WSET Level 2 Cheat Sheet

Climate in one line

Cool climate: higher acidity, lighter body, lower alcohol, green and citrus or red fruit. Warm climate: lower acidity, fuller body, higher alcohol, riper tropical or black fruit.

Winemaking in five lines

Yeast turns sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Reds ferment warmer to extract colour and tannin; whites ferment cooler to keep fruity aromas. Malolactic conversion softens acidity and can add a buttery note. Lees add texture and a bready note. New and small oak barrels give more vanilla and toast than old or large ones.

Label terms that come up

Germany, riper to sweeter: Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, plus Eiswein; trocken means dry. Spain, older with each step: Joven, Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva. Italy: Classico is the original heart of a region; Riserva means longer ageing. Burgundy: Premier Cru below Grand Cru. Sparkling: Brut is dry and Demi-Sec medium-sweet.

Sparkling in two methods

Traditional method: the second fermentation happens in the bottle, and time on the lees adds bread and biscuit notes. Champagne, Cava and Cap Classique are made this way. Tank method: the second fermentation happens in a sealed tank, which keeps fresh fruit. Prosecco (from Glera) and sweet, low-alcohol Asti (from Moscato) are made this way.

Fortified: Sherry and Port

Sherry is fortified after fermentation, so the base wine is dry. Fino ages under a layer of yeast called flor and stays pale and dry; Oloroso ages in contact with air and turns brown, nutty and dry; Amontillado has both. Pale Cream, Medium and Cream are sweetened, and PX is naturally very sweet. Port is fortified during fermentation, which stops it and leaves it sweet. Ruby, Reserve, LBV and Vintage keep fruity; Tawny ages in contact with air and turns nutty.

Service, storage and faults

Sparkling and sweet wines: well chilled. Light and medium whites and rosés: chilled. Full-bodied whites: lightly chilled. Light reds: lightly chilled or room temperature. Medium and full reds: room temperature. Store wine cool, at a steady temperature, in the dark, with cork-sealed bottles on their side. Faults to know: cork taint (musty, damp cardboard), a failed closure (the wine has been exposed to air) and heat damage (cooked, stewed fruit).

Food and wine

Sweetness and umami in food make wine taste more bitter and acidic, so the wine should be at least as sweet as the food. Salt and acid in food make wine taste softer and fruitier. Chilli heat makes alcohol burn more, so choose lower-alcohol, off-dry wines. More in the food and wine pairing guide.

Question weighting, grape lists and regions follow the official WSET Level 2 Award in Wines specification (Issue 2.1, 2026). This page is a summary, not the full syllabus.