Tasting Samples

As you work through this course, you are advised to taste a range of wines using WSET's Systematic Approach to Tasting^®. Although tasting is not examinable at Level 1, it will help you put theory into practice - and it is enjoyable! There are tasting exercises in almost every module of this course to guide you.

The Specification indicates that you should taste a minimum of three red wines, two white wines and one sweet wine from the principal grape varieties that you learn about on this course (see page 6). For the tasting exercises in this online course, it is suggested in the Equipment and Samples List that you purchase the following flight of wines:

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A medium-sweet White Zinfandel
A full-bodied Australian Shiraz
A young, basic level Pinot Grigio
An oaked Chilean Chardonnay
A New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
A dry, young Beaujolais
A medium-sweet German, Mosel Riesling
A dry Italian Chianti
A Chilean Pinot Noir
A Merlot or Cabernet Bordeaux blend

Should you need guidance in purchasing these samples or appropriate alternatives, ask your educator. Alternatively, take the list to your local, reputable wine merchant or liquor store for advice. Note that your course provider may provide virtual or in-person tasting sessions as part of your course. This is their choice and they will contact you if this is the case.

For the tasting exercises in this course, you will also need to use the following documents:

Vinovae Samples

A French company called Vinovae has developed technology to re-bottle wines and spirits in 2cL miniatures. Under their e-tasting brand, they have developed packs of miniatures to meet the needs of students studying the WSET Level 1, 2 and 3 Awards in Wines, and the WSET Level 1 and 2 Awards in Spirits. The wines and spirits in each pack cover the recommended samples for each qualification (with the exception of sparkling wines) and provide an affordable and convenient way of tasting a wide range of representative styles.

For more details and to purchase these sample packs, please visit the e-tasting website, https://www.e-tasting.com/.

Please note that:

This company currently only ships to Europe, but there are plans to expand.
Sample packs currently exist for WSET Wines and Spirits Qualifications only, covering Levels 1, 2 and 3 (Wines) and Levels 1 and 2 (Spirits). Other sample packs will be developed.
Although WSET has provided guidance to Vinovae and has tasted these sets to help ensure the selected wine tasting sets meet your study needs, responsibility for the product quality and condition lies with e-tasting.com. WSET does not benefit financially from their sale.
To make these sets as affordable as possible, the samples are 2cL, which is smaller than the ideal 5cL tasting sample suggested in WSET’s tasting guidelines for wine. But the 2cL size is ideal for spirits and is, we believe, sufficient to taste each wine and complete a tasting note.

Tasting App

WSET has developed a tasting app to assist with your tasting experience. Any tasting notes you make on the app will not be marked by your educator or be visible to others, but they will be useful for personal study, practice and growth in your tasting observations. The app is designed to support tasting at Level 2, but can be used across all levels.

Click here to learn more and download the app for free on iOS or Android.