Learn the syllabus
Six Learning Outcomes. The badge on each shows how many of the 50 exam marks it carries — so you can see where the time is best spent.
LO1 · Vineyard, grape & climate
5 marksWhat a grape and a vine need, how grapes ripen, how climate shapes style, and how origin is regulated by Geographical Indications.
- Skin → colour, tannins, flavours.
- Pulp → sugar, acids, water, flavours.
- Seeds & stems → tannins.
- A vine needs warmth, sunlight, water, nutrients and carbon dioxide (CO₂).
- Grape formation: flowering → fruit set → véraison (colour change, ripening begins).
- As grapes ripen: sugar rises, acid falls, colour & tannins develop, green aromas turn to riper fruit.
- Climate categories: cool, moderate, warm.
- Influences: latitude, altitude, slope, aspect, soils, seas/rivers, fog/cloud.
- Cool climate → higher acid, lighter body, less ripe fruit; warm → riper fruit, fuller body, more alcohol.
- PDO = tighter, smaller, place-specific rules; PGI = broader area, looser rules.
- France: AOC/AOP (PDO), Vin de Pays/IGP (PGI).
- Italy: DOCG → DOC (PDO), IGT (PGI). Spain: DOCa → DO (PDO), Vino de la Tierra (PGI).
- Germany: Qualitätswein, Prädikatswein (PDO), Landwein (PGI).
LO2 · Winemaking & bottle ageing
4 marksFermentation, the choices that shape style (temperature, oak, malolactic conversion, lees, blending), and how wine changes in bottle.
- Alcoholic fermentation: yeast converts grape sugar into alcohol + carbon dioxide.
- Stages: crushing → fermentation → pressing → storage/maturation → blending → packaging.
- Red ferments with skins (colour & tannin); white without; rosé = short skin maceration or blending.
- Cool fermentation preserves fresh fruity aromas (typical whites); warm extracts more (typical reds).
- Oak vessels add flavour by size/age/toast — new small oak gives the most (vanilla, spice, toast); steel & concrete are neutral.
- Malolactic conversion (MLC): sharp malic acid → softer lactic acid (buttery).
- Lees ageing adds body and bready/savoury complexity. Blending gives consistency, complexity or style.
- Sweet wine: stop fermentation early (leaving sugar) or add sweetness.
- Red: colour shifts ruby → garnet/brown; tannins soften; fresh fruit → dried fruit, leather, earth.
- White: colour deepens toward gold; fresh fruit → honey & nutty notes.
LO3 · The eight principal grape varieties
19 marksThe biggest slice of the exam. Four black (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah/Shiraz, Pinot Noir) and four white (Chardonnay, Pinot Gris/Grigio, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc) — their characteristics, key regions/GIs, and how cool vs warm climate changes the style.
- For each grape, learn: characteristics (body/acid/tannin/aromas), its key regions/GIs, and the cool→warm style shift.
- Drill both directions: grape → region and region → grape.
- Use the Explorer and Climate tabs — and Practice mode filtered to LO3.
LO4 · Regionally important varieties
12 marksAround 22 further varieties tied to specific regions and labelling terms — Tempranillo (Rioja), Sangiovese (Chianti), Nebbiolo (Barolo), Malbec (Mendoza), Gamay (Beaujolais), Chenin Blanc, Gewürztraminer and more.
- These are mostly region → grape recall plus a labelling term each (Crianza, Classico, Cape Blend, Aszú…).
- Browse them in the Explorer; check terms in the Label Decoder.
LO5 · Sparkling & fortified wines
6 marksHow the bubbles get in (traditional vs tank method) and the key distinction between Sherry and Port — the timing of fortification.
- Traditional method: 2nd fermentation in the bottle → fine, persistent bubbles + bready complexity (Champagne, Cava; South Africa = Méthode Cap Classique).
- Tank method (Charmat): 2nd fermentation in a pressurised tank → fresh primary fruit (Prosecco from Glera, Asti from Moscato).
- Terms: Brut (dry), Demi-Sec (medium-sweet), Vintage/NV.
- Fortification = adding grape spirit to raise alcohol.
- Sherry (Jerez, Spain): fortified AFTER fermentation → dry base; aged under flor (Fino) or oxidatively (Oloroso). Sweet styles: Cream, PX.
- Port (Douro, Portugal): fortified to INTERRUPT fermentation → leaves residual sweetness. Styles: Ruby, Tawny, LBV, Vintage.
LO6 · Storage, service & food pairing
4 marksLooking after wine, serving it at the right temperature, spotting faults, and how food and wine interact.
- Store cool, at constant temperature, away from light; cork-sealed bottles on their side (keeps the cork moist).
- Service temps: sparkling & sweet — well chilled; light/medium white & rosé — chilled; full white — lightly chilled; light red — room temp or lightly chilled; medium/full red — room temp.
- Chilling raises perceived acidity/tannin and hides fruit; warmth raises perceived alcohol and aromatics.
- Cork taint (TCA): musty, wet-cardboard smell. Heat damage: flat, stewed character. Failed closure → premature oxidation.
- Match the weight of food and wine; use acidity to cut fat; pair tannin with protein/fat.
- Sweet/umami food makes wine seem harder (more bitter/acidic); salt & acid in food make wine seem softer — and food should not be sweeter than the wine.