It’s harvest time here in the Finger Lakes! The leaves are turning shades of oranges and reds, and the wineries are busy navigating the weather.
By now, most of the grapes have been harvested except for late ripening varieties like Blaufrankisch, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Rkatsiteli (pictured). But back to WSET…
Beginning in August 2023, WSET will move ahead with their new Issue 2 materials. What this means for you depends on if you are a past, current, or future student.
Students enrolled before August 2023:
If you have enrolled in an in-person or virtual course before August 1st, 2023 then your course materials and examination should be under Issue 1. If you look on the back cover of your textbook it will say Issue 1 or Issue 2. You can also check the publication dates. Issue 1 was published in 2019 and Issue 2 in 2023.
You want to confirm with your Approved Program Provider (APP) that they booked an Issue 1 examination. There are a considerable amount of changes from Issue 1 to 2, so you don’t want to be given the wrong examination questions!
Students enrolled after August 2023:
This is when things start to get confusing.
Between August 1st, 2023 and January 31st, 2024, all in-person and virtual courses may be run using either Issue 1 or Issue 2 materials. It is the responsibility of the APP to make sure each student is given the corresponding materials and course. For example, if you are given the Issue 1 course book, then you should be enrolled in an Issue 1 virtual course and an Issue 1 examination.
Cultivate FLX has transitioned to Issue 2 materials so all new students will receive the new materials, virtual course, and examination.
Beginning on February 1st, 2024, all courses and examinations will be based on the new Issue 2 materials, unless you are a resit student. Resit students may retake the Issue 1 examination up til August 1st, 2024. After that date, Issue 1 will be permanently withdrawn.
What are the changes?
First and foremost, the original Issue 1 book has been condensed into a smaller package with an updated and modern feel. And despite the smaller dimensions of the textbook, the font size increased slightly.
There are over 10 pages of updates to the learning outcomes and the textbook chapters. Many of the updates are meant to “improve consistency with Level 3”. Cohesion between Level 2 and Level 3 has been greatly increased (and we’re happy about that!). Many of our students take Level 1, 2, and 3 subsequently, so consistent terminology between the courses makes a lot of sense.
A few pages in the textbook I wish they would have utilized the negative white space to enlarge the graphics such as in the winemaking examples below. I’m a graphic designer on the side so I’m nit-picking here.
I copy and pasted all the changes in Issue 2 (10 pages in total) for you to investigate below.
If you have any questions about this update with WSET Level 2, please reach out to us at learn@cultivateflx.com.
Cheers!
~Brandon
Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcome 1
• Labelling terms used to indicate origin and regulation – The old term Vin de Pays (VdP) has been deleted (Indication géographique protégée (IGP) remains).
Learning Outcome 3
• Pays d’Oc is now named in the Specification as the main IGP in Languedoc-Roussillon (previously termed ‘South of France’). Pays d’Oc falls under Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
• ‘Carneros’ has been changed to ‘Los Carneros’ consistently throughout.
• Cabernet Sauvignon ─ Médoc has been deleted from Cabernet Sauvignon. It is not a region that is especially known for Cabernet-dominant wines (with numerous producers making wines in which Merlot is the dominant variety) in the way that Haut-Médoc is.
• Syrah ─ Minervois has been added under Syrah (and remains under Grenache).
Learning Outcome 4
• Grenache ─ Côtes de Provence has now been added. A paragraph on Côtes du Provence has been added to the textbook.
• Tempranillo ─ ‘Joven’ has been changed to ‘Joven/Genérico’ to reflect naming changes in Rioja.
• Chenin Blanc ─ Western Cape added as a GI for South Africa
• Semillon ─ Bordeaux AOC has been deleted (Sauternes remains). Most Bordeaux Blanc is Sauvignon Blanc dominant and therefore the description of Bordeaux AOC falls under Sauvignon Blanc instead.
Learning Outcome 5
• Labelling terms associated with sparking wines – ‘Methode Cap Classique’ is now just ‘Cap Classique’ reflecting the name of the wine rather than the winemaking process.
Learning Outcome 6
• Preserving wine – ‘Blanket systems’ has been changed to ‘inert gas systems’ to reflect the wider spectrum of wine preservation systems using inert gases (and following the similar change we made in Level 3 in 2022).
No changes have been made to the list of Recommended Tasting Samples.
