Tasting Samples

As you work through this course, you are advised to taste a range of wines using the WSET's Systematic Approach to Tasting^®. All tasting activities in this course are optional, however, we highly recommend you take part in the weekly tasting assignments, starting from week 3, to get individual guidance from the educator and to improve you learning experience*. The course Specification will give you guidance on the types and styles of wines you should try but it does not detail specific brands.

You are expected to post 2 tasting notes per week from week 3, choosing wines from the regions outlined below:

Week 3 - white wines from Germany, Austria, Hungary and France as outlined in the Specification.

Week 4 - red and/or rosé wine from France as outlined in the Specification.

Week 5 - wines from Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece as outlined in the Specification.

Week 6 - wines from the Americas as outlined in the Specification.

Week 7 - wines from South Africa, New Zealand and Australia as outlined in the Specification.

Week 8 - sparkling or fortified wines as outlined in the Specification.

Should you need guidance in purchasing these samples, ask your Educator. Alternatively, take the list to your local, reputable wine merchant or liquor store for advice. Note that your APP 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.

*In order to meet expectations in the weekly Tasting Assignments, starting in week 3, please post a maximum of two tasting notes. Your educator will provide feedback on those notes. However, you can post any other tasting notes in the Discussion Forum Tasting Area, which is peer reviewed and you are encouraged to interact with your peers to learn from each other and share your tasting experiences.

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 Wine and Spirits Qualifications only, covering Levels 1, 2 and 3 (Wine) 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.

Vinovae are supplying customers in the UK but please note that because of Brexit, UK customers may experience problems and delays with delivery. Vinovae invite UK customers to contact them about any aspects of delivery, and will be reviewing the situation as it evolves.

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.

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