WSET Level 3 Port and fortified wines: practice questions with answers
These are real questions from The Wine Goat bank on Port and fortified wines, written to the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines syllabus. Answer them, read the explanation, then practise the full set of 52 questions in the free app, where your mistakes come back until you know them.
Sample questions with answers
1 What are the Douro's three Port sub-regions?
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Answer: Baixo Corgo, Cima Corgo, Douro Superior
Why: Baixo Corgo is coolest and wettest with the lightest wines; Cima Corgo has most top vineyards; Douro Superior is renowned. Hotter and drier eastward.
2 What shields the Douro from rain-bearing Atlantic winds?
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Answer: The Serra do Marão
Why: The climate is warm continental; vineyards start 70 km upstream of Porto and Gaia.
3 At what alcohol level is Port fermentation stopped?
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Answer: 5–9% abv, after about 24–36 hours
Why: The time is so short that normal extraction is too weak: foot treading, autovinifiers, pistons and robotic lagares are used.
4 What is a lagar?
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Answer: A shallow granite trough for treading grapes by foot
Why: The benchmark for other methods; labour-intensive, still used for some premium wines.
5 Which is the most widely planted grape in the Douro?
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Answer: Touriga Franca
Why: Most planted: Touriga Franca. Most prized: Touriga Nacional (low yields).
6 What strength is Port after fortification?
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Answer: 19-22% abv
Why: Fortification kills yeast; timing depends on must weight and desired sweetness.
Practise all of it in the free app
Your answers are saved to your profile, the app builds your day-by-day study plan up to the exam and brings back your weak points until you master them.
52 questions on this topic in the app
Frequently asked questions
How many questions on Port and fortified wines are in The Wine Goat?
The app has 52 multiple-choice questions on Port and fortified wines, each with an explanation, plus short written answer questions and flashcards on the same topic.
Is Port and fortified wines important for the WSET Level 3 exam?
Yes. The 50 multiple-choice questions cover the whole syllabus and the 4 short written answers often focus on one region or process, so every topic, including Port and fortified wines, can come up.
More WSET Level 3 resources
- WSET Level 3 practice questions with answers
- WSET Level 3 mock exam: free practice test
- WSET Level 3 short written answer questions: examples and model answers
- The WSET Level 3 Systematic Approach to Tasting (SAT): how to write a tasting note
- WSET Level 3 flashcards: grapes, regions, numbers and key terms
- How to pass WSET Level 3 first time: study plan and tips
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- Port and fortified wines