SAT
Some minor changes have been made to the SAT to bring it further in line with the SAT for Level 3. The aim of the SAT is to give students a structure for writing a comprehensive tasting note. Therefore, we have added some lines / terms to the Level 2 SAT to enable students to do that, despite the fact that they may not be directly applicable to the wines they will experience during the course. For example, students will likely not be shown any hazy wines during their Level 2 course, but it is important to include ‘clarity’ as a line within the SAT to acknowledge this as a part of giving a full description of the wine.
Appearance
A line for Clarity has been added to match that used in Level 3. The wines shown on the Level 2 course should all be clear, and therefore while clarity should be mentioned while introducing the SAT, you do not need to ensure you mention it for every wine you show.
‘Lemon-green’ and ‘brown’ have been added to the Colour section for white wines, and ‘brown’ has been added to red wines. Again, these changes bring the Level 2 SAT into line with that for Level 3 and express the full range of colours that wines may be.
‘Pink-orange’ remains as the middle point on the rosé colour scale. We do intend to bring Level 2, Level 3 and Level 4 in line on this point, but want to first conduct some research to ensure that the term that is used in the future is as appropriate and useful as possible for APPs and students around the world.
Nose
A line for Condition has been added to match that used in Level 3. The wines shown on the Level 2 course should all be clean, and therefore while condition should be mentioned while introducing the SAT, you do not need to ensure you mention it for every wine you show.
Conclusions
Faulty has been added to the range for Quality level, bringin the Level 2 SAT in line with that for Level 3.
Textbook
Many changes have been made throughout the textbook. In most cases, the changes are small and involve a tweak to a sentence, but in some areas, a whole paragraph has been updated or added.
The most significant changes are:
Chapter 1: Tasting and Evaluating Wine
Appearance ─ New paragraph added to address Clarity.
Colour ─ Text amended to state that white wines now run on a scale from lemon-green to brown, and brown is also now included as a option for red wines.
Nose ─ New paragraph added to address Condition.
Quality ─ ‘Identifiable characteristics/Intensity of flavours’ has been changed to Intensity. This consideration within the quality assessment will now only concern the concentration of the aromas and flavours of the wine, bringing it in line with practice for Level 3 Wines.
Chapter 2: Pairing Wine and Food
No changes
Chapter 3: Storage and Service of Wine
Storage of wine and Common wine faults ─ Language of ‘stale’, ’dull’ and/or ‘old’ now changed to ‘lose its fruit character’ (describing the impact of bright light, oxidation and heat damage) to improve the clarity of the language. Mention of the wine becoming ‘deeper-coloured’ has been removed under Failure of closure, as this would not be the case for red wines.
Methods used to preserve wine ─ Inert gas systems for wine preservation have now been included to replace the section on blanket systems. This is to include a wider variety of preservation systems that use inert gas.
Chapter 4: Grape-growing and Related Labelling Terms
Grape formation and ripening ─ Paragraph on Ripening now explains that tannins ripen in this stage rather than develop.
Concentration of grape sugars ─ Paragraph on Extra ripening acknowledges that extra-ripening is only an option if weather conditions are suitable.
Frozen grapes ─ ‘Icewine/Eiswein’ is now referred to as ‘ice wines’ in this section. ‘Icewine/Eiswein’ is still mention under labelling terms later in the chapter.
Climate ─ Climate is defined and climate change mentioned before climate classification is described.
Climatic influences ─ The sources of various ocean currents have been removed in ‘Seas’ due to conflicting information on these sources. The terminology ‘extend the growing season’ under ‘Rivers’ has been clarified in its meaning and now says ‘extending the period over which it is sufficiently warm to ripen grapes’
Spraying ─ The section ’Spraying’ has now been changed to ‘Managing weeds, pests and diseases’ to reflect the wider range of management options covered in this section. Organic grape growing is now described as the growing of grapes without the use of most chemicals, rather than the growing of grapes without the use of ‘synthetic chemicals’ given the grey area over terms such as ‘synthetic’, ’naturally-derived’ and ‘natural’ for chemical products and the implications of these terms.
Harvest ─ Grapes that are harvested earlier are now described as having ‘less-ripe flavours’ rather than ‘more herbaceous flavours’, the latter perhaps suggesting the grapes would not be ripe enough to make quality wine.
Geographical Indications ─ The definition of GI has been amended slightly to acknowledge that GIs can sometimes cover a whole country. An example of this is Australia. For wines without a GI, the example has been simplified to just state that, as an example, the country of origin may appear on the label.
In the table of the PDO and PGI terms for France, Italy, Spain and Germany, the old term Vin de Pays has been removed from France, with Indication géographique protégée (IGP) remaining.
