This episode lays the structural foundation for understanding the USA in D3. It explains why the United States does not fit Old World frameworks, and why examiners use it to test causal reasoning rather than rote knowledge. Pay particular attention to the links between history (colonization and Prohibition), regulation (AVAs and labelling laws), and market structure (domestic consumption, brand dominance, direct-to-consumer sales). In the exam, credit is awarded not for listing facts, but for explaining how these forces shape wine style, quality and price in the modern US context.
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You’ll find the complete list of episodes, organized in syllabus order, here:
https://thesommpour.substack.com/p/wset-diploma-d3-wines-of-the-world