WSET Level 3 Winemaking and maturation: practice questions with answers
These are real questions from The Wine Goat bank on Winemaking and maturation, written to the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines syllabus. Answer them, read the explanation, then practise the full set of 158 questions in the free app, where your mistakes come back until you know them.
Sample questions with answers
1 Which yeast carries the alcoholic fermentation of wine through to the end?
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Answer: Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Why: Saccharomyces cerevisiae tolerates alcohol and finishes the fermentation.
2 Which microorganism is mainly responsible for malolactic conversion?
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Answer: The lactic bacterium Oenococcus oeni
Why: Oenococcus oeni (sometimes Lactobacillus, Pediococcus): malic acid → lactic acid + CO₂.
3 What does a pre-fermentation cold soak (4-10°C) mainly extract?
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Answer: Colour and fruity aromas, with few tannins
Why: Without alcohol, anthocyanins and aromas dissolve, not tannins; protected with SO₂ and dry ice.
4 In carbonic maceration, what produces the first 2 degrees of alcohol inside the whole berries?
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Answer: The grape's own enzymes (intracellular fermentation)
Why: Without oxygen, the berry's enzymes make ~2% abv; yeasts finish after pressing.
5 Where does the CO₂ in wine mainly come from?
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Answer: From the yeasts' alcoholic fermentation
Why: Sugars → alcohol + CO₂ + heat; a little from malolactic too.
6 What are the two main roles of SO₂ in wine?
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Answer: Antimicrobial and antioxidant
Why: SO₂ holds back unwanted microbes and protects against oxidation.
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.
158 questions on this topic in the app
Frequently asked questions
How many questions on Winemaking and maturation are in The Wine Goat?
The app has 158 multiple-choice questions on Winemaking and maturation, each with an explanation, plus short written answer questions and flashcards on the same topic.
Is Winemaking and maturation 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 Winemaking and maturation, 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