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About This Quiz
Red, white, bubbly, and everything in between! It's time to see if you can sip your way through this quiz! It's the ultimate quiz to see how well you know wine!
Which is NOT one of the five major red grape varietals produced in Bordeaux?
Merlot
Cabernet Franc
Sangiovese
The red wines of Bordeaux are usually blends of two or more of the 5 popular grapes which include: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec.
Petit Verdot
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What are the two prominent white grape varietals of Bordeaux?
Merlot and Malbec
Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay
Sauvignon Blanc and Semillion
Most white Bordeaux wines are made of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Muscadelle, Colombard and Ugni Blanc are other types.
Petit Verdot and Shiraz
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What does the term "corked wine" mean?
The wine is contaminated
Corked wine means that a wine is contaminated with cork taint which is the presence of a chemical compound called TCA (2,4,6 - trichloroanisole), giving the wine a musty smell.
There is no cork in the bottle
The cork is stuck in the bottle
The cork is out - it's time to party!
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What is the prominent white varietal of the Burgandy region in France?
Chardonnay
Bourgogne (Burgandy in French!) is located in the east-central part of France.
Semillon
Sauvignon blanc
Merlot
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What type of grape varietal is used to make Beaujolais?
Chardonnay
Gamay
Beaujolais Nouveau is an easy drinking, fruity wine that became very popular in the 1980s.
Malbec
Chianti
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What is the name of a wine steward who specializes in wine service and wine and food pairing?
Bartender
Sommelier
There are four levels in which sommeliers can be certified by the Court of Master Sommeliers after completing an examination at each level.
Wine snob
Wino
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What flavor characteristic is responsible for giving your mouth a dry feeling?
acidity
alcohol
fruit
tannins
Tannins come from the grape skins and seeds and add bitterness to the wine, and can also give your mouth a dry feeling.
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What famous wine type is made with grapes affected by Botrytis cinerea - a.k.a. "noble rot"?
Chianti
California
Riesling
Sauternes
Noble rot is a benign type of fungus on grapes that extends a sweetness to the wine. Sauternes from Bordeaux; Tokaji Aszu from Hungary; and Spätlese level German Riesling all are made from grapes with "noble rot".
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Which phrase below translates to "young wine" in Portuguese?
Vino Joven
Joven Vino
Young Vino
Vinho Verde
It is not a grape varietal and translates literally to "green wine," but means any red, white, or rosé wines that are consumed shortly after bottling.
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How would you order red wine in Spain?
red
wine
malbec
tinto
Even though the word for red is "rojo" in Spanish, in Spain, "vino tinto" is used to order red wine. It originates from the Latin word “tinctus” which means “dyed”, “stained” or “tinted”, since the skins of the grapes are what give the color to the wine.
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What is the main grape varietal in an Italian Super Tuscan wine?
Chianti
Chardonnay
Nero d'Avola
Sangiovese
The origin of the name "Super Tuscan" comes from the fact that other varietals were introduced to the traditional Tuscan wine, and used to contribute to the super tuscan.
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What famous American winemaker is credited with putting grape varietals on the label?
Brad Pitt
George Clooney
Robert Mondavi
The Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science opened in October 2008 at the University of California, Davis.
Andy Garcia
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What area of California is known for its big cabernet sauvignons?
Napa
The Napa Valley is one of the world's most diverse wine regions in terms of soil and geology, containing soils with a mixture of volcanic and marine origins, to name a few.
San Diego
San Luis Obispo
Sonoma
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What famous Canadian wine is made from grapes harvested when they are frozen on the vine?
Chardonnay
Inniskillin
The Inniskillin winery was founded in 1974 and is located on Niagara-on-the-Lake in Ontario, Canada.
Meade
Sherry
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While Germany makes a number of different wines, what wine varietal is it best known for?
Alsace
Bremen
Mosel
Riesling
The white grape varietal Riesling originated in the Rhine region of Germany, and is widely planted in the Mosel, Rheingau, Nahe and Pfalz wine regions.
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What is the main difference between most German Rieslings and most French Rieslings?
aging
bubbly
sweetness
Germany produces more styles of sweet Riesling as opposed to dry Riesling styles from the Alsace region of France.
tannins
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What type of wine is typically pink in color?
champagne
red
rosé
A rosé gets some color from the grape skins during the wine making process, but not enough to qualify it as red wine.
white
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What is the "appellation of origin"?
wine made from apples
a geographical indication of the grape varieties
Appellation of origin appears on labels to give an idea of the geographical environment in which they are produced - for example, it appears as "appellation contrôlée" (AC) in France and "denominazione di origine controllata" (DOC) in Italy.
a court to decide the best wine
an encyclopedia of wine history
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Which of the following is NOT a primary varietal used in champagne?