Late harvest ─ The statement about Vendanges Tardives only being permitted in Alsace has been removed, as the statement is not correct. Vendanges Tardives is now first mentioned under Alsace in the Riesling chapter.
Chapter 5: Winemaking
Lees ─ Sentence that states that lees ageing is not typically used for aromatic grape varieties removed.
Clarification ─ New section on Clarification added at the end of Winemaking Options. This briefly mentions clarification techniques such as filtration and acknowledges that not all winemakers choose to use such techniques.
Maturation in bottle ─ Section on Changes to red wines amended to remove the statement that the tannins will drop over time. The relevant sentence now just mentions the tannins becoming softer and smoother.
Chapter 6: Pinot Noir
‘Smoke, cloves and vanilla’ used throughout the chapter to describe new oak flavours in Pinot Noir.
USA ─ Carneros changed to Los Carneros (here and throughout the textbook)
Chile ─ Description of wines changed to ‘flavours of red fruits (strawberries) and sometimes herbal notes’ to bring the description closer in line with that in Level 3.
New Zealand ─ Marlborough and Martinborough now described as cool climates rather than cool to moderate.
Chapter 7: Zinfandel/Primitivo
Examples of black fruits within the introductory description of Zinfandel/Primitivo changed to ‘black plums, blackberries and blueberries’, to bring the description into closer alignment with that in Diploma.
USA ─ Description of Zinfandel fruit changed to ‘red and black fruit (raspberry, blueberry, blackberry), dried fruit (raisin, prune), and oak (vanilla, coffee)’ to bring the description into closer alignment with that in Diploma.
Chapter 8: Riesling
Introductory description of Riesling at different ripeness levels amended to improve consistency with Level 3 and Level 4.
Winemaking and maturation options ─ Description of Süssreserve changed to ‘unfermented grape juice’ for consistency with Level 3.
Mosel ─ Description of slopes amended to south-west facing, rather than south-east.
France ─ Blossom removed from the description of Alsace Riesling, improving consistency with Levels 3 and 4. Sentence about ageing potential in Alsace deleted because the general long ageing potential for Riesling is noted in Winemaking and maturation options.
Labelling in Germany ─ Sentence added to clarify that Eiswein and Beerenauslese require the same minimum level of sugar at harvest.
Australia ─ Description of Riesling changed to ‘lime, lemon and, sometimes, petrol (gasoline)’ for greater consistency with Level 3.
Chapter 9: Chenin Blanc, Sémillon/Semillon and Furmint
Chenin Blanc ─ Western Cape added as an example of a GI for South African Chenin Blanc.
Sémillon/Semillon ─ Mention of Bordeaux AOC deleted here. Bordeaux AOC continues to be mentioned in Sauvignon Blanc (alongside Graves and Pessac-Léognan) given the white wines of Bordeaux AOC tend to be led by Sauvignon Blanc.
Furmint ─ Statement about the labelling of Tokaji Aszú amended to say that most Aszú is labelled 5 puttonyos or 6 puttonyos, given that products can still be labelled 3 and 4 puttonyos if the producer prefers. Mention of deliberate oxidation has been removed and replaced by ‘tertiary aromas (dried fruit, caramel, nuts)’.
Chapter 10: Chardonnay
In the introductory description of cool-climate Chardonnay, ‘lime’ has been removed from citrus fruits to improve consistency with Level 3.
Chablis ─ ‘Light- to medium-bodied’ added to the description of Chablis. Exposure of Premier and Grand cru slopes in Chablis amended to ‘south/south-west’.
Côte d’Or ─ As with Chablis, the description of the wines now includes body: ‘the wines have more body and riper fruit flavours…’
Mâconnais ─ Exposure of slopes in Pouilly-Fuissé (east and south-east) now mentioned to better link to the influence of aspect.
South of France ─ ‘South of France’ has now been changed to ‘Languedoc-Roussillon’ as the use of the term ‘South of France’ for that area of France does not translate meaningfully into some other languages. Pays d’Oc now mentioned as the key IGP in the area.
Australia ─ Slightly more specific explanation given under Margaret River in terms of the influence of the sea breezes: ‘moderate temperatures and slow ripening’.
New Zealand ─ Climate of Marlborough changed to ‘cool but sunny’.
Chile ─ Slightly simpler explanation given under Casablanca Valley in terms of the influence of the sea breezes and morning fogs: ‘slow ripening’ rather than ‘elongate the growing season’.
