WSET Level 2 full exam material Flashcards
Vieilles Vignes
Old vines - French (not a regulated term)
Tank fermentation process
Process for sparkling wine production - 2nd fermentation takes place in pressurised tanks (Prosecco d’Asti)
Harvest
Time where grapes are picked
Botrytis
Noble rot: grows in the damp and foggy morning - infests ripe grapes - perforates the grape skin - in the sunny afternoon water in the berries evaporates -> leads to concentration of sugar / acidity / aroma
Oaked - oak aged - oak fermented
Terms used to indicate oak usage
Vendemmia
Harvest or vintage in Italian
Elevé en Barrique - fermenté en barrique
Matured in barriques - fermented in barriques (France)
Cuvée
Blending of different grape varieties / vintages / vineyards
Unfiltered - Unfined
Particulates have not been removed from wine
Vintage
Year in which the grapes in a wine were grown
When are you fit for wine tasting?
Healthy / not tired / palate free of coffee - tobacco - sweets - chewing gum - toothpaste
What is the additional designation for the best vineyards in Alsace?
Grand Cru
Barrel aged - barrel fermented
Aged or fermented in barriques
Millésime
French term for vintage
Alte Reben
Old vines - German (not a regulated term)
Unoaked
Term to indicate no use of oak during wine-making process
Which grape varieties are suitable for cool growing regions?
Sauvignon Blanc / Chardonnay / Riesling / Pinot Noir
What are the sweetness-level terms in France (dry / semi-dry / sweet / sweet in English)?
Sec / demi-sec / moelleux / doux
What are the 5 methods for producing sweet wine?
Stopping fermentation by filtering out yeast - adding grape juice or concentrate to a dry wine - dried grapes - noble rot - frozen grapes
What is the ideal environment for wine tasting?
Good light / bright surface / no strong odours
Vendanges Tardives
medium-sweet to sweet wines made from late harvested grapes
Punching Down & Pumping Over
Methods to increase skin contact with juice during red wine fermentation
Spätlese
medium-sweet to sweet wines made from late harvested grapes
Noble rot
grows in the damp and foggy morning - infests ripe grapes - perforates the grape skin - in the sunny afternoon; water in the berries evaporates -> leads to concentration of sugar / acidity / aroma
Véraison
Start of the grape ripening process
Appassimento
Drying of healthy harvested grapes before winemaking to concentrate the contents
Pinot Grigio / Pinot Gris
Pinot Grigio: white variety - pale - neutral flavour - light body (Italy) / Pinot Gris: intensely exotic fruity - full-bodied - dry to sweet (Alsace)
Alsace
France (Riesling - Pinot Gris - Gewürztraminer)
Pinot Gris
White variety: from green-fruity with high acidity (Italy) to stone-fruity with low acidity (Alsace)
Alsace Grand Cru
Classification for high quality Alsacian wines from top vineyards located on the eastern slopes of the Vosges mountains
Gewürztraminer
White variety: golden yellow - intensely fruity (lychee) - low acidity - full-bodied (Alsace)
Pinot Noir growing regions in France
Bourgogne / Gevrey-Chambertin / Nuits-Saint-Georges / Beaune / Pommard
Pommard
France - Burgundy (Pinot Noir)
Gevrey-Chambertin
France - Burgundy (Pinot Noir)
Pinot Noir (typical characters)
Red variety: light colour - intense red berry aroma - low tannin
Pinot Noir growing regions in South America
Chile: Casablanca Valley
Beaune
France - Burgundy (Pinot Noir)
Zinfandel
Black variety (identical to Primitivo): Medium colour intensity - jammy aromas - medium tannin and acidity - very full-bodied (USA: California)
Bourgogne Rouge
France - Burgundy (Pinot Noir)
What are the geographical indications in France?
Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée AOC / Indication Géographique Protégée (IGP) or Vin de Pays
Pinot Noir growing regions North America
California: Sonoma / Carneros / Santa Barbara County - Oregon
Burgundy classification (ascending)
Region - Village - Premier Cru - Grand Cru
Pinot Noir growing regions in Australia / New Zealand / South Africa
Australia: Yarra Valley / Mornington Peninsula - New Zealand: Marlborough - South Africa: Walker Bay
New World Pinot Noir growing regions worldwide
California: Sonoma / Carneros / Santa Barbara County - Oregon - Chile: Casablanca Valley - Australia: Yarra Valley / Mornington Peninsula - New Zealand: Marlborough - South Africa: Walker Bay
Mornington Peninsula
Australia - Victoria (Pinot Noir)
Bourgogne Rouge
France - Burgundy (Pinot Noir)
Central Otago
New Zealand - South Island (Pinot Noir)
Primitivo
Red variety (identical to Zinfandel): Medium colour intensity - jammy aromas - medium tannin and acidity - very full-bodied (Southern Italy / Apulia)
Nuits-St-Georges
France - Burgundy (Pinot Noir)
White Zinfandel
Medium-sweet Zinfandel-Rosé with low alcohol from USA
Santa Barbara County
Cool region in California for high-quality Pinot Noir wines
Côte de Nuits
Region within Burgundy for high-quality wines from Pinot Noir
What are the geographical indications in Germany?
Prädikatswein / Qualitätswein / Landwein
Where is icewine made?
Germany
Mosel
Germany (Riesling)
Beerenauslese
Sweet Botrytis wine - Germany: semi-sweet to sweet
Eiswein / Icewine
Sweet wine made from grapes frozen on the vine - Germany: very sweet with low alcohol (5-6 % abv.)
Riesling (typical characters)
White variety: intense flavours ranging from green fruit to honey - high acidity - hardly any oak usage - suitable for ageing
Where are botrytis sweet wines produced?
France: Sauternes / Germany: Mosel / Hungary: Tokaji
Hunter Valley
Australia - South Eastern Australia - Semillon
Rias Baixas
Spain (Albariño)
Semillon
White wine grape - Dry wines from Barossa Valley and Hunter Valley - Sweet wines from Sauternes
Riesling growing regions in Australia
Clare Valley / Eden Valley
Clare Valley
Australia - South Australia (Riesling)
Pessac-Léognan blanc
France - Bordeaux (Sauvignon Blanc / Sémillon)
Graves blanc
France - Bordeaux (Sauvignon Blanc / Sémillon)
Pfalz
Germany (Riesling)
Auslese
Late harvest sweet wine - Germany: Mostly semi-dry to semi-sweet
Chenin Blanc
White variety: versatile - restrained to aromatic - high acidity - light to full-bodied (Loire Valley - Touraine - Vouvray also South Africa)
Riesling growing regions in France
Alsace
Trockenbeerenauslese
Botrytis sweet wine - Germany: very sweet with low alcohol
What are the German Prädikat levels?
Kabinett / Spätlese / Auslese / Beerenauslese BA / Trockenbeerenauslese TBA / Eiswein
Sauternes
France - Bordeaux (Botrytis sweet wine made from Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc)
Hunter Valley
Australia - South Australia (Shiraz / Semillon)
Tokaji
Hungary - Tokaj (Botrytis sweet wine from Furmint)
Rheingau
Germany (Riesling)
Eden Valley
Australia - South Australia (Riesling)
Vouvray
France - Loire - Touraine (Chenin Blanc - dry / sweet / sweet)
Albariño
White variety: Intense pure fruit flavour - acidic - light bodied (Spain: Rias Baixas)
Riesling growing regions in Germany
Mosel / Rheingau / Pfalz
Rías Baixas
Region in north-western Spain for white wines made from Albariño
6 Puttonyos
Indicates a very sweet Tokaji Aszú from Hungary
Characteristics of Furmint
Semi-aromatic white variety with high acidity; aromas of blossoms and green fruits; susceptible to Botrytis
Hunter Valley Semillon
Dry White Wine with high acidity; low alcohol; very subtle primary aromas but great ageing potential
Kabinett
Light bodied Prädikatswein from Germany
Viognier
White variety: golden yellow - intensely fruity (apricot) - low acidity - full-bodied (northern Rhône)
Napa Valley
California (Sauvignon Blanc / Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot)
Adelaide Hills
Australia - South Australia (Chardonnay)
Elgin
South Africa (Sauvignon Blanc)
Puligny-Montrachet
France - Burgundy (Chardonnay)
Constantia
South Africa (Sauvignon Blanc)
Carneros
California (Chardonnay / Pinot Noir)