Level 2 Mock Exam: 10 Practice Questions with Answers
2026-05-09 · 8 min read
The Level 2 exam is 50 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes. That is just over a minute per question. The best way to prepare? Practice under real exam conditions. These 10 questions cover the weightings you will face on exam day — from grape varieties and regions to winemaking and food pairing. Try answering them before reading the explanations.
📋 Instructions: Read each question, pick your answer, then check the explanation. The exam weighting is noted for each question so you know where to focus your study time.
Question 1 — LO 3: Grape Varieties (~40% weighting)
Which grape variety is most associated with the red wines of Barolo?
A. Sangiovese
B. Nebbiolo
C. Barbera
D. Corvina
✅ Answer: B — Nebbiolo. — Barolo DOCG is produced in Piemonte, north-west Italy, exclusively from the Nebbiolo grape. The wine is known for high tannins, high acidity, and aromas of red cherry, rose, tar, and earth. Sangiovese (A) is the key grape of Chianti in Tuscany. Barbera (C) is also from Piemonte but produces Barbera d'Asti, not Barolo. Corvina (D) is used in Valpolicella in Veneto.
Question 2 — LO 4: Regional Varieties (~15%)
Marlborough, on New Zealand's South Island, is best known for which wine style?
A. Pinot Noir
B. Chardonnay
C. Sauvignon Blanc
D. Riesling
✅ Answer: C — Sauvignon Blanc. — Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is one of the most distinctive wine styles in the world — intensely aromatic with notes of gooseberry, passion fruit, green pepper, and asparagus. The region's cool maritime climate and high sunlight hours produce these vibrant flavours. While Pinot Noir (A) is also produced in Marlborough, Sauvignon Blanc is the region's signature export.
Question 3 — LO 1+2: Winemaking (~25%)
What is the purpose of malolactic conversion in winemaking?
A. To convert sugar into alcohol
B. To soften harsh malic acid into softer lactic acid
C. To add tannin to the wine
D. To clarify the wine by removing sediment
✅ Answer: B — To soften harsh malic acid into softer lactic acid. — Malolactic conversion (MLC), also called malolactic fermentation, is carried out by bacteria that convert sharp malic acid (think green apple) into softer lactic acid (think milk/butter). It is standard practice for most red wines and adds buttery, creamy notes to certain whites like oaked Chardonnay. Option A describes alcoholic fermentation (yeast). Options C and D describe other processes.
Question 4 — LO 3: Grape Varieties (~40%)
Which of the following is a classic characteristic of Riesling from Germany's Mosel region?
A. Full body with high tannins
B. Light body, high acidity, and floral/stone fruit aromas
C. Oaked, creamy texture with vanilla notes
D. Deep colour and black fruit flavours
✅ Answer: B — Light body, high acidity, and floral/stone fruit aromas. — Mosel Rieslings are known for being light-bodied, low in alcohol (often 7.5–9.5% abv), with high acidity balancing natural sweetness. Aromas include green apple, peach, white flowers, and sometimes petrol/mineral notes with age. Riesling is almost never oaked (C), never has tannins (A), and is a white grape so does not produce black fruit (D).
Question 5 — LO 5: Sparkling & Fortified (~10%)
Prosecco is made using which production method?
A. Traditional method
B. Transfer method
C. Tank method (Charmat)
D. Asti method
✅ Answer: C — Tank method (Charmat / Metodo Italiano). — Prosecco is produced in north-east Italy primarily from the Glera grape using the tank method, where the second fermentation takes place in a large pressurised stainless-steel tank rather than in individual bottles. This preserves the fresh, fruity character of Glera — pear, apple, and white flowers — and is more cost-effective than the traditional method (A), which is used for Champagne, Cava, and Crémant.
Question 6 — LO 1+2: Viticulture (~25%)
Which of the following is a key effect of a maritime climate on wine production?
A. Very hot summers and freezing winters
B. Cool to moderate temperatures with low seasonal variation
C. High altitude and intense UV radiation
D. Extremely low rainfall and irrigation dependence
✅ Answer: B — Cool to moderate temperatures with low seasonal variation. — Maritime climates, influenced by proximity to oceans or seas, have lower diurnal and seasonal temperature ranges because water heats and cools more slowly than land. Examples include Bordeaux, Marlborough, and Rías Baixas. The moderate temperatures extend the growing season and help retain acidity in the grapes. Option A describes a continental climate. Option C relates to altitude, and option D to arid climates.
Question 7 — LO 3: Grape Varieties (~40%)
Which black grape variety is the principal grape of red Burgundy?
A. Cabernet Sauvignon
B. Syrah
C. Gamay
D. Pinot Noir
✅ Answer: D — Pinot Noir. — Red Burgundy is made exclusively from Pinot Noir. The Côte d'Or produces some of the world's most sought-after Pinot Noir, with appellations like Gevrey-Chambertin, Vosne-Romanée, and Pommard. The wines are typically light to medium-bodied with red fruit (strawberry, raspberry), earthy notes, and high acidity. Gamay (C) is the grape of Beaujolais, just south of Burgundy — a common exam trap.
Question 8 — LO 6: Service & Food Pairing (~10%)
Why does a high-tannin red wine like young Barolo pair well with a fatty dish like slow-braised beef?
A. The fat neutralises the tannins, softening the wine's mouthfeel
B. The wine's acidity cuts through the meat
C. The fruit flavours in the wine complement the beef
D. Tannins break down the fat, making the meat taste leaner
✅ Answer: A — The fat neutralises the tannins, softening the wine's mouthfeel. — This is a classic food-and-wine pairing principle. Tannins bind to proteins and fats in food, which reduces the sensation of astringency and dryness in the mouth, making the wine taste smoother. At the same time, the wine's structure refreshes the palate between bites — a perfect match. Options B through D describe other pairing interactions but not the primary tannin–fat dynamic.
Question 9 — LO 5: Fortified Wines (~10%)
Fino Sherry is characterised by which production technique?
A. Long oxidative ageing in barrel without flor
B. Biological ageing under a layer of yeast called flor
C. Fortification after fermentation to 20% abv
D. Addition of sweet Pedro Ximénez wine
✅ Answer: B — Biological ageing under a layer of yeast called flor. — Fino Sherry is aged under a layer of flor yeast that forms on the surface of the wine in the barrel. This flor protects the wine from oxygen and consumes glycerol and alcohol, producing the distinctive dry, savoury, almond-like character of Fino. Fino is fortified to ~15% abv, which is the ideal strength for flor to thrive. Option A describes Oloroso-style ageing, and option D describes Cream Sherry production.
Question 10 — LO 3: Grape Varieties (~40%)
Which of the following is NOT a classic aroma associated with Sauvignon Blanc?
A. Gooseberry
B. Passion fruit
C. Butter and vanilla
D. Green pepper (capsicum)
✅ Answer: C — Butter and vanilla. — Butter and vanilla are classic aromas of oaked Chardonnay, resulting from malolactic conversion (butter) and new oak ageing (vanilla). Sauvignon Blanc is almost always fermented in stainless steel and rarely undergoes malolactic conversion, so its profile is fresh and fruit-driven — gooseberry, passion fruit, green pepper, asparagus, and sometimes cat's pee (thiols). This question tests your ability to distinguish grape varieties by their winemaking treatment.
How Did You Score?
- 9–10 correct → Distinction level 🏆
- 7–8 correct → Merit level 👍
- 5–6 correct → Pass level — keep studying!
- Below 5 → Time to hit the books 📚
Want more practice? Take the full free WSET Level 2 mock exam (50 questions, no sign-up), drill the free Level 2 flashcards, or review the Level 2 cheat sheet.
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