Chapter 11: Sauvignon Blanc
The introductory description of Sauvignon Blanc has been amended to ‘Its wines are characterised by their pronounced herbaceous (grass, green bell pepper/capsicum, asparagus) aromas. Primary flavours vary according to ripeness – from green fruits (apple, gooseberry), citrus fruit (grapefruit) and wet stones, to riper flavours of stone fruit (peach) and tropical fruit (passion fruit).’
Bordeaux ─ Extra sentence added on Bordeaux AOC to note that they are often single-varietal Sauvignon Blancs or blends with Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Clarification added that it is Graves and Pessac-Léognan that are often matured in oak and will develop complex flavours of honey and nuts in the bottle.
South of France ─ ‘South of France’ has now been changed to ‘Languedoc-Roussillon’. Pays d’Oc now mentioned as the key IGP in the area.
New Zealand ─ Climate of Marlborough changed to cool. Description of fruit flavours in Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc changed to ‘grapefruit, peach and passionfruit’ (grapefruit being typically more associated with Sauvignon Blanc than lemon).
Australia ─ Paragraph on Adelaide Hills changed to say that the climate is cooled by altitude (mention of ocean breezes removed) for greater consistency with Level 3 and Level 4.
Chapter 12: Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris
The introductory description of Pinot Grigio has been amended to ‘dry, light-bodied wine with medium to high acidity and simple flavours of pear and lemon’.
France ─ Description of flavours in Alsace clarified to ‘peach and mango’ with ‘honey and ginger’ developing in bottle.
Labelling in Alsace ─ Mention of new legislation ‘The wines from Alsace are typically labelled with their grape variety and, as of the 2021 vintage, the wine’s level of sweetness must be indicated on the label using a standardised scale.’ Slight rewording around Alsace’s grands crus to acknowledge that there are multiple appellations and that Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewurztraminer are not the only grape varieties permitted for grand cru status. Removal of sentence that suggests only Alsace uses the term Vendanges tardives.
Chapter 13: Gewurztraminer, Viognier and Albariño
Albariño ─ Description of climate in Rías Baixas been amended from cool to moderate for consistency with Level 3.
Chapter 14: Merlot
‘Fresh’ red fruit added to the introductory description of just-ripe Merlot.
South of France ─ ‘South of France’ has now been changed to ‘Languedoc-Roussillon’. Pays d’Oc now mentioned as the key IGP in the area.
Labelling in Bordeaux – Part 1 ─ Médoc AOC now not mentioned.
Chapter 15: Cabernet Sauvignon
Winemaking and Maturation Options ─ Cedar added to flavour characteristics provided by oak.
Bordeaux ─ Slight rewording on the influence of the gravel soils. Médoc AOC no longer mentioned as a key appellation.
South of France ─ ‘South of France’ has now been changed to ‘Languedoc-Roussillon’. Pays d’Oc now mentioned as the key IGP in the area.
Chapter 16: Syrah/Shiraz
Northern Rhône ─ Statement about grape ripening being affected by reflected sunlight from the river removed, bringing the content more in line with Level 3.
South of France ─ ‘South of France’ has now been changed to ‘Languedoc-Roussillon’. Pays d’Oc now included in the Specification as the key IGP in the area. Minvervois is now also included in the Specification as a key AOC in the area (therefore Minervois is now mentioned under Syrah and Grenache).
Australia ─ ‘Vanilla and coconut’ now used to describe oak flavours under Barossa. Hunter Valley now described as having very hot summers, to make its description more consistent with Level 3, in which it is described as a hot climate. Blends of Syrah with Cabernet Sauvignon and with Grenache mentioned, as Shiraz and Cabernet blends are mentioned at Level 1 and Level 3.
Chapter 17: Gamay
Beaujolais ─ Description of Beaujolais amended to say that the wines are usually light- to medium-bodied, acknowledging the greater body of some cru wines.
Labelling in Beaujolais ─ Explanation for why Beaujolais Villages have more flavour and body than Beaujolais amended to highlight the role of slopes and soil in greater ripening. Beaujolais crus now not described as villages given not all of them are based on an associated village.
Chapter 18: Grenache/Garnacha
Southern Rhône ─ Côtes du Rhone now described as having red-fruit and white pepper flavours for greater consistency with Level 1. Tertiary characteristics of Châteauneuf-du-Pape now described as dried fruit, earth and meat to match the tertiary descriptors given for Grenache earlier in the chapter.
South of France ─ ‘South of France’ has now been changed to ‘Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence’. Paragraph added on Provence, and Côtes de Provence added to Specification.