Chardonnay
Malbec
There are specific rules that only allow grapes grown and processed according to strict practices in the Champagne region of France to be called Champagne.
Pinot Meunier
Pinot Noir
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Which of the following characteristics does NOT qualify as "real" champagne?
bubbly
Just because it is bubbly, does not mean it is champagne! It is illegal to call a sparkling wine champagne unless it is grown in the Champagne region of France and adheres to other rules on secondary fermentation and carbonation, among others.
region
carbonation process
sourcing of grapes
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After resting in cellars, which of the following is added to champagne before shipping?
bananas
lemon juice
red wine
sugar
This addition of reserve wine and very pure cane sugar is called a "dosage" and the amount added (from lowest to highest) determines the type of champagne: Brut Nature, Extra-Brut, Brut, Extra sec (or Extra Dry), Sec (or Dry), Demi-Sec, or Doux.
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What does "brut champagne" mean?
it will put hair on your chest
it is very sweet
it is not sweet
Brut can also be further described as “extra brut” and “brut natural" - in which no additional sugar was added.
it smells like men's cologne
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When describing a wine as "dry", what does that mean?
tannic
not sweet
A dry wine is not very sweet because it does not have any residual sugar from fermentation.
sour
sweet
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What is the French word that describes the environmental factors that affect how grapes grow, and ultimately, how wine tastes?
appellation
parlez-vous
sommelier
terroir
Terroir refers to the type of soil, climate, drainage, sun exposure, and winds to which the grapes are exposed.
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What is a tête de cuvée ?
an old tank of wine
wine from the first pressing of the grapes
The literal translation in French is "head of the vatful" and is the wine produced from the first pressing of the grapes which is considered to have the most superior quality.
wine from the third pressing of the grapes
the head of the vineyard
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What is the tête de cuvée of Moët & Chandon?
Cristal
Dom Pérignon
Dom Pérignon was first marketed in 1928, exclusively in England and the United States.
Don Juan
Perrier
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The grape varietal called Shiraz in the southern hemisphere, is called ___________ in the northern hemisphere.
Amarone
Meritage
Pinot Meunier
Syrah
The same red wine is made in France’s Rhône region where it is called Syrah, and made in Australia where it is called Shiraz.
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What varietal of grape is used to make Barolo and Barbaresco?
Cannonau
Chianti
Malbec
Nebbiolo
Nebbiolo is predominantly associated with the Piedmont region of Italy, where it makes Barolo, Barbaresco, Roero, Gattinara and Ghemme.
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What is the suggested serving temperature for white wine?
49-55 degrees F
A refrigerator is often around 35 degrees F, so it is not optimal for chilling white wines to the perfect temperature.
0 degrees C
cold
warm
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What is the suggested serving temperature for red wine?
62-68 degrees F
If red wine is too cold, you will lose out on flavor and aroma - resulting in exaggeration of tannins and acidity.
100 degrees C
cold
warm
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What do you call the grainy material that sometimes settles to the bottom of a wine bottle?
grapes
sediment
Sediment can be composed of yeast cells, grape parts, tartaric acid crystals, or anything leftover from the process of making wine. It will not hurt you!
trash
Yuck!
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Which famous wine style from the Rhone Valley in France means "New Castle of the Pope"?
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France and has a population of about 2000.
Pouilly Fume
Pouilly Fusse
Shiraz
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Which famous grape varietal from Bordeaux is featured as a single grape varietal in Argentina?
Chardonnay
Cabernet Franc
Malbec
Argentina has the most acreage of Malbec vines in the world.
Pinot Noir
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Which California wine region is best known for chardonnay?
Carneros
Napa
San Luis Obispo
Sonoma
There are several stories of the origin of the name Sonoma, one being the Native American tribes that lived in the area named it Sonoma which translates to "valley of the moon".
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What is the proper thing to do when the sommelier puts the cork on the table?
Lick it
Make a cork board
Nothing
The cork can sometimes have off flavors, therefore it is not recommended to sniff the cork to determine the quality of the wine.
Smell it
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