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My studying notes of WSET L2 Test.

Classic white grape varieties

Grape variety Characteristics Climate Genernal flavors
Chardonnay The flavors that can be found in Chardonnay wines are many and varied; more likely to display oak flavors cool / moderate / warm Green fruits, Citrus fruits, Stone fruites, Tropical fruits
Sauvignon Blanc Most commonly unoaked; best consumed while young and fresh cool / moderate Herbaceous(capsicum), Floral, Green fruits, wet stones, Tropical fruits(passion fruit)
Riesling High acidity and fruity/floral aromas; able to produce high-quality sweet wines cool / moderate Green fruits, Citrus fruits, Stone fruits, Dried fruits, (gasoline)
Pinot Grigio / Pinot Gris Produces two very distinct styles of wine based on yields and havesting choices cool / moderate (1) apple, lemon; (2) lemon, Stone fruits, Tropical fruits, ginger

Chardonnay

  • The flavors that can be found in Chardonnay wines are many and varied due to two main reasons: (1) ability to product high-quality wine in cool, moderate, and warm climates (2) various winemaking and maturation options includeing Malolactic conversion, Lees contact, and Oak barrel fermentation can be applied.
  • More likely to display oak flavors than other well known white varieties
Country Region Village Acidity Sweetness Body Primary flavors Secondary flavors Tertiary flavors
France *Burgundy / high dry   apple, lemon    
    Chablis (cool) high dry   apple, lemon, wet stones    
    Meursault / Puligny-Montrachet, Cote d’Or (moderate) medium to high dry to off-dry medium to full peach, melon Yeast, Oak hazelnut, mushroom
    Macon, Maconnais       lemon, peach, melon    
    Pouilly-Fuisse, Maconnais       lemon, peach, melon Oak  
USA California / medium medium medium peach, pineapple (Oak)  
  Oregon (moderate) / high          
Australia Adelaide Hills / Yarra Valley (warm) / medium to high     Stone fruits, Tropical fruits Oak  
  Magaret River (warm) /     medium to full Stone fruits, Tropical fruits    
New Zealand Marlborough (cool to moderate) / high     lemon, peach, melon Oak  
  *Hawke’s Bay (moderate) / high   full Stone fruits    
Chile Casablanca Valley /       Citrus fruits, Stone fruits Oak  
  Central Valley (warmer) /            
South Africa Western Cape /            
  Walker Bay / high     Stone fruits, Tropical fruits Oak  

*Chardonnay is the main white grape variety of this region

Sauvignon Blanc

  • Sauvignon Blanc typycally produces dry wines that are light-to-medium in body with high acidity
  • It produces wines that are most commonly unoaked
  • An aromatic grape variety that is best consumed while young and fresh
Country Region Village Acidity Sweetness Body Primary flavors Secondary flavors Tertiary flavors
France *Loire Sancerre / Pouilly-Fume (cool) high     Green fruits, Herbaceous    
    Touraine (inexpensive)       fruity    
  Bordeaux Pessac-Leognan / Graves     (add body by blending with Semillon) grass, green apple   honey, nuts
New Zealand Marlborough /       passion fruit, capsicum, asparagus    
Australia Magaret River /       grass (Oak)  
  *Adelaide Hills /       Citrus fruits, Tropical fruits    
Chile Casablanca Valley / Central Valley /            
South Africa Elgin /       Greenn fruits, wet stones    
  Constania /       Tropical fruits, Herbaceous    
USA Napa Valley, California /       Herbaceous (Oak)  

*Sauvignon Blanc is the main white grape variety of this region

Riesling

  • An aromatic grape variety that produces wine with high acidity and fruity/floral aromas
  • High acidity allows production of high-quality sweet wines
  • Ranges from dry to sweet and from light to full in body
Country Region Village Acidity Sweetness Body Primary flavors Secondary flavors Tertiary flavors
Germany (cool) Mosel / high medium light      
  Rheingau / high medium to dry light to medium      
  Pfalz / high dry medium      
France Alsace / high dry (sweeter style can be made from late harvest) medium Citrus fruits, Stone fruits, Blossom aromas   honey, dried fruit
Australia Clare Valley / Eden Valley / high dry   lime, peach, blossom, gasoline    

