Recommended Tasting Samples

Below is the full wine tasting sample list from the WSET Level 3 Specification. This list can be used as a guide for acquiring tasting samples from your local retail shop. Please keep in mind that we do not add specific brands to the list as available will change from market to market and vintage to vintage. It also helps to become familiar with labels and brands, and thus some shopping is a good aid for studying. If yo get stuck on a particular wine you can always reach out for guidance.

STILL WINES – EU
 
BORDEAUX
Essential
Red

• Generic Bordeaux AC
• Cru Bourgeois
• Haut-Médoc Cru Classé
• Saint-Émilion Grand Cru or Pomerol

Sweet White

• Sauternes or Barsac

Optional
Dry White

• Generic Bordeaux AC
• Graves or Pessac-Léognan (oak-matured)

 
THE DORDOGNE AND SOUTH WEST FRANCE
Optional
Red

• Cahors or Madiran

 
BURGUNDY
Essential
Red

• Bourgogne Rouge AC
• Village or Premier Cru level wine from Côte d’Or
• Beaujolais AC
• Beaujolais Villages or Cru

White

• Village or Premier Cru level Chablis
• Village or Premier Cru level wine from Côte d’Or

Optional
White

• Mâcon or Mâcon Villages

 
ALSACE
Essential
Dry or Off-Dry White At least one of the following:

• Riesling
• Gewurztraminer
• Pinot Gris

Optional
Sweet White

• Vendanges Tardives or Sélection de Grains Nobles (any grape variety)

 
THE LOIRE VALLEY
Essential
White

• Premium dry Chenin Blanc
• Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé

Optional
Red

• Premium Cabernet Franc

White

• Muscadet or Muscadet Sur Lie

 
THE RHÔNE VALLEY
Essential
Red

• Premium Northern Rhône Syrah

• Châteauneuf-du-Pape or Gigondas
• Côtes du Rhône or Côtes du Rhône Villages

Optional
Red

• Mid-priced Northern Rhône Syrah

White

• Condrieu

 
SOUTHERN FRANCE
Essential
Red

• Corbières, Fitou or Minervois

Optional
Red

• Any international varietal IGP

Rosé

• Côtes de Provence. A rosé from the Southern Rhône would also be acceptable.

 
GERMANY
Essential
White

• Riesling Kabinett or Spätlese
• VDP dry Riesling

Optional
White

• Riesling Auslese or Beerenauslese (influenced by noble rot)
• Eiswein

 
AUSTRIA
Essential
White

• Grüner Veltliner

 
TOKAJ
Essential
White

• Tokaji Aszú

 
GREECE
Optional
Red

• Naoussa or Nemea

 
ITALY
Essential
Red

• Barolo or Barbaresco
• Valpolicella or Amarone della Valpolicella
• Chianti Classico Riserva
• Any southern Italian red (e.g. Taurasi)

White

• Veneto Pinot Grigio

Optional
Red

• Chianti

White

• Pinot Grigio from Alto Adige, Trentino or Friuli–Venezia Giulia
• Soave

 
SPAIN
Essential
Red

• Rioja Reserva or Gran Reserva
• Ribera del Duero
• Priorat

White

• Rías Baixas or Rueda

 
Optional
Red

• Monastrell-based wine e.g. Jumilla

 
PORTUGAL
Optional

• Red Douro, Dão or Alentejo

 
STILL WINES – NEW WORLD
 
REGIONAL SPECIALITIES
Essential
Red

• California Zinfandel
• Chilean Carmenère
• Argentinian Malbec
• South African Pinotage
• Australian Shiraz

Dry White

• Argentinian Torrontés
• South African Chenin Blanc
• Hunter Valley Semillon
• Eden or Clare Valley Riesling
• Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

Optional
Rosé

• White Zinfandel

Sweet White

• Canadian Icewine

 
INTERNATIONAL VARIETIES
Essential
* Red At least one of each of the following:

• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Merlot
• Pinot Noir
• Grenache or Grenache blend

White

• Chardonnay (at least one wine)

Red or White High-volume, inexpensive brand – single varietal wine or blend
Optional
Red

• Syrah/Shiraz (preferably not from Australia as this sample has been covered in Regional Specialities)

White

• Sauvignon Blanc (preferably not from New Zealand as this sample has been covered in Regional Specialities)

 
* As these grape varieties are grown in a number of New World countries, you are able to select from the wine styles that are most prominent in your
market. Wines should be selected from regions that appear in this Specification. If tasting more than one wine of the same grape variety, the wines
should either come from different countries or be noticeably different in style (i.e. due to climatic factors or winemaking).
 
SPARKLING WINES
CHAMPAGNE
Essential

• Non-vintage Champagne

FRANCE
Optional

• Crémant

 
ITALY
Essential

• Asti, Prosecco

 
SPAIN
Essential

• Cava

 
NEW WORLD
Essential

• New World traditional method sparkling wine

 
 
FORTIFIED WINES
SPAIN
Essential

• Fino or Manzanilla
• Dry Amontillado or dry Oloroso

Optional

• Medium or Cream Sherry

 
PORTUGAL
Essential

• Late Bottled Vintage Port or Vintage Port
• Age Indicated Tawny Port

 
MUSCATS
Optional

• Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise
• Rutherglen Muscat