WSET© 2012

Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits

Welcome to your

Level 2 Award

in Wines and Spirits

WSET© 2012

Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits

WSET® Level 2 Awardin Wines and Spirits

Session 1:

wine tasting

storage of wine

food and wine pairing

WSET© 2012

Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits

Tasting Notes

• provide a personal record of

wines tasted

• assist in the description of a

wine to others

• help assess the quality of wine

• help monitor progress of wine

wine tasting

WSET© 2012

Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits

Ideal Conditions

• no distracting odours

• good natural light

• clean white surfaces

• a clean palate

• correctly filled ISO glass

wine tasting

WSET© 2012

Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits

Level 2 Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine ®

APPEARANCE

clarity clear – hazy

intensity pale – medium – deep

colour white

rosé

red

lemon – gold – amber

pink – salmon – orange

purple – ruby – garnet – tawny

wine tasting

WSET© 2012

Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits

NOSE

condition clean – unclean

intensity light – medium – pronounced

aroma characteristics

e.g. fruits, flowers, spices, vegetables, oak aromas, other

wine tasting

Level 2 Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine ®

WSET© 2012

Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits

PALATE

sweetness dry – off-dry – medium – sweet

acidity low – medium – high

tannin low – medium – high

body light – medium – full

flavour characteristics

e.g. fruits, flowers, spices, vegetables, oak flavours, other

finish short – medium – long

wine tasting

Level 2 Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine ®

WSET© 2012

Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits

CONCLUSIONS

quality faulty – poor – acceptable – good – very good – outstanding

wine tasting

Level 2 Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine ®

WSET© 2012

Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits

APPEARANCE

clarity clear – hazy

intensity pale – medium – deep

colour white

rosé

red

lemon – gold – amber

pink – salmon – orange

purple – ruby – garnet – tawny

NOSE

condition clean – unclean

intensity light – medium – pronounced

aroma characteristics e.g. fruits, flowers, spices, vegetables, oak aromas, other

PALATE

sweetness dry – off-dry – medium – sweet

acidity low – medium – high

tannin low – medium – high

body light– medium – full

flavour characteristics e.g. fruits, flowers, spices, vegetables, oak flavours, other

finish short – medium – long

CONCLUSIONS

quality faulty – poor – acceptable – good – very good – outstanding

Level 2 Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine®

WSET© 2012

Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits

Storage of Wine

• store at a constant 10 – 15°C

• store wine sealed with a cork on its side

• store away from strong light

• store away from vibration

storage and service

WSET© 2012

Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits

Service of WineService temperature: white, rosé, sparkling

wine style service temperature

medium/full- bodied oaked white e.g. white Burgundy

slightly chilled10 - 13°C (50 – 55°F)

light/medium-bodied white e.g. Pinot Grigio

chilled7 - 10°C (45 – 50°F)

sweet wines e.g. Sauternes

well chilled6 - 8°C (43 – 45°F)

sparkling wines e.g. Champagne, Cava

well chilled6 - 10°C (43 – 50°F)

storage and service

WSET© 2012

Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits

Service of Wineservice temperature: red wine

wine style service temperature

light- bodied red e.g. Beaujolais

lightly chilled13°C (55°F)

Medium/full-bodied red e.g. Australian Shiraz

Room temperature15 - 18°C (59 – 64°F)

storage and service

WSET© 2012

Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits

Service of Wine

• glassware • equipment

storage and service

WSET© 2012

Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits

Service of Wineopening a bottle of still wine

storage and service

WSET© 2012

Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits

Service of Wineopening a bottle of sparkling wine

storage and service

WSET© 2012

Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits

Social and Professional Responsibility

four key legal areas

• legal age to purchase and consume alcohol

• blood alcohol concentrations for drivers

• sensible drinking guidelines

• restrictions covering the marketing, packaging and sale of alcohol

storage and service

WSET© 2012

Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits

Social and Professional Responsibility

legal age to purchase and legal drinking age

• legal minimums are set in most countries

• limits young peoples access to alcohol

• the legal purchasing and drinking age are often different

storage and service

WSET© 2012

Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits

Social and Professional Responsibility

blood alcohol concentration (BAC)

• alcohol can impair the abilities of drivers and operators of dangerous machinery

• most countries have legal limits

• “designated driver” best practice

storage and service

WSET© 2012

Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits

Social and Professional Responsibility

sensible drinking guidelines

• women should not exceed an average of 2 units a day

• men should not exceed an average of 3 units a day

• try not to exceed four units on any one occasion

• try to have one or two alcohol free days a week

standard drinks

• W.H.O. guidelines a unit is 10-12ml of alcohol

storage and service

WSET© 2012

Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits

Social and Professional Responsibility

the risk of drinking to drunkenness

• an increased risk of injury

• a greater risk of having unsafe sex

• an increased risk of fights and arguments

• risk of alcohol poisoning, coma and brain damage

storage and service

WSET© 2012

Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits

Social and Professional Responsibility

health risks of excess drinking

• alcohol dependence

• cirrhosis of the liver

• stomach disorders

• increased risk of certain types of cancer

• family and job related difficulties

storage and service

WSET© 2012

Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits

2222

• Don’t be ruled by rules!• We are all different so personal

preferences do matter• It is food that causes more problems

than wine• Most wines will be relatively palatable

for most people with most foods

How to Pair Food with Wine

food and wine pairing

WSET© 2012

Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits

Taste Tolerance LevelsTolerant

Generally like strong flavoured foods and drinks

Like:Strong black coffee

Powerful concentrated red wines with high levels of tannin, oak and alcohol such as some Italian wines and Cabernet Sauvignon

Sensitive

Generally like a range of foods and drinks but prefers to have some intensity of flavour and may be sensitive to bitterness

Like:Full-flavoured coffee but will usually take milk and/or small amounts of sugar

Ripe red wines such as Shiraz, full flavoured whites such as Sauvignon Blanc, oaked and full bodied white wines

Very Sensitive

Very sensitive to bitterness and astringency making some food wine reactions more extreme, sensitive to bitterness in artificial sweeteners

Like:Delicate teas and/or coffee with cream or sweetened

Wines with delicate flavours and maybe some moderate amounts of sweetness such as blush wines, sweeter styles of Riesling or more delicate reds with lower levels of tannins such as Pinot Noir

food and wine pairing

WSET© 2012

Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits

Food and Wine PairingFood is… Wine seems… This means…

Sweet More drying and bitter, more acidicLess sweet and fruity

Take care pairing with wines with less sweetness or with tannins

Savoury(Umami)

More drying and bitter, more acidicLess sweet and fruity

Take care pairing with wines with high levels of tannins or oak character

Salty Less drying and bitter, less acidicSmoother and richer

Salt can make tannic wines seem more palatable

Acidic Less bitter and acidicFruitier, sweeter and richer

Take care pairing with wines with less acidity

Highly flavoured

Overwhelmed by the food flavoursPair with wines with similar intensity of flavours

Fatty/Oily Less acidicPair with wines with high levels of acidity

Hot (chili) More drying and bitter, less sweet and less fruity. Increases heat from chilli

Pair with wines light in alcohol, fruity and maybe some sweetness

food and wine pairing