Chapter 19: Tempranillo
The introductory description of Tempranillo has been amended to add that the wines are ‘medium- to full-bodied’. The paragraph on maturation has been amended to delete the statement that oak adds body given this is not mentioned elsewhere in the book.
Catalunya ─ ‘Light-bodied’ removed from the description of wines from Catalunya.
Rioja ─ Other grape varieties now described as contributing acidity and tannin for ageing (colour not mentioned as not directly linked to ability to age).
Ribera del Duero ─ Mountainous landscape now described as high-altitude for greater clarity.
Labelling in Spain ─ Genérico now mentioned as a term used in Rioja (rather than Joven). Oak flavours in Crianza now described as vanilla, smoke and coconut (rather than cedar) given the use of American oak in some wines.
Chapter 20: Carmenère, Malbec and Pinotage
Carmenère ─ Herbal notes of eucalyptus removed from description of the grape variety, given these notes tend to come from neighbouring trees. Tertiary descriptors of leather and earth added to ensure the textbook matches the workbook.
Pinotage ─ Lighter bodied style of Pinotage described as ‘red-fruited’ whereas more powerful style described as having ‘red- and black-fruit flavours (red plum, blackberry)’ to better align with Level 4.
Chapter 21: Cortese, Garganega, Verdicchio and Fiano
Wording of denominations amended so that ‘Classico’ is, correctly, an addition to the DOC – e.g. ‘Soave DOC Classico’ rather than ‘Soave Classico DOC’.
Chapter 22: Nebbiolo, Barbera and Corvina
Mention of Po River removed from the introduction as the Po is not near enough to have significant influence.
Barbera ─ Statement about ageing potential brought into line with the workbook. It now states very good or outstanding examples can age, but Barbera wines generally have a shorter ageing potential than those from Nebbiolo.
Corvina ─ Wording of denominations amended so that ‘Classico’ is an addition to the DOC – e.g. ‘Valpolicella DOC Classico’ rather than ‘Valpolicella Classico DOC’. Potential for ageing of Amarone della Valpolicella now mentioned: ‘very good and outstanding examples have the ability to age positively in bottle.’
Chapter 23: Sangiovese and Montepulciano
Sangiovese ─ Addition of ‘medium-bodied’ to the description of Chianti Classico, to differentiate it from ‘full-bodied’ Brunello di Montalcino, and align with the workbook’s description of Sangiovese as ‘medium- to full-bodied’. Wording of denominations amended so that ‘Riserva’ is an addition to the DOCG – e.g. ‘Chianti Classico DOCG Riserva’ rather than ‘Chianti Classico Riserva DOC’. (Chianti Classico DOCG is it’s own DOCG separate from Chianti DOCG, so Classico can remain before DOCG in this case.)
Montepulciano ─ Statement on ageing potential added to bring description more in line with that in the workbook – ‘typically for early drinking’.
Chapter 24: Sparkling Wine
The Base Wine ─ ‘villages’ changed to ‘vineyards’ when talking about blending to make the terminology more relevant to practices outside France.
Cava ─ Description changed to ‘apple and lemon’, bringing the description more in line with Level 1.
South Africa, California, Australia and New Zealand ─ When describing South African sparkling wines, the labelling term has been changed to Cap Classique, rather than Méthode Cap Classique, the latter being the production method rather than the labelling term.
Prosecco ─ Description of Prosecco now changed to ‘pear, melon and floral (blossom) aromas’ to better align with Level 1. Brief description of Prosecco Rosé added.
Chapter 25: Fortified Wine
Dry Sherry Styles ─ Biscuit removed from the description of flavours from flor (leaving bread dough) to bring the description more in line with Levels 3 and 4.
Sweet Sherry Styles ─ PX now described as ‘deep brown’ rather than ‘almost black’ to fit in with SAT terminology. Liquorice and molasses notes also mentioned alongside dried fruit for greater consistency with Levels 3 and 4.
Ruby-style Ports ─ ‘Black pepper’ removed from the description of Ruby-style Ports as it is not noted in other Levels. Red fruit and black fruit added to the description of inexpensive Ruby Port.
Vintage Port ─ Tertiary aromas now described as ‘dried fruit, leather and forest floor’ (forest floor include rather than coffee) for greater consistency with Level 4.
Tawny-style Ports ─ Colour described as becoming more and more brown, rather than changing from ruby to tawny. Acknowledgement added that there can be Tawny Ports that age for over 40 years.