Germany’s Pradikatswein can be categorized into 6 categories based on level of sugar when harvested: (from lowest to highest)

  1. Kabinette (.)
  2. Spätlese (..): late harvest
  3. Auslese (A): selected extra-ripe
  4. Eiswein
  5. Beerenauslese (BA): selected bunches with botrytis
  6. Trokenbeerenauslese (TBA): selected dried berries with botrytis

Pinot Grigio / Pinot Gris

Pinot Grigio (Italy) / Pinot Gris (France) produces two very distinct styles of wine based on yields and havesting choices.

Country Region Village Acidity Sweetness Body Primary flavors Secondary flavors Tertiary flavors
Italy Veneto / delle Venezie / high dry light apple, lemon    
  Friuli-Venezia / high dry light (but fuller) (more complex)    
France Alsace / medium dry to medium medium to full peach, mango, ginger   honey

Alsace AOC can be further categorized into 2 categories:

  1. Alsace AOC: regional
  2. Alsace Grand Cru AOC: specific vineyards for Pinot Gris, Riesling, and Gewurztraminer (more sunlights which lead to riper flavors and fuller bodies)

Note that late harvest would be additionally labeld with Vendanges Tardives (VT)

Classic black grape varieties

Grape variety Characteristics Climate Genernal flavors
Cabernet Sauvignon Dry, high acidity, high tannins, and medium to full in body moderate / warm blackcurrant, black cherry, mint, capsicum
Merlot Dry, medium acidity, medium tannins, and light to medium in body moderate / warm red plum, strawberry, capsicum, cooked black-fruit(black berry, black plum)
Pinot Noir Not easy for growers to cultivate; high acidity, medium to low tannins, and lightest in body cool / moderate Red fruit (strawberry, raspberry, red cherry)
Syrah / Shiraz Medium to high levels of tannins, acidity, and body moderate / warm Black fruit(black cherry, black berry), Spice(black-pepper, liquorice), herbal

Cabernet Sauvignon

  • Dry, high acidity, high tannins, and medium to full in body
  • Often blended with Merlot to help soften tannin and acidity
  • Oak maturation is common (smoke, vanilla, cloves); produces outstanding-quality red wines that can develop in bottles (dried fruit, earch, forest floor)
Country Region Village Acidity Sweetness Body Primary flavors Secondary flavors Tertiary flavors
France Bordeaux Medoc / Haut-Medoc / Margaux / Pauillac / Pessa-Leognan / Graves (Left Bank)            
USA Sonoma, California /            
  Napa Valley, California (Rutherford / Oakville / Calistoga) (warm) /     full ripe black fruit Oak  
*Chile Central Valley (Maipo Valley & Colchagua) /       mint, capsicum, Black fruit Oak  
South Africa Stellenbosch (mountanous, moderate to warm) /       from fresh, herbal to full-bodies, cooked fruit    
Australia Magaret River (warm) /       ripe black-fruit Oak  
  Coonawarra /       mint, blackcurrant smoke, chedar  
New Zealand Hawke’s Bay (moderate) (blended with Merlot) /            

*Cabernet Sauvignon is the main grape variety of this region

Cape Blend: Cab and Merlot blended with Stellenbosch’s local Pinotage

Bordeaux’s labeling:

  • Chateau: made from grpaes grown on the producer’s land
  • Grand Cru Classe / Clu Classe: best wines from the best Chateaux
  • Cru Bourgeois: wines from medoc that have not been classified as Grand Cru Classe; evaluated every 5 years

