WSET LEVEL 2: GLOSSARY TERMS
EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Barrique - Answer-French - Cask (q.v.) with a capacity of 225 Liters. Traditional to
Bordeaux, but now used throughout the world
Barsac - Answer-AC Region neighboruring Sauternes, making wines of a similar style,
quality and price
Bereich - Answer-German - A group of communes (Gemeinde)
Bergerac - Answer-AC Region inland of Bordeaux, making wines in a similar style (red
and white)
Bin - Answer-Literally a location, for example in a cellar, where a particular wine is
stored. Often used as part of a brand name
Biologique - Answer-French - Organic
Blaufränkisch - Answer-Black grape variety. Red cherry fruit and peppery spice.
Oaked/unoaked. Austria (especially burgenland) plus Germany and Hungary.
Blended whiskey - Answer-Scotland: a blend of grain and malt whiskey
USA: A blend of straight whiskey and neutral corn spirit
Bodega - Answer-Spanish - Winery
Bonnezeaux - Answer-Loire AC region making sweet wines from noble-rot affected
Chenin Blanc grapes
Borderies - Answer-A region in Cognac, just north of Grande and Petite Champagne
(q.v.), offering very high quality spirits
Botanicals - Answer-Flavourings used in gin production, such as juniper, coriander and
citrus peel
Botrytis cinerea - Answer-Fungus that attacks the grape berry. In certain circumstances
it will form unwanted grey rot; in others, desirable noble rot
Bottiglia - Answer-Italian - Bottle
Brut - Answer-French, Spanish - Dry (of a sparkling wine)
,Bull's Blood - Answer-Medium-bodied Hungarian red made from a blend of varieties,
including Blaufränkisch and international varieties
Bush vines - Answer-Vines trained as free-standing plants, not needing the support of a
trellis
Butt - Answer-Traditional barrel used in Sherry production, holding about 600 liters
Cahors - Answer-AC region in southwest France, making full-bodied reds, mainly from
Malbec
Calvados - Answer-Delimited region in northwest France, making apple (and pear)
based aged spirits
Campbeltown - Answer-Town on the west coast of mainland Scotland.
Campbeltown single malt whiskies vary in style, but the vest are very complex
Cantina sociale - Answer-Italian - Co-operative cellar
Cap Classique - Answer-A South African sparkling wine made using the traditional
method
Carbonic maceration - Answer-Fermentation of whole bunches of black grapes with the
berries initially intact. the intracellular fermentation results in well-colored, fruity red
wines, with little tannin. (Beaujolais)
Carignan - Answer-High acid, high tannin black variety. Suits hot regions such as the
south of France and North Africa
Cascina - Answer-Italian - Farmhouse (has come to mean estate)
Cask - Answer-Wooden barrel, usually made of oak, used for fermentation, maturation
and storage of wines. Traditional names and sizes vary from region to region.
Cask strength - Answer-particularly of malt whiskies, a spirit that has not been reduced
(watered down) to a bottling strength of around 40% abv. these generally will not be
filtered and will be very high in alcohol; sometimes over 75% abv.
See also overproof.
Casta - Answer-Portuguese - Grape variety
Cave - Answer-France - Cellar (often undergound) or winemaking establishment
Cave coopérative - Answer-French - co-operative cellar
Cépage - Answer-French - grape variety
, Cerasuolo - Answer-Italian - cherry pink
Chai - Answer-French - Above-ground warehouse for storing wine, usually in barrels
Chambolle-Musigny - Answer-Commune AC in the Côte de Nuits famous for Pinot Noir
Chaptalisation - Answer-Must enrichment (adding sugar to the grape juice to increase
potential alcohol) specifically using beet or cane, named after Comte Chaptal, the
Napoleonic minister who advocated its use
Château - Answer-France - vineyard in Bordeaux, generally, but not always, with
accompanying house
Chaume - Answer-Loire AC region making sweet wines from noble-rot affected Chenin
Blanc. the best part of this is Quarts de Chaume AC
Chiaretto - Answer-Italian - light or pale rosé
Cinsault - Answer-Black grape variety with savoury, meaty flavors. Suits hot conditions
such as the southeren Rhône (where it is blended with Grenache, Syrah and Mourèdre)
and South Africa
Climat - Answer-France - a vineyard site
Clos - Answer-France - Historically, a walled vineyard, although the walls may no longer
exist
Colombard - Answer-White grape variety grown in southwest France for distillation, and
for high-acid, appley dry whites
Commune - Answer-A small wine-growing region, usually surrounding one village
Condrieu - Answer-Northern Rhône AC region making complex, expensive, exotic dry
and off-dry whites from Viognier (q.v.)
