Tasting at Level 3

As you work through this course, you are required to taste a range of wines using WSET's Systematic Approach to Tasting^®. This is to help prepare you for the tasting component of your exam. There are two structured ways you can practice your tasting skills in this online course:

1. There are tasting activities in almost every module of this course that you can complete at home. Many of these give you the opportunity to receive feedback from your educator.
2. Your course provider is expected to provide at least one live tasting workshop - please contact your course provider directly for details.

Of course, you are also encouraged to practise tasting wine and writing tasting notes on your own time during this course. Whenever you open a bottle, take a moment to consider the wine using the SAT before you relax and enjoy!

Tasting Samples

The Specification for this course provides an extensive list of recommended tasting samples. These are recommended, not compulsory, samples and we understand that it may not be possible for students studying online to source all of the samples listed. Using the information and activities provided in this course and the opportunities to receive feedback from your educator will prepare you for your tasting exam, even if you cannot source all the recommended samples in the Specification.

Based on the recommended tasting samples listed in the Specification, we have compiled a more focused list of recommended samples that the online activities will be based on. You are welcome to taste more samples from the Specification if you would like. Use this guidance to plan for and schedule your tasting activities for the online course.

Although more than two samples are recommended in some weeks, and you are always welcome to taste more than two, your online educator is only able to provide feedback on two tasting notes each week. Additional tasting notes that you write can be shared in the Tasting Forum, where your classmates can review and provide feedback on your tasting notes.

Module	Course Week	Recommended Samples for Online Activities	Alternative Samples for Online Activities	Feedback Format
Exploring Style, Quality and Price (Part 1)	1	Mid-priced or premium Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Mid-priced or premium Chianti Classico	Mid-priced Chilean Sauvignon Blanc or any other unoaked Sauvignon Blanc with high acidity Any other mid-priced or premium red wine made from Sangiovese	Model answer provided
Exploring Style, Quality and Price (Part 2)	2	No tasting for this module	--	--
Exploring Wines in France, Germany, Austria and Hungary	3	Dry or off-dry Riesling, Gewurztraminer or Pinot Gris from Alsace Riesling with some residual sugar from Germany Grüner Veltliner from Austria Tokaji Aszú from Hungary	VT or SGN from Alsace	Educator feedback
Exploring More Wines in France	4	Village or Premier Cru level Chablis Chenin Blanc or Sancerre from the Loire Valley Any red wine listed in the Specification for Bordeaux Any red wine listed in the Specification from the Rhône Valley	Chardonnay from the Côte d'Or or Mâconnais	Educator feedback
Still Wines of Spain, Portugal and Greece	5	A white wine from Rías Baixas or Rueda A red wine from Rioja, Ribera del Duero or Priorat	Any of the optional samples listed in the Specification for Spain, Portugal or Greece	Educator feedback
Still Wines of Italy	6	Veneto Pinot Grigio Barolo or Barbaresco	Any other dry Italian Pinot Grigio Another Italian red wine made from Nebbiolo Any other essential or optional samples listed in the Specification for Italy	Educator feedback
Still Wines of America	7	Premium Cabernet Sauvignon from California, USA Premium Carménère from Chile Mid-priced or premium Malbec from Argentina	Premium Chardonnay from California Premium Chardonnay from Chile Zinfandel or White Zinfandel from California	Educator feedback
Still Wines of South Africa, Australia and New Zealand	8	Premium oaked Chenin Blanc from South Africa Semillon from Hunter Valley, Australia	Premium Riesling from Eden or Clare Valley, Australia Premium Pinotage from South Africa Premium Shiraz from Australia	Model answer provided for Chenin Blanc and Semillon samples
Sparkling and Fortified Wines	9	A traditional method sparkling wine from the Specification Either a Port or a Sherry from the Specification	Any other essential or optional samples listed in the Specification	Educator feedback

Should you need guidance in purchasing these samples or appropriate alternatives, ask your course provider. Alternatively, take the list to your local, reputable wine merchant for advice. Keep in mind that your educator can only provide feedback on tasting notes you submit in good time; if you fall behind the suggested weekly module structure, your educator is not required to review your tasting notes.

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

NOT SUPPLIED IN DEMO

Vinovae Samples

A French company called Vinovae has developed technology to re-bottle wines and spirits in 2cL and 5cL 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 one of the following e-tasting websites:
For EU students - https://bit.ly/e-tasting-eu
For USA students - https://bit.ly/e-tasting-usa

Please note that:

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.

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 may 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.

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

Tasting Notes App - Wine. An intuitive way to record and store wine tasting notes.