Merlot

  • Dry, medium acidity, medium tannins, and light to medium in body
  • Often blends with higher-tannin black grape varities
  • A versatile grape that can produce both light, fruity wines to freshly consume and pronounces, concentrated wines to age
Country Region Village Acidity Sweetness Body Primary flavors Secondary flavors Tertiary flavors
France Bordeaux /            
    Pomerol / Saint-Emilion (Right Bank)     full Black fruits Oak dried fruit, tobacco
USA Sonoma / Napa Valley, California /     medium to full   vanilla, coconut, smoke  
Chile Central Valley /     medium (freshly drink)      
South Africa Stellenbosch (mountanous, moderate to warm) /            
Australia Magaret River (warm) /            
New Zealand Hawke’s Bay (moderate) /            

Pinot Noir

  • Not easy for growers to cultivate
  • High acidity, medium to low tannins, and lightest in body; most are fruity, refreshing to drink when young
  • Often matured in older and/or larger barrels to derive subtle oak-derived aromas (smoke, cloves); can develop complex tertiary flavors (forest floor, mushroom)
Country Region Village Acidity Sweetness Body Primary flavors Secondary flavors Tertiary flavors
France Burgundy / high   light to medium Red fruit    
  Burgundy Gevrey-Chambertin / Nuits-Saint-Georges / Beaune / Pommard, Cote d’Or       stawberry, red cherry cloves, smoke forest floor, mushroom
USA Carneros / Sonoma / Santa Barbara County, California /       ripe red-fruit vanilla forest floor, mushroom
  Oregon /       fresh red-fruit smoke, cloves, earth, mushroom  
Chile Casablanca Valley /       cooked strawberries    
South Africa Walker Bay /       vibrant red-fruit    
Australia Yarra Valley / Mornington Peninsula /            
New Zealand Marlborough / Martinborough /            
  Central Otago /     medium to full stawberry, red cheery    

Bourgogne AOC can be further catgorized into 4 categories:

  1. Regional Appellations (>50%)
  2. Village Appellations (30%): the best village appellations can age in bottles
  3. Premier Cru Vineyards (10%)
  4. Grand Cru Vineyards (1%): small, well situated plots of land that regularly produce grapes of outstanding quality

Syrah / Shiraz

  • Syrah(France) / Shiraz(Australia) produces wine with medium to high levels of tannins, acidity, and body
  • Oak maturation is common to use to add smoke and spice flovors; bottle aging brings flavors of dried fruit, leather, meat, and earth
Country Region Village Acidity Sweetness Body Primary flavors Secondary flavors Tertiary flavors
France (moderate) Côte Rôtie, *Northern Rhone /       black pepper, floral(from co-planting Viognier)    
  Hermitage / Crozes-Hermitage, *Northern Rhone /            
  Minervois / Paysd’Oc IGP, South of France /            
Australia (warm) Barossa Valley (oldest Shiraz vines) /     full (high tannin) cooked black-fruit, black flavor vanilla, coffee  
  Hunter Valley /     medium fresh black-fruit   earth, meat

