63. WSET Level 3 Tasting Tip: Don’t Let a Sweet Wine Sabotage Your Exam
Wine Educate: Wine Tasting, Wine Tips, Wine Enthusiast, WSET
Release Date: 07/31/2025
77. Super Tuscans 101: Tuscany’s Bordeaux Blends and the Sassicaia Story
Wine Educate: Wine Tasting, Wine Tips, Wine Enthusiast, WSET
Description: In Episode 77 of the Wine Educate Podcast, Joanne Close explores the fascinating rise of Super Tuscans—wines that broke Italy’s traditional rules and became some of the most sought-after bottles in the world. In Tuesday’s episode, we covered Chianti and Chianti Classico. Today, we’re heading about 75 miles southwest to Bolgheri, the coastal home of Super Tuscans. Though close in distance, Chianti and Bolgheri couldn’t be more different in climate, grape varieties, and wine styles. We’ll dive into: What makes a wine a “Super Tuscan” (hint: it’s all about those...
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76, Chianti vs. Chianti Classico: History, Laws, and Key Differences Explained
Wine Educate: Wine Tasting, Wine Tips, Wine Enthusiast, WSET
Hello and welcome back to the Wine Educate Podcast. I’m your host, Joanne Close, and this is episode 76. Today we’re diving into the history and wine laws of Chianti and Chianti Classico. This is a Level 3 topic, but I’ve added context and stories that bring the region to life. Chianti has one of the longest and most fascinating histories in Italian wine. As early as the 13th century, the region was known as “Chianti,” and in 1716, Grand Duke Cosimo III of Tuscany officially delineated the boundaries of what is essentially Chianti Classico today. This was done to protect quality and...
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75. Wine History in Context: Alto Piemonte’s Revival and Valle d’Aosta’s Alpine Charm
Wine Educate: Wine Tasting, Wine Tips, Wine Enthusiast, WSET
Resources & Links: Sign up for the Wine Educate Newsletter: www.wineeducate.com/newsletter-signup Visit our website: www.wineeducate.com How to Contact Us: Email: [email protected] Instagram: @wineeducate Hello friends, and welcome back to the Wine Educate Podcast. I’m your host, Joanne Close, and today we’re doing something a little different. This episode won’t be heavy on exam prep, but it will give you important context about Piedmont and its history through two fascinating regions: Alto Piemonte and Valle d’Aosta. This topic is fresh on my mind because Jim and...
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74. Amarone & Recioto: The Passito Wines & Laws of Valpolicella Explained
Wine Educate: Wine Tasting, Wine Tips, Wine Enthusiast, WSET
Welcome back to the Wine Educate Podcast, where we explore WSET education, study tips, and practical advice for wine enthusiasts and professionals. I’m your host, Joanne Close, and this is episode 74. Today, we’re heading to Northeast Italy, into the Veneto, to explore Valpolicella—a region whose wines feature prominently in both WSET Level 2 and Level 3. While you may not think “Valpolicella” sounds familiar, chances are you’ve heard of or even tried Amarone, one of its most famous styles. Valpolicella produces a wide range of wines, from light and easy-drinking reds to powerful,...
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73. Barolo & Barbaresco: Wine Laws at the WSET Level 3 Level
Wine Educate: Wine Tasting, Wine Tips, Wine Enthusiast, WSET
Barolo & Barbaresco: Wine Laws at the WSET Level 3 Level Welcome back to the Wine Educate Podcast, where we explore WSET education, study tips, and practical advice for wine enthusiasts and professionals. I’m your host, Joanne Close, and this is episode 73. Today, we’re diving into two of Italy’s most legendary regions: Barolo and Barbaresco, through the lens of WSET Level 3 wine laws. These two Nebbiolo-based DOCGs may sit just two miles apart, but their histories, elevations, soils, and styles each tell a fascinating story. Barolo spans about 2,000 hectares, while Barbaresco is...
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72. Italian Wine Laws at the WSET Level 2 Level
Wine Educate: Wine Tasting, Wine Tips, Wine Enthusiast, WSET
Resources & Links Sign up for the Wine Educate Newsletter: www.wineeducate.com/newsletter-signup How to Contact Us Email: [email protected] Website: www.wineeducate.com Instagram: @wineeducate Hello and welcome to the Wine Educate Podcast, where we explore WSET education, study tips, and practical advice for wine enthusiasts and professionals. I'm your host, Joanne Close, and this is Episode 72. Last week in the newsletter, I asked what wine laws you wanted me to cover next, and over 75% of you said Piedmont. But before we dive into that beautiful (and complex!) region, it’s...
