Suggested Wine for WSET Courses
The following lists are put together as guides for selecting wines for various WSET online courses or other needs for studying. This is not a complete list in that the wine wholesalers and/or your particular wine shop may not carry the exact same products in each region. This list is reviewed on a regular basis and changes are made based on the best availability and knowledge at the time of what is actually available. Students should be able to use this information to make buying decisions as needed, but please inquire if you get stuck on a particular wine and need further guidance.
Level 1 Wine Award
WSET L1 Sample wine list
Minimum List – this is the basic recommended list to take with the course (see second list below for specific brands)
This is the full list of suggested wines – some are available to 375mL, which could be used to keep the price down
Minimum List – this is the basic recommended list to take with the course (see second list below for specific brands)
- Beaujolais
- Shiraz
- Bordeaux
- Chard
- New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc
- Riesling
This is the full list of suggested wines – some are available to 375mL, which could be used to keep the price down
- Med-Sweet White Zin Beringer
- Full-bodied Shiraz Penfold’s Shiraz/Cab Koonunga Hills
- Oaked Chardonnay Landmark Overlook
- Marlborough SB Satellite or similar
- Dry, young Beaujolais Drouhin or Jadot (available in 375mL)
- Medium sweet Mosel Riesling Dr L
- Dry Chianti Badia a Coltibuono (available in 375mL)
- Chilean Pinot Noir Cono Sur o Similar
- Bordeaux Legend by Lafite Rouge
- Young Basic Pinot Grigio Riff or similar
Level 2 Award in Wine
WSET L2 Sample wines list
This is the list of recommended wines for the online course...
This is the list of recommended wines for the online course...
- An aromatic white wine (e.g. Gewurztraminer)
- Ste Michelle Estates, Washington
- A lightly-flavored, unoaked dry white wine (e.g. Pinot Grigio)
- Riff, or similar
- Light-bodied red wine (e.g. Beaujolais or Pinor Noir)
- Drouhin or Jadot each make simple Beaujolais Village wines
- Sweet wine (e.g. Tokaji or Sauternes)
- Suduirault (375mL)
- An oaked Chenin Blanc, Semillon or Chardonnay
- Landmark Chardonnay
- An unoaked white wine of the same varietal as the oaked wine
- Excelsior Chardonnay
- A red wine with high tannins and high acidity (e.g. Haut-Médoc Cru Classé, Cabernet Sauvignon or Chianti Classico Riserva)
- Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico
- A red wine with low acidity and low tannins (e.g. Côte du Rhône)
- Jean-Luc Colombo Les Abielles Cotes du Rhone
- A dry Australian Riesling
- Frisk Riesling
- An off-dry medium-sweet German Riesling
- Loosen Dr L
- A sparkling wine produced by the traditional method (e.g. Champagne or Cava)
- Segura Viudas Brut Cava
- A sparkling wine produced by the tank method (e.g. Prosecco DOCG or Asti DOCG)
- Valdo
- A Fino or Oloroso and a Port LBV or Tawny Port
- Tio Pepe Fino (375mL)
- Croft Tawny Port
LEVEL 3 AWARD IN WINE
Tasting Samples (Online Course)
As you work through this course, you are advised to taste a range of wines using the WSET's Systematic Approach to Tasting®. All tasting activities in this course are optional, however, we highly recommend you take part in the weekly tasting assignments, starting from week 3, to get individual guidance from the educator and to improve you learning experience*. The course Specification will give you guidance on the types and styles of wines you should try but it does not detail specific brands.
You are expected to post 2 tasting notes per week from week 3, choosing wines from the regions outlined below:
Week 3 - white wines from Germany, Austria, Hungary and France as outlined in the Specification.
a few recommended brands to look for would be:
Week 4 - red and/or rosé wine from France as outlined in the Specification.
Week 5 - wines from Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece as outlined in the Specification.
Week 6 - wines from the Americas as outlined in the Specification
Week 7 - wines from South Africa, New Zealand and Australia as outlined in the Specification
Week 8 - a minimum of 2 sparkling or fortified wines as outlined in the Specification
New England Wine Academy does not endorse any particular wine or producer, but only provides these lists as options to assist students in finding wines for their studies. Some options may not be available in all markets. Please find a good retailer in your area to assist with buying decisions.