*Syrah is the main black grape variety of this region

Rhone Blends: Syrah blended with Southern Rhone’s local Grenache

Other grape varieties

Type Grape variety Characteristics Climate Locations
White Chenin Blanc Produces dry to sweet wines; blended with Chardonnay or Viognier cool / moderate / warm Vouray, France / South Africa
  Semillon Produces dry to sweet wines; often blended with Sauvignon Blanc to provide body and aging pitential moderate / warm Bordeaux / Sauterness / Huner Valley / Barossa Valley
  Furmint Produces dry to sweet wines; very susceptible to botrytis (Tokaji Aszú) / Tokaj, Hungary
  Gewurztraminer An aromatic variety that produces high-alcohol, dry to sweet wines cool / moderate Alsace
  Viognier An aromatic variety that produces high-alcohol wines moderate Condrieu (Northern Rhone)
  Albariño Intended to be drunk when young, with grapefruit flavor cool Rías Baixas, Spain
  Cortese Ready to drink on release / Gavi, Italy
  Garganega Intended to be drunk when young / Soave, Italy (Veneto region)
  Verdicchio Intended to be drunk when young, with fennel notes / Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, Italy
  Fiano Intended to be drunk when young, with melon flavors / Fiano di Avellino, Italy
Black Gamay Exclusively from Beaujolais; immediate consumption with a flavor of red fruits, candy and banana moderate Beaujolais (south of Burgundy)
  Grenache / Garnacha Red fruit flavors; blended with Syrah or Tempranillo to add colour, acidity, and tannins warm Southern Rhone (Côtes du Rhône / Châteauneuf-du-Pape); Mionervois; Spain (Rioja / Navarra / Priorat); Australia (Barossa Valley / McLaren Vale)
  Tempranillo Spain’s most prized black grape variety that is versatile in styles, with a flavor of red fruits and black fruits moderate Catalunya, Rioja, Ribera del Duero
  Nebbiolo High acidity, high tannins, with red fruit, floral, and dried herb flavors moderate Barolo / Barbaresco, Italy Piemonte
  Barbera Immediate consumption with high acidity, low-to-medium tannins, and a flavor of red fruit and black pepper moderate Barbera d’Asti, Italy Piemonte
  Corvina Immediate consumption with high acidity, low-to-medium tannins, and a flavor of red fruit moderate Valpolicella, Italy Piemonte
  Sangiovese Immediate consumption; High acidity, high tannins, with red fruit and dried herb flavors warm Chianti / Brunello di Montalcino, Central Italy
  Montepulciano Immediate consumption; Medium acidity, high tannins, with black fruit flavors warm Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Central Italy
  Zinfandel / Primitivo Black fruit and dried fruit flavors from uneven ripenning warm California, USA / Puglia, Italy
  Camenère Deeply coloured with high tannins and a favor of black fruits, herbaceous(tomato leaf), and herbal(eucalyptus) warm Central Valley, Chile
  Malbec Deeply coloured wine with high tannins, full-bodied and a favor of black fruits / Mendoza, Argentina
  Pinotage Closely related to Pinot Noir; Red fruit flavors warm Western Cape, South Africa

Chenin Blanc

  • Produces dry to sweet wines
  • Blended with Chardonnay or Viognier
Country Location Acidity Sweetness Body Primary flavors Secondary flavors Tertiary flavors
France Vouvray (Loire Valley)   dry to sweet   dry: fresh apple / medium: Demi-Sec / sweet: extra-ripe or botrytis   honey, dried fruit
*South Africa (warm) / high dry medium (old vines) (blended with Chardonnay / Viognier) smoke, vanilla  

*Chenin Blanc is the main grape variety of this region

Semillon

  • Produces dry to sweet wines
  • Often blended with Sauvignon Blanc to provide body and aging pitential
Country Location Acidity Sweetness Body Primary flavors Secondary flavors Tertiary flavors
France Bordeaux   dry to sweet full      
  Sauternes, Bordeaux high sweet (botrytis) full Stone fruit smoke, vanilla dried fruit, honey, caramel
Australia Hunter Valley (warm) dry high light (early harvest, low alcohol)     honey, nuts
  Barossa Valley     full   Oak  

Furmint

  • Produces dry to sweet wines
  • Very susceptible to botrytis (Tokaji Aszú)
Country Location Acidity Sweetness Body Primary flavors Secondary flavors Tertiary flavors
Hungary Tokaj (Tokaji Aszú) high sweet (botrytis) (5~6 Puttonyos) full fresh and dried Stone fruit, Citrus fruit vanila, smoke caramel (long time aging in oak)

Gewurztraminer

  • An aromatic variety
  • Produces high-alcohol, dry to sweet wines
Country Location Acidity Sweetness Body Primary flavors Secondary flavors Tertiary flavors
France Alsace low to medium dry to sweet full Floral aromas (rose), Stone fruit, Tropical fruit (lychee)   honey, dried fruit

