MW Lab
Curriculum

Learn how to convert what you observe in the glass into evidence-led conclusions. We’ll focus on deduction, prioritising evidence, building logical arguments and structuring answers so that your reasoning is clear, concise and mark-focused.

Develop more convincing arguments for grape variety and origin. We’ll look at how to use structural, aromatic and stylistic clues, weigh competing possibilities and avoid forcing the wine to fit an initial hypothesis.

Develop confidence in one of the toughest areas of Practical. Learn how to recognise meaningful winemaking clues, avoid unsupported assumptions and turn those observations into concise, defensible answers.

Improve how you assess quality, development and ageing potential. Move beyond generic comments about balance and length and learn how to support your conclusions with precise evidence. Understand how to construct vintage questions.

Learn how to tackle compare-and-contrast questions without slipping into two separate tasting notes, and how to identify the points of difference that actually matter. We’ll also look at ambiguous wine styles: how to weigh conflicting evidence, distinguish between plausible alternatives and make the most defensible call when the wine does not fit neatly into one category.

Use style to strengthen your conclusions across the Practical exam, connecting what you taste with origin, winemaking, quality and commercial position. We’ll also explore price, intended market and consumer, and how to support these conclusions with evidence from the glass.

Bring the skills together under greater time pressure. Focus on prioritisation, concise writing, confidence, internal consistency and continuing to earn marks even when the final identification is wrong.