into alcohol and
carbon dioxide gas and heat
• *Types* of wine. -✓✓ 1. Still wine
2. Sparkling wine
3. Fortified wine
• *Still* wines. -✓✓ • They have no bubbles
• 8-15% alcohol
• Named after a region (old world)
• Named after a grape variety (new world)
• *Sparkling* wines. -✓✓ • Carbon dioxide trapped (bubbles)
• Champagne is the best known French Sparkling
• Crémant is also an sparkling wine from France
• Cava is made in Spain
• Prosecco is made in Italy
• Sekt is made in Austria and Germany
• *Fortified* wines. -✓✓ • Extra alcohol added
,• 15-22% alcohol
• E.g. Sherry (Spain) & Port (Portugal)
• *Styles* of wine. -✓✓ • Colour
• Sweetness
• Body
• Oak
• Tannins
• Acidity
• *Colour* of wine. -✓✓ • *Red* ➜ Black grapes. Juice fermented in contact with
skins
• *White* ➜ Usually white grapes but black grapes as well, no skin contact.
Lighter & refreshing
• *Rosé* ➜ Black grapes. Less skin contact.
• Level of *Sweetness*. -✓✓ • Yeast dies at 15% above
• Remaining sugar will determine how sweet the wine is
• Dry - Medium - Sweet
• *Dry* wines. -✓✓ • No sugar left during fermentation
• Most wines are dry
• Examples of *Dry* wines. -✓✓ • *White* ➜ Sauvignong Blanc from NZ,
Sherry from Spain & Brut Champagne from France
, • *Red* ➜ Chianti from Italy, Cabernet Sauvignon from California &
Châteauneuf-du-Pape from France
• *Medium* wines. -✓✓ • Usually white or rosé wines
• Winemaker either stops fermentation by removing yeast before all sugars are
consumed or adds unfermented grape juice
• Examples of *Medium* wines. -✓✓ • Germany white wines (Riesling)
• White Zinfandel (rosé) from California
• *Sweet* wines. -✓✓ • Wine made out of grapes rich in sugar, yeast dies before
all sugars are consumed or yeast dies because of the addition of extra alcohol
• Sweetness and acidiy must be balanced ➜ not cloying
• Examples of *Sweet* wines. -✓✓ • *Sauternes* from France
• *Port* from Portugal
• What is *Body*? -✓✓ • The general feel of the wine in the mouth when you taste
it
• Light - Medium - Full
• *Light* bodied wine. -✓✓ • Refreshing and easy to drink
• E.g. Pinot Grigio (Italy) & Beaujolais (France)
• *Medium* bodied wine. -✓✓ • Richer more substantial
• Oak barrels ➜ extra texture