Viognier

  • An aromatic variety
  • Produces high-alcohol wines
Country Location Acidity Sweetness Body Primary flavors Secondary flavors Tertiary flavors
France Condrieu (Northern Rhone) low to medium dry medium to full Floral aromas (blossom), Stone fruit vanilla  

Albariño

  • Intended to be drunk when young
Country Location Acidity Sweetness Body Primary flavors Secondary flavors Tertiary flavors
Spain Rías Baixas high dry medium Citrus fruit (lemon, grapefruit), Stone fruit (Lees contact)  

Cortese

  • Ready to drink on release
Country Location Acidity Sweetness Body Primary flavors Secondary flavors Tertiary flavors
Italy Gavi high dry light Floral aromas (blossom), Green fruit, Citrus fruit    

Garganega

  • Intended to be drunk when young
Country Location Acidity Sweetness Body Primary flavors Secondary flavors Tertiary flavors
Italy Soave / Soave Classico high dry medium Green fruit, Citrus fruit, Stone fruit   honey, almonds
  Recioto di Soave DOCG high sweet (appassimento: dry indoors)        

Verdicchio

  • Intended to be drunk when young
Country Location Acidity Sweetness Body Primary flavors Secondary flavors Tertiary flavors
Italy Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi high dry medium Green fruit, Citrus fruit, Hebal (fennel)   honey, nuts

Fiano

  • Intended to be drunk when young
Country Location Acidity Sweetness Body Primary flavors Secondary flavors Tertiary flavors
Italy Fiano di Avellino medium dry medium to full Stone fruit, Tropical fruit (melon, mango) Lees contact, smoke honey

Gamay

  • Exclusively from Beaujolais
  • Low to medium tannins due to techniques that maximise colour extraction while minimising tannin extraction
  • Intended for immediate consumption with a flavor of candy and banana
Country Location Acidity Sweetness Body Primary flavors Secondary flavors Tertiary flavors
France Beaujolais high   light Red fruit, banana, candy    

Beaujolais AOC can be further categorized into 3 tiers:

  1. Beaujolais AOC
  2. Beaujolais Villages AOC
  3. Beaujolais Crus: only 10 villages are awarded (e.g., Fleurie)

Grenache / Garnacha

  • Grenache (France and other region) / Garnacha (Spain) is complementary to Syrah in characteristics
  • Typically have high levels of sugar, low acidity, low to medium tannins, with a flavor of red fruit and spice (white pepper, liquorice)
  • Often blended with Syrah or Tempranillo to add colour, acidity, and tannins
Country Location Acidity Sweetness Body Primary flavors Secondary flavors Tertiary flavors
France Côtes du Rhône (Southern Rhone)     medium      
  Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Southern Rhone)     full (high alcohol)     dried fruit, caramel
  Minervois            
Spain Rioja / Navarra   dry rosé        
  Priorat (Catalunya)     full (best in Spain) (old vines)   dried fruit, caramel
Australia Barossa Valley / McLaren Vale     (similar to Châteauneuf-du-Pape) (old vines)    

Labeling across Rhone Valley can be categorized into 3 tiers: (which is similar to Beaujolais AOC)

  1. Côtes du Rhône AOC
  2. Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC
  3. Rhône Crus: only a small number of villages are awarded (e.g., Châteauneuf-du-Pape)

Tempranillo

  • Spain’s most prized black grape variety that is versatile in styles
  • Typically have medium acidity, medium tannins, and a flavor of red fruits and black fruits
Country Location Acidity Sweetness Body Primary flavors Secondary flavors Tertiary flavors
Spain Catalunya            
  Rioja     (may be blended with Garnacha for early drinking) Black fruit, Red fruit vanilla, smoke, cedar mushroom, leather, dried fruit
  Ribera del Duero (most expensive)     full fresh black fruit    

Labeling in Spain can be categorized into 4 tiers based on ageing period:

  1. Joven: released in the year following the vintage
  2. Crianza: must be aged in oak
  3. Reserva: aged for extended periods of time
  4. Gran Reserva: highest minimum ageing requirements

