The Road to Weinakademiker - Part 9 (Exam Tips)

The final exam of the Diploma Course was scheduled for the end of October. And I can tell you: it went well. I think. Now, a few weeks later, doubts are creeping in again. Did I actually write down enough? Shouldn't I have delved deeper into the material? And so on and so forth. Oh well, I can't change it now. The results will take longer than the American elections, and I won't hear until the end of January.

What does the exam look like?

This exam, D3, covers all still wines from around the world. Still means: unfortified and still. In previous blogs about The road to Weinakademiker Did I already tell you that those are separate exams? For the D3 exam, you need to know the wine regions of Germany, but also those of Canada or Chile. Those last ones, in particular, weren't really top of mind yet.

The exam is spread over two days. The first day focuses on theory, and the second day on the test.

Theory

Let me start by saying that you never feel 100% prepared for this exam. Whether you've studied for two weeks or two years, I can't imagine you ever thinking, "Gosh, I know everything." No. I do have a few tips, though.

#1 Know your classics
Make sure you know France and Italy inside and out. They're the two most important wine-producing countries in the world, so you're likely to be asked about them.

#2 View old exams
Crack the system . Study the old exams so you understand what's being asked and how. In an old exam, I came across the question: "How is high-quality Yarra Valley Pinot Noir made?" This isn't about Yarra Valley. All you need to know is that it has one of Australia's few cool climates and can therefore produce high-quality Pinot Noir. That's the essence: making a good wine from the diva grape Pinot Noir, a troublemaker in the vineyard (susceptible to disease, etc.) and also resistant to harsh treatment in the cellar (subtle use of wood, etc.). Describe the entire process from grape to wine and explain each step. Nothing else is asked about Yarra Valley.

#3 Keep the “key factors” in mind
One person uses the six key factors, another twelve. It helps you create a logical narrative for your answer.

• Climate (weather, geography, location)
• Soil
• Wine growing
• Grape varieties
• Vinification (and winemaking techniques, wood and bottle aging)
• Wine style (producers)

#4 Participate in one or more exam training sessions
WSET organizes exam training sessions several times a year, both in-person and online. If you choose online, you'll receive ten exam questions, one of which you have to answer each week and submit online. You'll receive feedback within a week. This taught me that bullet-point answers aren't acceptable. They need to be narrative.

Unfortunately, I can't give you the exam questions verbatim, but I can give you an idea of ​​the type of questions.

• Describe the climatic differences between Central Otago, Auckland and Martinborough
• How can Burgundy Chardonnay's high reputation be explained? What are the threats?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of Cab Sauv from Chile?
• Discuss how factors in the vineyard and winery influence the style and quality of Brunello de Montalcino

It's clear that the areas are interchangeable. Make sure you know how to answer these questions. Consider the key factors.

Samples

Your tasting skills will be tested using twelve wines. You'll receive four flights of three wines:

• 3x the same grape variety
• 3x the same country
• 3x the same region
• 3x random

In the morning, you'll get two flights, each with an hour and a half to spare. Fifteen minutes per wine. That's manageable if you just write down what you smell, think, and taste right away. No time to hesitate.

You must write a tasting note for each wine, following the WSET Diploma Course tasting notes. You will also be asked one or more additional questions about the wine. For the "same grape variety" flight, you were asked to specify the grape variety, of course, but also the production method. It sounds complicated, but it's not. Just follow your tasting notes.

• Do you only smell fruit? Then the wine was most likely made in a stainless steel tank.
• A little butter? Malolactic transformation
• Not much malo, but a little bit of creaminess or yeast? Sur lie.
• Do you smell aromas of vanilla, cedar, etc.? Wood maturation.
• Is it a sweet wine? Dried apricot, orange marmalade? Then the wine is made from grapes (partly) affected by botrytis.

Make sure you always write down the 'why'. The wine is made in a stainless steel tank to preserve its freshness and fruity character.

For the "same region" flight, I was asked for my reasons for choosing. Start broadly: warm or cool climate? Are there regions that produce both red and white? Is there a giveaway (for example, a full-bodied Amarone or a crisp Savennières)?

Beyond Flavour by Nick Jackson is a truly fantastic book on wine tasting . 

In the last flight with three wines that are not related to each other, all sorts of questions can be asked. Think about wood use, aging potential, production method, country of origin, etc. It is wise to exams from previous years to view to get a feel for the questions.

Are you ready now?

Uh, no. I have one more essay to go. I've been putting it off. It started with the first topic, rum, which I didn't feel like tackling. Then came natural wine, which was great, but suddenly the deadline was looming. Oops. No more excuses now. I have to submit it in January. This year's topic is Australia ("from global success to overproduction"). 

Update: this worked – results will follow in April.