Introduction to the Practical Exam Stage 1 Presented by Amy Christine MW, DC Flynt MW, Adam Lapierre MW, Peter Marks MW
2 Agenda Exam Structure How MW Practical Differs from Other Exams What You Must Know How to Approach Exam Questions Time Management Practice Methodologies Stage 1 Practical Assessment
3 Exam Structure 36 wines 3 days 2 hours 15 minutes Written; typed or handwritten
4 Exam structure Practical: Three 12-wine tasting papers White wines Red Wines Sparkling, Fortified, Sweet (may include dry white and red table wine)
5 The WSET Diploma Approach Descriptive A descriptive approach with a short question at the end where you are asked to use your description of a wine to reach a logical conclusion (e.g. grape variety or origin) In this approach you are not required to make many direct links between your description of the wine and your conclusion
6 Court of Master Sommeliers Approach Descriptive and deductive Focus on identification of grape variety, origin and vintage Oral exam 6 wines
7 How MW Practical Differs from Other Exams Analysis of the structure of each wine Logical deduction of grape variety(ies) / origin Production Techniques Quality State of Maturity / Capacity to age Commercial Position Wine Style Taste Like a Detective, Prove Like a Lawyer
8 What You Must Know Classic Wines (New & Old World, or cool & warm climates) Commercially Relevant Wines Trendy & Fashionable Wines
9 What You Must Know Classic grape varieties Vintages for classic, old world regions e.g. Bordeaux, Burgundy, Port Production methods, especially for Paper 3 use your theoretical knowledge Age vs. State of Maturity Quality
10 What You Must Know Don t waste too much time with the obscure wines of the world If such a wine is on the exam, you wouldn t be expected to specifically identify the grape variety and origin You would be expected to discuss winemaking, quality, style and commercial position
How To Approach Exam Questions
12 The Basics State your answer at the beginning, then justify it Start with the most important, relevant clues Make an observation, then make a logical conclusion Be specific as possible, avoid use of overly vague evidence Conventional abbreviations are fine, but spell the word entirely the first time
13 Bankers vs. Funneling Banker If you recognize the wine straight away, prove your answer without considering other options This shows confidence, but can be dangerous if wrong Funneling Use evidence from glass and use logical deductive reasoning by considering a number of options Avoid using too many possibilities, as this wastes time and doesn t demonstrate confidence Valuable marks can be awarded with correct analysis and logical reasoning even though conclusion is wrong
14 Grape Variety Color Fruit Aroma / Flavor Profile Acid Alcohol Residual Sugar (or lack thereof) Grape Tannin Texture Weight Oak Style Be precise in describing these elements!
15 Origin Drill down as far as wine will allow (no need to guess specific vineyard or producer!) Warm Climate / Cool Climate Old World / New World Aroma / Flavor Profile Structure (Alcohol, Acid, Tannin, Texture, etc.) Winemaking Techniques Varietal Character Varietal Logic Typicity Quality
16 Method of Production Use evidence from the glass Difference between production / winemaking Don t comment on evidence not easily discernable from the glass Don t state the absolutely obvious (i.e. CO 2 in sparkling wines suggests a second fermentation) Be aware of number of marks and space available Use chronological order Negative statements are OK (e.g. no evidence of new oak) Never leave this section blank!
Quality Overall Quality: Define terms in the context of the region (Low, Average, Very Good, High, Exceptional) Mention regional hierarchy, if applicable (Riserva, Gran Reserva,1er Cru, etc.) State estimated price if it s relevant to analysis and you are confident; use globally recognized currency Justify with elements of quality found in the glass (Balance, Length, Varietal Definition Intensity/Concentration, Integration of structural elements, Complexity) State of maturity capacity to age Style and commercial position if not asked elsewhere Be objective avoid personal preferences 17
18 Commercial Position Critical thinking using your commercial knowledge. Original thought and insight for each wine there s not one correct way to answer the question. Develop your terminology and use consistently Consider the following: Where do you see the wine being sold? When do you see the wine being sold? Who do you see buying the wine? How do you see the wine being sold? Who are the competitors?