Nebbiolo

  • One of the most important black grape variety in Piemonte region (Northern Italy)
  • High acidity, high tannins
  • Red fruit, floral, and dried herb flavors
Country Location Acidity Sweetness Body Primary flavors Secondary flavors Tertiary flavors
Italy Barolo / Barbaresco high   full Red fruit, floral (rose, violet), and dried herb flavors    

Barbera

  • One of the most important black grape variety in Piemonte region (Northern Italy)
  • Immediate consumption with high acidity, low-to-medium tannins,
  • Red fruit and black pepper flavors
Country Location Acidity Sweetness Body Primary flavors Secondary flavors Tertiary flavors
Italy Barbera d’Asti high     Red fruit, black flavor    

Corvina

  • One of the most important black grape variety in Piemonte region (Northern Italy)
  • Immediate consumption with high acidity, low-to-medium tannins,
  • Red fruit and black pepper flavors
Country Location Acidity Sweetness Body Primary flavors Secondary flavors Tertiary flavors
Italy Valpolicella (Veneto region) high   light Red fruit    
  Amarone della Valpolicella high dry to off-dry (appassimento) full (high alcohol) (high tannin) fresh red fruit, dried fruit (prunes, raisons, figs)    
  Recioto della Valpolicella high sweet (appassimento)        

Sangiovese

  • One of the most important black grape variety in Central Italy
  • Immediate consumption with
  • High acidity, high tannins with red fruit and dried herb flavors
Country Location Acidity Sweetness Body Primary flavors Secondary flavors Tertiary flavors
Italy Chianti high dry   Red fruit, dried herb cloves, cedar meat, leather
  Brunello di Montalcino high dry full   Oak (long aging potential)

Montepulciano

  • One of the most important black grape variety in Central Italy
  • Immediate consumption
  • Medium acidity, high tannins, with black fruit flavors
Country Location Acidity Sweetness Body Primary flavors Secondary flavors Tertiary flavors
Italy Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (high volume) medium     Black fruit (Oak)  

In addition to Italy’s PDO and PGI labeling terms, there are 2 other terms used to describe the quality of wine:

  • Classico: grown in the historic centre of a region, which are often the hillest part; more concentrated in flavors
  • Riserva: aged for at least a number of months before release

Zinfandel / Primitivo

  • When ripening, flavors of Zinfandel(California) / Primitivo(Italy) change from red fruit to black fruit
  • Some grapes within the bunch start to raison before the others have ripened, giving higher sugar level and dried fruit flavors (prune, raisons)
  • Medium to high tannins
Country Location Acidity Sweetness Body Primary flavors Secondary flavors Tertiary flavors
USA California medium to high dry full (high alcohol) (old vines) Black fruit, Dried fruit vanilla, coffee earth, meat
  California - White Zinfandel (rosé wine)   medium (removing the yeast) (low alcohol) Red fruits    
Italy Puglia (high volume)            

Camenère

  • A “regional specialty” from Chile
  • Deeply coloured wine
  • High tannins and a favor of black fruits, herbaceous(tomato leaf), and herbal(eucalyptus)
Country Location Acidity Sweetness Body Primary flavors Secondary flavors Tertiary flavors
Chile Central Valley medium to high   full Black fruits, Herbaceous(tomato leaf), and Herbal(eucalyptus) coffee, chocolate earth, leather

Malbec

  • A “regional specialty” from Argentina
  • Deeply coloured wine
  • High tannins, full-bodied, and a favor of black fruits
Country Location Acidity Sweetness Body Primary flavors Secondary flavors Tertiary flavors
Argentina Mendoza     full Black fruits clove, vanilla dried fruit, meat

Pinotage

  • A “regional specialty” from South Africa
  • Closely related to Pinot Noir
  • Medium tannins and Red fruit flavors
Country Location Acidity Sweetness Body Primary flavors Secondary flavors Tertiary flavors
South Africa Western Cape high   full Red fruit coffee, chocolate, smoke