This episode is designed as a high-yield listening companion for WSET Diploma D3, with particular focus on how Washington State is examined through cause-and-effect reasoning. Rather than listing regions or facts in isolation, the narrative deliberately links geography, climate, soils, irrigation, and grape choice to resulting wine styles, structure, and quality outcomes.
Pay close attention to how the Cascade Range’s rain shadow, irrigation from the Columbia River system, long daylight hours, high diurnal range, and free-draining loess and basalt soils repeatedly explain ripeness, acidity retention, tannin development, and alcohol levels across the Columbia Valley and its sub-AVAs. These are precisely the explanatory links examiners look for when awarding higher marks.
This episode is best used alongside maps, with a view to practicing short, structured explanations under time pressure: why this place, why these grapes, and why these wine styles.
Looking for all episodes in one place?
I’ve created an evergreen “Start Here” hub for this unit so you can access the full series without inbox overload.
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
