White wine tasting sheet
A free, structured sheet for tasting white wine: appearance, nose, palate and conclusions. Tap your choices on screen, or download the blank PDF and fill it in with a pen.
What you type stays on your device. Nothing is sent to us.
How to use this sheet
- 1. Appearance. Hold the glass against something white, tilted. Is it clear or hazy? How deep is the colour, and where does it sit between lemon-green and brown? Young, light whites are usually lemon-green to lemon. Gold and amber often point to age, oak or sweetness.
- 2. Nose. Swirl, then sniff. Is it clean? Is the smell light or pronounced? Then name what you find, starting with the broad family (citrus, stone fruit, tropical) and only then the detail (lemon, peach, pineapple).
- 3. Palate. Take a sip and let it coat your mouth. Judge sweetness first, then acidity (does your mouth water?), alcohol (warmth), body, flavour intensity and finish. Acidity is easiest to feel along the sides of your tongue.
- 4. Conclusions. Step back. Is it balanced, long, intense and complex? Rate the quality, decide whether to drink it now or keep it, and write one sentence in your own words.
What the words usually mean
| What you taste | Often found in |
|---|---|
| Lemon-green to lemon colour | Young, unoaked whites from cooler places, for example many Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Pinot Grigio |
| Gold colour | Oaked or aged whites, and many sweet wines |
| High acidity | Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chablis, Albariño |
| Off-dry to sweet | Some Riesling and Chenin Blanc, Moscato, Sauternes, Tokaji |
| Full body | Many oaked Chardonnay from warm regions, Viognier |
| Light body | Many Vinho Verde, Muscadet and Pinot Grigio |
| Vanilla, toast, butter | Oak ageing and malolactic fermentation, as in many barrel-aged Chardonnay |
These are general tendencies. Producer, vintage and climate change a wine a lot, so trust what is in your glass.
Questions
Is this the official WSET tasting sheet?
No. It is an independent sheet made by WineBudd. It follows the same general order that many wine courses use (appearance, nose, palate, conclusions), but the layout and wording are our own, and it is not made, approved or endorsed by WSET. WSET is a registered trademark of its owner.
Can I use it to practise for a wine course?
It is a good way to practise a structured tasting. If you are taking a course, use the sheet and vocabulary your course provider gives you for the exam itself.
Does it save what I type?
Yes, but only on your own device, in your browser. Nothing is sent to us. Use "Clear sheet" to remove it.
How do I print it?
Use the Print button to print the page you have filled in, or download the blank PDF in A4 or US Letter size and fill it in by hand.
More tasting sheets
WineBudd is an independent app and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust). "WSET Level 2 style" describes the general order of a structured tasting note, not an official form.