WSET Level 3 / Key facts and terms taken from the
WSET Level 3 study materials. WARNING these
flashcards should NOT be the only way you prepare for
the exam. 2025/2026
The wine tastes more drying and bi er, more acidic. Less sweet and fruity. - Ans What effect
does a sweet food have on wine?
Since sweet food can dull the taste of a wine (losing its fruit and becoming unpleasantly acidic),
a good general rule is to select a wine with a higher level of sweetness. - Ans What type of wine
should you pair with sweet food?
Increases the percep%on of bi erness, astringency, acidity and alcohol burn in the wine. It also
decreases the percep%on of body, sweetness, and frui%ness of the wine. - Ans What effect does
umami food have on wine?
Pair with low tannin, lower alcohol red wines without (or limited) oak character. Crisp whites
with minimal oak and lower alcohol also work well. - Ans What type of wine should you pair
with umami food?
Salt will increase the percep%on of body in a wine and decrease astringency, bi erness and
acidity. - Ans What effect does salty food have on wine?
Fruity and rich (less bi er. less alcoholic) - Ans Salty foods will make a tannic, alcoholic red wine
taste more ......... ?
Acid in food will increase the percep%on of body, sweetness, and frui%ness in wine. It will also
decrease the percep%on of acid in a wine. - Ans What effect does acidic food have on wine?
,It's a good rule of thumb to pair high acid food with high acid wine (as wines can appear flat
and flabby if the acid of the wine is overwhelmed by the food). - Ans What type of wine should
be paired with acidic food?
Bi erness in food increases the bi erness in wine. - Ans What effect does bi er food have on
wine?
The wine can be overwhelmed by the food flavors. - Ans What effect does highly flavored food
have on wine?
Pair with wines of similar intensity or flavors. - Ans What type of wine should be paired with
highly flavored food?
It makes the wine appear less acidic. - Ans What effect does fa y/oily food have on wine?
Pair with wines of high levels of acidity. - Ans What type of wine should be paired with highly
fa y/oily food?
In 2009 - Ans When did the European Union change it's wine laws?
1) Protected Designa%on of Origen (PDO)
2) Protected Geographical Indica%on (PGI) - Ans What are the two labelling terms of EU wines
with a geographical indica%on?
Apella%on d'Origine Controlee (AC or AOC) - Ans What term is used to delineate a PDO wine
from France?
, Vin de Pays (VdP) or Indica%on Geographique Protegee (IGP). IGP has appeared on many wine
labels begining with the 2009 vintage. - Ans What term is used to delineate a PGI wine from
France?
Vin de France - Ans What term is used to delineate a wine in France without any geographical
indica%on?
Located in south-west France, Bordeaux has a moderate/mari%me climate. - Ans What is the
loca%on and climate of Bordeaux?
Stone/Gravel - Ans What type of soil is found in the Medoc, Haut-Medoc, and Graves regions of
Bordeaux?
Clay with limestone subsoil - Ans What type of soil is found in the St-Emilion and Pomeral
regions of Bordeaux?
1) Merlot
2) Cabernet Sauvignon
3) Cabernet
4) Malbec
5) Pe%t Verdot
6) Carmenere - Ans What are the 6 main black grape varie%es of Bordeaux (in order of most to
least vineyard acreage)?
1) Semillon
2) Sauvignon Blanc
3) Muscadelle - Ans What are the 3 main white grapes of Bordeaux (in order of most to least
vineyard acreage)?
, High-density plan%ng - Ans Are there high or low density plan%ngs in Bordeaux?
Lower yields for higher-quality wines - Ans Do the higher quality wines of Bordeaux experience
lower or higher yields?
1) Ripening Grapes
2) Fungal disease - Ans What are two key vineyard challenges in Bordeaux?
Machine harves%ng. The gentle sloping vineyards of Bordeaux are suitable for machine
harves%ng. - Ans What type of harves%ng is used throughout Bordeaux?
Hand-picking is typical for grapes affected by noble rot used for sweet wine produc%on
(Sauternes, Barsac, etc) - Ans For what type of wine style is hand-harves%ng required in
Bordeaux?
Grape varie%es are fermented separately and blended aAer fermenta%on. - Ans For Bordeaux
red winemaking, are the grape varie%es fermented separately or together?
In wooden vats or in new or used oak barriques (225 liters) - Ans What is Bordeaux red wine
typically matured in?
They are made ready-to-drink with a high propor%on of Merlot in the blend, matured in a vat
with no new oak. - Ans In Bordeaux, how are inexpensive red wines typically produced?
Higher-priced wines use tradi%onal fermenta%on and have a higher propor%on of new oak for
matura%on; these wines will need maturing in bo le for several years. - Ans In Bordeaux
winemaking, how are higher-priced red wines typically produced?
