WSET Level 1 Exam Questions and Answers

WSET Level 1 Exam Questions and Answers What is the chemical process for wine? - Answer-Yeast feeds on the sugar in grape juice, creating alcohol and carbon dioxide. What are the three types of wine? - Answer-light, sparkling, and fortified What is light wine? - Answer-8-15% ABV, named by region or grape What is sparkling wine? - Answer-bubbles of carbon dioxide gas trapped in the wine (ex: Champagne, cava, sekt, prosecco, etc.) What is fortified wine? - Answer-alcohol has been added, 15-22% ABV (ex: port, sherry, etc.) How is the color of wine determined? - Answer-the type of grapes used (ex: white wine made with white grapes, red wine made with red grapes) and/or the way the wine is made (ex: white wine with red grapes with skins removed before fermentation, rose wine has less contact with the skins) What is sweetness? - Answer-remaining sugar after yeast has died at 15% or all sugars have been used; dry (all converted), medium (yeast removed or unfermented wine added to dry wine), and sweet (yeast dies before all sugar is consumed) EMILLECT 2024/2025 ACADEMIC YEAR ©2024 EMILLECT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED FIRST PUBLISH OCTOBER, 2024 Page 2/8 What is body? - Answer-the mouthfeel of wine, affected by ripeness and use of oak; light, medium, full What are three factors in describing wine? - Answer-oak (butter, vanilla, smooth), tannin (drying), acidity (watering) What are characteristics of cool climate wines? - Answer-mainly white wines, high in acidity, low in alcohol, refreshing (ex: Northern France, Germany) What are characteristics of warm climate wines? - Answer-mainly red wines, low in acidity, high in alcohol, rich (ex: Southern France, Spain, Australia) Chardonnay - Answer-international, typically dry, in cool regions like Chablis and Champagne (green fruits like apple, citrus, high acid) and warm regions (stone fruit like peach, and tropical fruits like pineapple and banana), full bodied, rich, creamy, oak Sauvignon Blanc - Answer-international (New Zealand, Sancerre, Pouilly Fume) fruity, light to medium bodied, high acid, dry, green fruit, citrus like grapefruit and lime, herbaceous like grass and bell pepper Riesling - Answer-international (Germany, Alsace, Australia), dry to sweet, light to medium bodied, fruity, high acid, stone fruits like peach and apricot, citrus like lime, floral, petrol, dried apricot, age well Cabernet Sauvignon - Answer-widely planted, deeply colored, medium to full bodied, tannic, acidic, intense aromas like black fruits like blackcurrant and black cherry, herbaceous like EMILLECT 2024/2025 ACADEMIC YEAR ©2024 EMILLECT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED FIRST PUBLISH OCTOBER, 2024 Page 3/8 bell pepper and mint, oak like spice and vanilla, often blended to add tannin and acid with Merlot in Bordeaux and Shiraz in Australia, common in California Merlot - Answer-softer than Cabernet Sauvignon, full bodied, low to medium tannins, intensely fruity, red fruits like strawberry and plum, black fruits like blackberry and black cherry, oak like spice and vanilla, common in Bordeaux and Chile, often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon to add softness Pinot Noir - Answer-lighter in color and body, low to medium tannins, high acid, red fruit like strawberry, raspberry, and red cherry, common in Burgundy and New Zealand Syrah/Shiraz - Answer-rich, powerful, peppery, deeply colored, full bodied, medium to high tannins, black fruits like cherry and blackberry, spice like black pepper and cloves, herbaceous like mint, oak, common in Northern Rhone (medium-bodied, high tannin) and Australia (full bodied, spicy, soft tannins) Chablis - Answer-light bodied, French, dry, unoaked, high acid, apple, citrus, Chardonnay Champagne - Answer-French, sparkling, high acid, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier Sancerre - Answer-medium bodied, French, high acid,