WSET Level3 Practice Questions (Southern France)

Answer

IGP wines allow for the use of a wide variety of grape varieties, enabling producers to cultivate internationally popular varieties that align with market demand—something not permitted under the stricter regulations of DOC wines. Additionally, IGP regulations permit the inclusion of grape variety names on wine labels, making the wines more accessible and easier to understand for consumers who may not be knowledgeable about wine. This flexibility in grape selection and labeling has contributed to the commercial success of IGP wines.

Grading Criteria

• For stating that IGP regulations allow for “the use of a wide variety of grape varieties,” you get 1 point.
• For explaining that this flexibility enables producers to “cultivate internationally popular varieties” and adopt strategies that align with market demand, you get 1 point.
• For stating that IGP wines can “display grape variety names on labels,” you get 1 point.
• For explaining that this labeling helps producers “market wines in a way that is more accessible to consumers who are less familiar with wine,” you get 1 point.

Answer

Method 1: Direct pressing. In this method, black grapes are crushed and pressed in a manner similar to white wine production, followed by fermentation at low temperatures. The short skin contact time results in minimal extraction of tannins and pigments, producing rosé wines that are pale in color, low in tannins, and light in style.

Method 2: Short maceration. In this method, crushed black grapes undergo a brief maceration process where the juice is left in contact with the skins before the free-run juice is drained off and fermented at low temperatures. The longer skin contact allows for greater extraction of tannins, pigments, and flavors, resulting in rosé wines that are deeper in color, slightly higher in tannins, and fuller-bodied in style.

Grading Criteria

• Method 1
  • For identifying “direct pressing” as a recognized method for rosé production in southern France, you get 1 point. Expressions like “direct pressing method” are also acceptable.
  • For describing direct pressing as a process where black grapes are crushed and pressed without prolonged skin contact, similar to white wine production, you get 2 points.
  • For describing the style of rosé wines made with direct pressing as “pale in color and low in tannins,” you get 1 point. Comparisons to short maceration regarding the lower levels of pigments and tannins are also acceptable.
  • For explaining that this style is due to the “short skin contact time, resulting in minimal extraction of tannins and pigments,” you get 1 point.
• Method 2
  • For identifying “short maceration” as a recognized method for rosé production in southern France, you get 1 point. Expressions like “saignée method” are also acceptable.
  • For describing short maceration as a process where black grapes undergo brief skin contact before free-run juice is drained and fermented, you get 2 points.
  • For describing the style of rosé wines made with short maceration as “deeper in color and slightly higher in tannins,” you get 1 point. Comparisons to direct pressing regarding the higher levels of pigments and tannins are also acceptable.
  • For explaining that this style is due to the “longer skin contact time, allowing for greater extraction of tannins, pigments, and flavors,” you get 1 point.