WSET Level 3 study materials. WARNING these
flashcards should NOT be the only way you prepare for
the exam. 2025/2026
The wine tastes more drying and bi er, more acidic. Less sweet and fruity. - Ans What effect
does a sweet food have on wine?
Since sweet food can dull the taste of a wine (losing its fruit and becoming unpleasantly acidic),
a good general rule is to select a wine with a higher level of sweetness. - Ans What type of wine
should you pair with sweet food?
Increases the percep%on of bi erness, astringency, acidity and alcohol burn in the wine. It also
decreases the percep%on of body, sweetness, and frui%ness of the wine. - Ans What effect does
umami food have on wine?
Pair with low tannin, lower alcohol red wines without (or limited) oak character. Crisp whites
with minimal oak and lower alcohol also work well. - Ans What type of wine should you pair
with umami food?
Salt will increase the percep%on of body in a wine and decrease astringency, bi erness and
acidity. - Ans What effect does salty food have on wine?
Fruity and rich (less bi er. less alcoholic) - Ans Salty foods will make a tannic, alcoholic red wine
taste more ......... ?
Acid in food will increase the percep%on of body, sweetness, and frui%ness in wine. It will also
decrease the percep%on of acid in a wine. - Ans What effect does acidic food have on wine?
,It's a good rule of thumb to pair high acid food with high acid wine (as wines can appear flat
and flabby if the acid of the wine is overwhelmed by the food). - Ans What type of wine should
be paired with acidic food?
Bi erness in food increases the bi erness in wine. - Ans What effect does bi er food have on
wine?
The wine can be overwhelmed by the food flavors. - Ans What effect does highly flavored food
have on wine?
Pair with wines of similar intensity or flavors. - Ans What type of wine should be paired with
highly flavored food?
It makes the wine appear less acidic. - Ans What effect does fa y/oily food have on wine?
Pair with wines of high levels of acidity. - Ans What type of wine should be paired with highly
fa y/oily food?
In 2009 - Ans When did the European Union change it's wine laws?
1) Protected Designa%on of Origen (PDO)
2) Protected Geographical Indica%on (PGI) - Ans What are the two labelling terms of EU wines
with a geographical indica%on?
Apella%on d'Origine Controlee (AC or AOC) - Ans What term is used to delineate a PDO wine
from France?
, Vin de Pays (VdP) or Indica%on Geographique Protegee (IGP). IGP has appeared on many wine
labels begining with the 2009 vintage. - Ans What term is used to delineate a PGI wine from
France?
Vin de France - Ans What term is used to delineate a wine in France without any geographical
indica%on?
Located in south-west France, Bordeaux has a moderate/mari%me climate. - Ans What is the
loca%on and climate of Bordeaux?
Stone/Gravel - Ans What type of soil is found in the Medoc, Haut-Medoc, and Graves regions of
Bordeaux?
Clay with limestone subsoil - Ans What type of soil is found in the St-Emilion and Pomeral
regions of Bordeaux?
1) Merlot
2) Cabernet Sauvignon
3) Cabernet
4) Malbec
5) Pe%t Verdot
6) Carmenere - Ans What are the 6 main black grape varie%es of Bordeaux (in order of most to
least vineyard acreage)?
1) Semillon
2) Sauvignon Blanc
3) Muscadelle - Ans What are the 3 main white grapes of Bordeaux (in order of most to least
vineyard acreage)?
, High-density plan%ng - Ans Are there high or low density plan%ngs in Bordeaux?
Lower yields for higher-quality wines - Ans Do the higher quality wines of Bordeaux experience
lower or higher yields?
1) Ripening Grapes
2) Fungal disease - Ans What are two key vineyard challenges in Bordeaux?
Machine harves%ng. The gentle sloping vineyards of Bordeaux are suitable for machine
harves%ng. - Ans What type of harves%ng is used throughout Bordeaux?
Hand-picking is typical for grapes affected by noble rot used for sweet wine produc%on
(Sauternes, Barsac, etc) - Ans For what type of wine style is hand-harves%ng required in
Bordeaux?
Grape varie%es are fermented separately and blended aAer fermenta%on. - Ans For Bordeaux
red winemaking, are the grape varie%es fermented separately or together?
In wooden vats or in new or used oak barriques (225 liters) - Ans What is Bordeaux red wine
typically matured in?
They are made ready-to-drink with a high propor%on of Merlot in the blend, matured in a vat
with no new oak. - Ans In Bordeaux, how are inexpensive red wines typically produced?
Higher-priced wines use tradi%onal fermenta%on and have a higher propor%on of new oak for
matura%on; these wines will need maturing in bo le for several years. - Ans In Bordeaux
winemaking, how are higher-priced red wines typically produced?