19 Time Management Develop a system, use it, refine it! Set a limit on how much time you spend analyzing the wine and writing your tasting notes Set a limit on how much time you spend filling in the answer sheets 12 wine tastings = important conditioning Must you write something in all of the lines?
20 Practice Methodologies Mock tastings (12 wines or shorter versions) under timed conditions Varietal comparisons (Sauvignon vs. Riesling vs. Chenin, or Cabernet vs. Merlot) Regional comparisons (left bank vs. right bank, Cote de Nuits vs. Cote de Beaune) Quality comparisons (regional/village/classified growth or similar) Dry tasting notes Component tastings of alcohol, sugar, acid PAMS
21 Stage 1 Assessment Practical 12 wines; mixed bag 2 hours 15 minutes Written; typed or handwritten 55% pass mark required for progression to Stage 2
Practice Tasting From a Descriptive to Analytical Approach
23 Example: Question 1 WSET Diploma Style Describe Wine 1 under the headings below. Appearance (2 marks): Nose (7 marks): Palate (9 marks): Country and region of origin (2 marks):
24 Example: Question 1 MW Style (Origin) Identify the origin of Wine 1 as closely as possible (8 marks). State your answer to the question on the top line Then justify it using your observations about the wine, but in a logical way rather than in the WSET order Start with the key evidence (sometimes this is the appearance, but often it isn t, especially for white wines) What is the key evidence? It s very simple what exactly led you to the conclusion you have reached? Use that!
25 Key evidence for the origin of Wine 1? Not the appearance many white wines could look similar The smooth texture and obvious new oak (toast, vanilla) point to Chardonnay as the grape variety The savoury style and restraint point to Burgundy rather than the New World The high quality (concentration, length, balance, complexity) points to the Côte de Beaune The rich, buttery style points to Meursault
26 Then supporting evidence Use everything else that you have observed about that wine as your supporting evidence This could include colour, body, alcohol, acidity etc.
27 Summary For MW grape variety and origin questions, the following simple answer structure is effective: Key evidence: A and B suggest/point to C Supporting evidence: This is confirmed by/consistent with this are D, E, F, G and H
28 Exercise: Wine 2 Identify the grape variety of Wine 2 as closely as possible (8 marks). Key evidence (A and B suggest/point to C)? Pale colour intensity, moderate levels of tannin and perfumed red fruit character point to Pinot Noir. Supporting evidence: This is confirmed by/consistent with this are D, E, F, G and H Consistent with this are the medium body, moderate (13%) alcohol, high acidity, spicy notes suggesting a period of maturation in new oak, elegant style and good concentration/length which point to high quality.
29 Multi-wine questions: Question 2, part a) In both the Diploma and MW you will sometimes be asked to identify grape variety/origin with reference to all the wines in a given flight As before, the WSET approach is more descriptive with only 5 marks allocated at the end to the links between description and conclusion see second side of handout for Question 2 The MW equivalent allocates 20 marks see handout How to structure these answers?
30 Multi-wine questions: Question 2, part a) Use the same structure as before, i.e. key evidence followed by supporting evidence Where the points are the same for each wine, you can group the wines together in your answer Where the points differ then you must separate them For example
31 Identify the grape variety: wines 2-4 Pale ruby appearance, fine tannins and perfumed red fruit on all three wines point to Pinot Noir This is supported by high acidity on all three wines and also by the body (light on wine 4, medium on wines 2 & 3) and varying degrees of oak influence (spicy, toasty notes indicating new oak maturation on wines 2 & 3, fruit-forward style suggesting no new oak on wine 4) Alcohol levels (13% on wine 2, 14% on wine 3 and 12.5% on wine 4) are also consistent
32 There is so much more we could cover here e.g. answer structure for different types of questions which do not appear in the WSET Diploma (vintage, style, commercial positioning, winemaking etc) but we covered many of these earlier Key thing is to come away from this session with an understanding of the differences between the descriptive and the analytical approach. This will help you enormously!
QUESTIONS?