WSET Level 3 - Study Set Exam 2026
Questions and Answers
Which grape is allowed to constitute 30% of the blend in a red wine from
Provence? - Correct answer-Cabernet Sauvignon
Where does the AC of Corbieres belong? - Correct answer-Languedoc
Where, in Bordeaux, would you find premium quality dry white wines fermented
and matured in oak barrels producing a rich, nutty flavor? - Correct answer-Pessac-
Leognan
In Bordeaux, what is Sauvignon Blanc blended with? What does it add to the
blend? - Correct answer-Blended with Semillon because it adds distinctive
herbaceous (grassy) aromas and high acidity to counterbalance flabbiness of
Semillon.
How many different species of grapevine are there? - Correct answer-60
What are the 4 most important grapevine species used in modern viticulture? -
Correct answer-Vitis vinifera, Vitis riparia, Vitis rupestris, Vitis berlandieri
What is the main Eurasian grapevine species? - Correct answer-Vitis Vinifera
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,How long has Vitis Vinifera been used in winemaking? - Correct answer-Several
thousand years
How many varieties of Vitis Vinifera are there? - Correct answer-5,000-10,000
What are the main North American grapevine species? - Correct answer-Vitis
riparia, Vitis rupestris, Vitis berlandieri
Which North American grapevine variety is used in winemaking? - Correct
answer-None
Why is "pure" Vitis Vinifera an inferior grapevine? - Correct answer-It is not
resistant to Phylloxera.
What techniques can be used to make Vitis Vinifera resistant to Phylloxera? -
Correct answer-Grafting of rootstock
What is a shoot? - Correct answer-The new growth a vine produces each year.
Where can you find "nodes"? - Correct answer-Along the length of each shoot
What is contained at each node? - Correct answer-A leaf and a flower OR leaf and
a tendril
Where do buds form? - Correct answer-Where leaf stems join the shoot.
What are the grapevine's "engine"? - Correct answer-The leaves
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,What are leaves responsible for? Explain. - Correct answer-Photosynthesis, which
is the process by which plants use chlorophyll and energy to convert water and
CO2 into sugar glucose and oxygen.
What are the three primary uses of the glucose produced in photosynthesis? -
Correct answer-1) Combining small glucose molecules into larger carbohydrates
creating the building blocks for all structures
2) Energy stored in glucose can be released when needed for other living processes
3) Concentrated in the fruit, to make them attractive to the animals, needed to
propagate seeds
What are tendrils? - Correct answer-Structure vines used to grip a supporting
structure
What do tendrils do? - Correct answer-Once they sense a supporting structure, they
wind tightly around it to keep the shoot upright
What is the importance of flowers on a grapevine? - Correct answer-It is the plant's
reproductive organ
What type of reproductive organs do flowers on the grapevine contain? - Correct
answer-Both female and male
What are inflorescences? - Correct answer-Bunches of flowers
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, What does a flower that is successfully pollinated become? - Correct answer-A
berry and the inflorescence will be come a bunch of grapes
How does pollination of the grapevine happen? - Correct answer-Wind or animals
What is an embryonic shoot? - Correct answer-A bud found between the leaf and
shoot
Where does a bud mature? - Correct answer-Inside their casing during the growing
season
What does a bud look like at the end of the growing season? - Correct answer-A
miniature version of all the structures that will become the shoot, leaves, flowers,
and tendrils in the following year
What is one year old wood? When is it formed? - Correct answer-Shoots that have
turned woody during the winter after they have grown
Why is it important to manage the one year old wood? - Correct answer-Because
vines will normally only produce fruit on shoots that grow from buds that
developed the previous year
How is one year old wood cared for? - Correct answer-Every winter the vine is
pruned
What is a cane? - Correct answer-Long one year old wood containing 8-15 buds
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4
Questions and Answers
Which grape is allowed to constitute 30% of the blend in a red wine from
Provence? - Correct answer-Cabernet Sauvignon
Where does the AC of Corbieres belong? - Correct answer-Languedoc
Where, in Bordeaux, would you find premium quality dry white wines fermented
and matured in oak barrels producing a rich, nutty flavor? - Correct answer-Pessac-
Leognan
In Bordeaux, what is Sauvignon Blanc blended with? What does it add to the
blend? - Correct answer-Blended with Semillon because it adds distinctive
herbaceous (grassy) aromas and high acidity to counterbalance flabbiness of
Semillon.
How many different species of grapevine are there? - Correct answer-60
What are the 4 most important grapevine species used in modern viticulture? -
Correct answer-Vitis vinifera, Vitis riparia, Vitis rupestris, Vitis berlandieri
What is the main Eurasian grapevine species? - Correct answer-Vitis Vinifera
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,How long has Vitis Vinifera been used in winemaking? - Correct answer-Several
thousand years
How many varieties of Vitis Vinifera are there? - Correct answer-5,000-10,000
What are the main North American grapevine species? - Correct answer-Vitis
riparia, Vitis rupestris, Vitis berlandieri
Which North American grapevine variety is used in winemaking? - Correct
answer-None
Why is "pure" Vitis Vinifera an inferior grapevine? - Correct answer-It is not
resistant to Phylloxera.
What techniques can be used to make Vitis Vinifera resistant to Phylloxera? -
Correct answer-Grafting of rootstock
What is a shoot? - Correct answer-The new growth a vine produces each year.
Where can you find "nodes"? - Correct answer-Along the length of each shoot
What is contained at each node? - Correct answer-A leaf and a flower OR leaf and
a tendril
Where do buds form? - Correct answer-Where leaf stems join the shoot.
What are the grapevine's "engine"? - Correct answer-The leaves
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
,What are leaves responsible for? Explain. - Correct answer-Photosynthesis, which
is the process by which plants use chlorophyll and energy to convert water and
CO2 into sugar glucose and oxygen.
What are the three primary uses of the glucose produced in photosynthesis? -
Correct answer-1) Combining small glucose molecules into larger carbohydrates
creating the building blocks for all structures
2) Energy stored in glucose can be released when needed for other living processes
3) Concentrated in the fruit, to make them attractive to the animals, needed to
propagate seeds
What are tendrils? - Correct answer-Structure vines used to grip a supporting
structure
What do tendrils do? - Correct answer-Once they sense a supporting structure, they
wind tightly around it to keep the shoot upright
What is the importance of flowers on a grapevine? - Correct answer-It is the plant's
reproductive organ
What type of reproductive organs do flowers on the grapevine contain? - Correct
answer-Both female and male
What are inflorescences? - Correct answer-Bunches of flowers
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
, What does a flower that is successfully pollinated become? - Correct answer-A
berry and the inflorescence will be come a bunch of grapes
How does pollination of the grapevine happen? - Correct answer-Wind or animals
What is an embryonic shoot? - Correct answer-A bud found between the leaf and
shoot
Where does a bud mature? - Correct answer-Inside their casing during the growing
season
What does a bud look like at the end of the growing season? - Correct answer-A
miniature version of all the structures that will become the shoot, leaves, flowers,
and tendrils in the following year
What is one year old wood? When is it formed? - Correct answer-Shoots that have
turned woody during the winter after they have grown
Why is it important to manage the one year old wood? - Correct answer-Because
vines will normally only produce fruit on shoots that grow from buds that
developed the previous year
How is one year old wood cared for? - Correct answer-Every winter the vine is
pruned
What is a cane? - Correct answer-Long one year old wood containing 8-15 buds
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4
