SPARKLING WINES OF THE WORLD

Question 1

How many Premier Cru and Grand Cru in Champagne?

Answer 1

44 Premier Cru
17 Grand Cru

Question 2

How is Champagne rated?

Answer 2

-The whole village is rated and not specific vineyard sites
-Growers in these villages are NOT required to meet stricter production requirements (ex: Lower yields)

Question 3

Champagne- Within the appellation boundaries, how many sub regions are there with major concentrations of vineyards?

3 most famous?

Answer 3

5

1.Montagne de Reims
2.Vallee de la Marne
3.Cotes des Blancs

Question 4

Climate in Champagne?

Answer 4

Cool continental

Winter freeze, spring frosts, rainy/cloudy weather

Frost is a big challenge

Question 5

Champagne-Most vineyards are planted on?

Soils?

Answer 5

Slopes to minimize frost

Dominated by chalk (provides good drainage, but can hold a good quantity of water during dry periods)

Question 6

Champagne-Chardonnay is most widely planted where?

Answer 6

Cote des Blancs
Cote de Sezanne
*Much lighter in body than in Burgundy, high acid with floral/citrus fruit character

Question 7

Champagne-Where does Pinot Noir dominate?

Answer 7

Montagne de Reims
Cote des Bar
*Wines of greater body and structural backbone to most blends

Question 8

Champagne-Where does Meunier dominate?

Answer 8

Vallee de la Marne
-Buds late protecting it from spring frost that occur more in this area
-Adds fruit flavours to blends
-Important for wines that are made to be enjoyed young

Question 9

First liquid to come off the press in Champagne?

Answer 9

Cuvee-Contains the purest juice (Best Champs made solely from this)

The remainder is called the Taille

Question 10

Champagne- NV wines must be ages for?

Answer 10

Min 15 months, including at least 12 months on lees

Question 11

Champagne-Vintage wines must be matured for?

Answer 11

Min 36 months, including at least 12 months on the lees

Question 12

NV Champagne characteristics?

Answer 12

Lighter in body
More fresh fruit flavors

Question 13

Vintage Champagne characteristics?

Answer 13

Made in the best years
More concentrated
More toasty and biscuity

Question 14

Blanc de Blanc characteristics?

Answer 14

Light to medium bodied
Citrus primary fruit
Can be more austere in youth, but can bottle age for a long time

Question 15

Blanc de Noir characteristics?

Answer 15

Fuller in body
Can age more quickly

Question 16

What is Prestige Cuvee

Answer 16

-Represents the finest wine in their range
-Often, but not always Vintage wines and made from the best parcels of grapes

Question 17

What is Cremant?

What are the most important?

Answer 17

-Applies to a number of French sparkling wines AC’s

-Cremant d’Alsace
-Cremant de Bourgogne
-Cremant de Loire

Question 18

Rules for Cremant?

Answer 18

Made in traditional method
Must spend min 9 months on lees

Question 19

What grapes are NOT permitted for Cremant in Alsace?

Answer 19

Muscat and Gew

**Chardonnay is allowed

Question 20

2nd biggest centre of sparkling wine production in France?

Answer 20

Loire Valley

Question 21

What is sparkling Saumur made from?

Rose??

Answer 21

-Can be made from a range of local varieties, as well as Chardonnay, which with Chenin Blanc and Cab Franc is an important ingredient in the best wines

Rose-Cab Franc

Question 22

What is sparkling Vouvray made from?

Answer 22

-Made in greater volume than still Vouvray
-Mainly Chenin Blanc (Autolytic character of Chenin B tends to be more smoky and toasty)

Question 23

Sparkling Saumur and Vouvray are made by what method?

How long on lees?

Answer 23

Traditional method

Min 9 months

Question 24

What does Cava cover?

Answer 24

A number of different non-contiguous geographic areas across Spain

Question 25

Areas permitted to make Cava?

Answer 25

Sant Sandurni d’Anoia

Navarra, Rioja, Valencia

Question 26

Rules for Cava?

Answer 26

Made in Traditional method

Min 9 months on lees

Most is non vintage and ready to drink on release from winery

Generally lower in acid than Champagne

Some producers making premium Cava that have undergone extensive lees aging

Question 27

Cava grapes?

Answer 27

FOR WHITES
Macabeo (Viura)
Xarel.lo
Parellada
(Dry, medium acid, some character from yeast autolysis)

FOR ROSES
Garnacha
Monastrell

**Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are also permitted—Can add extra level of both fruit and acid to wines)

Question 28

What is Asti made from?

Answer 28

Muscat Blanc a petits Grain
using the Asti method

Question 29

Characteristics of Asti?

Answer 29

Pronounced fruity aroma
of peach and grape with floral notes
All is sweet
Low in alcohol
No Autolytic character
Does not benefit from ageing

Question 30

2 principal regions for Prosecco?

Answer 30

Prosecco DOC (Covers wide area of Veneto and Friuli)

Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG (Fruit must be gorwn around the 2 towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene on the steep limestone hills NW of Venice)

Question 31

Prosecco- What does Cartizze and Rive mean?

Answer 31

A wine from an exceptional vineyard site

Question 32

Prosecco characteristics?

Answer 32

-Tank method
-Med acid, fresh aromas of green apple and melon
-Made in Brut, extra dry, dry styles
-Typically have a bit more RS than Champagne and Cava
Do not benefit from bottle age

Question 33

Any residual sugar left in Prosecco is usually a result of what?

Answer 33

Interrupting fermentation by chilling and filtering

Question 34

Prosecco Rose?

Answer 34

Allowed to be produced as of 2020 by DOC

Mainly Glera with a small amount of PN (Up to 15%)

Question 35

Where has the highest per capita consumption of sparkling wine in the world?

Answer 35

Germany

Question 36

How is Sekt made?

Answer 36

Tank method

Base wines usually come from Italy, France, Spain, but are turned into sparkling wines within Germany

Question 37

What is Deutscher Sekt?

Answer 37

-In addition to being made sparkling in Germany, it must also ONLY use grapes grown in Germany

-Best are made from Riesling

-If all grapes for the wine come from one of the quality wine regions (Mosel) then the wine can bear the superior appellation Deutscher Sekt b.A (Some will use the Traditional method for this)