Consorzio - Answer-Italian - Producers' trade association , whose members' wines are
identified by an individually designed neck label
Continentality - Answer-The difference between summer and winter temperatures
Co-operative cellar - Answer-Winemaking (and sometimes bottling and marking)
faciliteis taht are jointly owned by a number of growers
Cornas - Answer-Northern Rhône AC region making full-bodied reds from Syrah
EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Barrique - Answer-French - Cask (q.v.) with a capacity of 225 Liters. Traditional to
Bordeaux, but now used throughout the world
Barsac - Answer-AC Region neighboruring Sauternes, making wines of a similar style,
quality and price
Bereich - Answer-German - A group of communes (Gemeinde)
Bergerac - Answer-AC Region inland of Bordeaux, making wines in a similar style (red
and white)
Bin - Answer-Literally a location, for example in a cellar, where a particular wine is
stored. Often used as part of a brand name
Biologique - Answer-French - Organic
Blaufränkisch - Answer-Black grape variety. Red cherry fruit and peppery spice.
Oaked/unoaked. Austria (especially burgenland) plus Germany and Hungary.
Blended whiskey - Answer-Scotland: a blend of grain and malt whiskey
USA: A blend of straight whiskey and neutral corn spirit
Bodega - Answer-Spanish - Winery
Bonnezeaux - Answer-Loire AC region making sweet wines from noble-rot affected
Chenin Blanc grapes
Borderies - Answer-A region in Cognac, just north of Grande and Petite Champagne
(q.v.), offering very high quality spirits
Botanicals - Answer-Flavourings used in gin production, such as juniper, coriander and
citrus peel
Botrytis cinerea - Answer-Fungus that attacks the grape berry. In certain circumstances
it will form unwanted grey rot; in others, desirable noble rot
Bottiglia - Answer-Italian - Bottle
Brut - Answer-French, Spanish - Dry (of a sparkling wine)
,Bull's Blood - Answer-Medium-bodied Hungarian red made from a blend of varieties,
including Blaufränkisch and international varieties
Bush vines - Answer-Vines trained as free-standing plants, not needing the support of a
trellis
Butt - Answer-Traditional barrel used in Sherry production, holding about 600 liters
Cahors - Answer-AC region in southwest France, making full-bodied reds, mainly from
Malbec
Calvados - Answer-Delimited region in northwest France, making apple (and pear)
based aged spirits
Campbeltown - Answer-Town on the west coast of mainland Scotland.
Campbeltown single malt whiskies vary in style, but the vest are very complex
Cantina sociale - Answer-Italian - Co-operative cellar
Cap Classique - Answer-A South African sparkling wine made using the traditional
method
Carbonic maceration - Answer-Fermentation of whole bunches of black grapes with the
berries initially intact. the intracellular fermentation results in well-colored, fruity red
wines, with little tannin. (Beaujolais)
Carignan - Answer-High acid, high tannin black variety. Suits hot regions such as the
south of France and North Africa
Cascina - Answer-Italian - Farmhouse (has come to mean estate)
Cask - Answer-Wooden barrel, usually made of oak, used for fermentation, maturation
and storage of wines. Traditional names and sizes vary from region to region.
Cask strength - Answer-particularly of malt whiskies, a spirit that has not been reduced
(watered down) to a bottling strength of around 40% abv. these generally will not be
filtered and will be very high in alcohol; sometimes over 75% abv.
See also overproof.
Casta - Answer-Portuguese - Grape variety
Cave - Answer-France - Cellar (often undergound) or winemaking establishment
Cave coopérative - Answer-French - co-operative cellar
Cépage - Answer-French - grape variety
, Cerasuolo - Answer-Italian - cherry pink
Chai - Answer-French - Above-ground warehouse for storing wine, usually in barrels
Chambolle-Musigny - Answer-Commune AC in the Côte de Nuits famous for Pinot Noir
Chaptalisation - Answer-Must enrichment (adding sugar to the grape juice to increase
potential alcohol) specifically using beet or cane, named after Comte Chaptal, the
Napoleonic minister who advocated its use
Château - Answer-France - vineyard in Bordeaux, generally, but not always, with
accompanying house
Chaume - Answer-Loire AC region making sweet wines from noble-rot affected Chenin
Blanc. the best part of this is Quarts de Chaume AC
Chiaretto - Answer-Italian - light or pale rosé
Cinsault - Answer-Black grape variety with savoury, meaty flavors. Suits hot conditions
such as the southeren Rhône (where it is blended with Grenache, Syrah and Mourèdre)
and South Africa
Climat - Answer-France - a vineyard site
Clos - Answer-France - Historically, a walled vineyard, although the walls may no longer
exist
Colombard - Answer-White grape variety grown in southwest France for distillation, and
for high-acid, appley dry whites
Commune - Answer-A small wine-growing region, usually surrounding one village
Condrieu - Answer-Northern Rhône AC region making complex, expensive, exotic dry
and off-dry whites from Viognier (q.v.)
Consorzio - Answer-Italian - Producers' trade association , whose members' wines are
identified by an individually designed neck label
Continentality - Answer-The difference between summer and winter temperatures
Co-operative cellar - Answer-Winemaking (and sometimes bottling and marking)
faciliteis taht are jointly owned by a number of growers
Cornas - Answer-Northern Rhône AC region making full-bodied reds from Syrah
