WSET Level 3 Red and rosé wines: practice questions with answers
These are real questions from The Wine Goat bank on Red and rosé wines, written to the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines syllabus. Answer them, read the explanation, then practise the full set of 102 questions in the free app, where your mistakes come back until you know them.
Sample questions with answers
1 In red winemaking, when does pressing normally happen?
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Answer: After fermentation
Why: Skins stay in the vat to extract colour and tannin. In reds MLF is standard practice.
2 What is the purpose of cold maceration before fermentation?
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Answer: To extract colour and aroma compounds from the skins
Why: Tannins are more soluble in alcohol, so little is extracted before fermentation.
3 What is the usual fermentation temperature range for reds?
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Answer: 20-32 °C
Why: Warmer than whites to aid extraction; above 35 °C yeast may die. Cooling near the end reduces tannin extraction.
4 What is the cap?
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Answer: The mass of skins and pulp that rises to the top during fermentation
Why: A floating cap gives little extraction, hence cap management techniques.
5 What is the risk of over-vigorous punching down late in fermentation?
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Answer: Too much tannin: a bitter, astringent wine
Why: Tannins extract more easily late on; punching down is very effective for colour and tannin.
6 In red winemaking, malolactic fermentation is:
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Answer: Standard practice (virtually all reds undergo it)
Why: Reds: MLF standard; whites: a stylistic choice.
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.
102 questions on this topic in the app
Frequently asked questions
How many questions on Red and rosé wines are in The Wine Goat?
The app has 102 multiple-choice questions on Red and rosé wines, each with an explanation, plus short written answer questions and flashcards on the same topic.
Is Red and rosé 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 Red and rosé 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
WSET 3 questions by region and topic
- Tasting and the SAT
- Food and wine pairing
- Storage and service
- Wine pricing and the trade
- The vine and grape varieties
- Climate and environment
- Vineyard management and pruning
- Winemaking and maturation
- White wines
- Red and rosé wines
- Bordeaux
- Burgundy and Beaujolais
- Alsace and the Loire
- Rhône Valley
- Southern France
- Italy
- Spain
- Portugal
- Germany
- Austria and Hungary
- Greece
- USA and Canada
- Chile and Argentina
- South Africa
- Australia and New Zealand
- Sparkling: Champagne, Prosecco, Cava
- Sherry
- Port and fortified wines