Please click here to see the full list of Level 3 Wine Tasting Samples, as detailed by WSET.
As you work through this course, you are advised to taste a range of wines using the WSET's Systematic Approach to Tasting®. All tasting activities in this course are optional, however, we highly recommend you take part in the weekly tasting assignments, starting from week 3, to get individual guidance from the educator and to improve you learning experience*. The course Specification will give you guidance on the types and styles of wines you should try but it does not detail specific brands.
You are expected to post 2 tasting notes per week from week 3, choosing wines from the regions outlined below:
Week 3 - white wines from Germany, Austria, Hungary and France as outlined in the Specification.
a few recommended brands to look for would be:
- Germany - WSET recommends Kabinett or Spatlese level Riesling and VDP Dry Riesling
- look for producers such as Loosen, Donnhoff, S.A. Prum, Thanisch, Leitz - but there are many available
- Austria - WSET recommends Gruner Veltliner
- Look for producers such Hermann Moser, Huber, Loimer
Week 4 - red and/or rosé wine from France as outlined in the Specification.
- This actually a pretty broad category, what we recommend is the following
- One wine from Bordeaux - preferably in the Cru Bourgeois category
- One wine from the Rhone - Cotes du Rhone is fine - producers such as Guigal, Colombo, Perrin, Chapoutier
- One wine from Burgundy - many options, but sticking with a Bourgogne Rouge or a Haute Cotes (Beaune or Nuits) wil be work
- One other red wine, such as a Cahors or Beaujolais - France is huge so a red wine from another region is easy to find. We highly recommend a Beaujolais - either Village or Cru level will work
Week 5 - wines from Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece as outlined in the Specification.
- Spain - WSET Specification has list the following as Essential
- Rioja Reserva or Gran Reserva - looking to emphasize the use of oak in the wine - Caceres, El Coto, Riscal are widely available
- Ribera del Duero - less popular than in years past, but good shops will have
- Priorato - slightly harder to find, but they are out there and all are good
- Can also look for wines from Jumilla or Cigales
- Portugal
- Douro Reds are almost always the way to go here, but an increasing number of delicious Portuguese reds are finding their way into many markets
- Italy - WSET specifies the following as essential, so look for this list to write notes from:
- Barolo or Barbaresco - this category can get pricey quick, but good producers such as Fontanafredda and MArchesi di Barolo are widely available
- Valpolicella and Amarone - look for a ripasso style Valpolicella to give you a good middle ground - Bertani is available, among others
- Chianti Classico Riserva - Rocca delle Macie, Badia a Coltibuono, Castello d'Albola
- For white wines, keeping it simple with a good delle Venezie Pinot Grigio (Cavit always works), or step up a little to Soave (Inama)
- Greece - increasingly more wines coming to the market, but WSET recommends a wine from Nemea or Naoussa - Skouras and Boutari are often available
Week 6 - wines from the Americas as outlined in the Specification
- The unique wine styles/varietals in this section are important, and there are often many wines available, but here are a few recommendations for specifics:
- California ZInfandel - Ravenswood or Ridge
- Chilean Carmenere - Concha y Toro
- Argentine Malbec - Achaval Ferrer, Finca el Origen
- Chardonnay from California - something with a little oak
Week 7 - wines from South Africa, New Zealand and Australia as outlined in the Specification
- South Africa and Australia are a little less popular here in the US than in the UK, but we still have these wines available, New Zealand is not an issue
- South African Pinotage - Ken Forrester, Kanonkop
- Australian Shiraz - Hardy's, Lindemans, and Wyndham are all good inexpensive brands
- Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc - there are a ton to choose from
Week 8 - a minimum of 2 sparkling or fortified wines as outlined in the Specification
- Prosecco from Italy - there are a million out there (Valdo is a good standard)
- Cremant (Lucien Albrecht), or Champagne from France, or a good Cava (Freixenet) or American Sparkling wine (Roederer Estate)
- Fino Sherry (Tio Pepe) and a 10 year Tawny Port (Fonseca, Warre's, Croft)
New England Wine Academy does not endorse any particular wine or producer, but only provides these lists as options to assist students in finding wines for their studies. Some options may not be available in all markets. Please find a good retailer in your area to assist with buying decisions.
Please click here to see the full list of Level 3 Wine Tasting Samples, as detailed by WSET.