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71. Wine Laws of Burgundy: Côte Chalonnaise & Mâconnais
Wine Educate: Wine Tasting, Wine Tips, Wine Enthusiast, WSET
Resources & Links Sign up for the Wine Educate Newsletter: www.wineeducate.com/newsletter-signup How to Contact Us Email: Website: Instagram: @wineeducate Episode 71 – Wine Laws of Burgundy: Côte Chalonnaise & Mâconnais In this episode of the Wine Educate Podcast, we conclude our Burgundy wine law series with two often-overlooked but fascinating regions: the Côte Chalonnaise and the Mâconnais. These southern Burgundy appellations may not always command the same prestige as the Côte d’Or, but they deliver remarkable value and unique expressions of Chardonnay and Pinot...
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70. The Wine Laws of Burgundy – Côte d’Or & The Importance of Slope
Wine Educate: Wine Tasting, Wine Tips, Wine Enthusiast, WSET
70. The Wine Laws of Burgundy – Côte d’Or & The Importance of Slope Resources & Links Sign up for the Wine Educate Newsletter: www.wineeducate.com/newsletter-signup How to Contact Us Email: [email protected] Website: www.wineeducate.com Instagram: @wineeducate Today’s episode continues our Burgundy series with a focus on the Côte d’Or—and more specifically, the role that slope plays in vineyard quality and classification. This concept is key not just in Burgundy but also in other cool to moderate regions like Germany’s Mosel and Alsace. We’ll...
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69. The History of Burgundy Wine Laws: How Monks and the Napoleonic Code Shaped Today’s Vineyards
Wine Educate: Wine Tasting, Wine Tips, Wine Enthusiast, WSET
Resources & Links Sign up for the Wine Educate Newsletter: How to Contact Us Email: Website: Instagram: Welcome to episode 69 of the Wine Educate Podcast. This week, we’re continuing our Burgundy series, focusing on the fascinating history behind the region’s wine laws. Understanding this history really helps explain why Burgundy looks the way it does today—with its extreme fragmentation and complex vineyard ownership. We start by looking at the early role of the monks. The monks not only planted and maintained the vineyards, but also took careful notes over...
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68. WSET Level 2: Intro to Burgundy Wine Laws and Classifications
Wine Educate: Wine Tasting, Wine Tips, Wine Enthusiast, WSET
Resources & Links: Sign up for the Wine Educate Newsletter: Visit our website: How to Contact Us: Email: Instagram: In this episode, Joanne introduces the fascinating world of Burgundy (or Bourgogne) and unpacks the wine laws at the WSET Level 2 level. This is the start of a four-part series on Burgundy, where history, geography, and classification come together to shape one of the most famous wine regions in the world. You’ll learn about: How Burgundy compares to Bordeaux in size and production. The climate differences between Chablis, the Côte d’Or, and the...
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Sign up for the Newsletter – Get weekly Level 1, 2 & 3 tips, podcast links, and study resources www.wineeducate.com/newsletter-signup
In This Episode:
What happens if you’re given a sweet white wine on the Level 3 tasting exam?
In Episode 63, Joanne shares a smart (and easy to miss) strategy for the order in which you taste the wines during the exam—especially if one of them is a sweet/luscious style like Sauternes or Tokaji.
Most students instinctively begin with the white wine, but if that white is sweet, it can completely overwhelm your palate and throw off your ability to assess the red wine accurately. That sugar will mute fruit, distort tannin perception, and make the red seem more acidic and bitter than it really is.
Joanne walks through:
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Why you should consider tasting the red before the white in some cases
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Clues to help you identify a sweet wine without tasting it
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How to avoid tanking the red wine analysis due to a sugar-loaded first impression
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What to look for: deep gold color, honeyed aromas, and slow, viscous legs
This is the kind of small but powerful exam-day detail that can save you critical points. Whether you’re weeks away from your Level 3 tasting or just starting to prep, tuck this tip in your back pocket—you’ll be glad you did.
Coming Up:
Next week, we kick off a brand-new series on Wine Laws, starting with Germany. If you’ve ever struggled with understanding European labeling or regional classifications, this one’s for you.
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