General Knowledge

Question 1

What is the difference between “Puro” and “Acholado” on the label of Peruvian Pisco?

Answer 1

Puro is distilled from a single grape variety, while Acholado is distilled from a blend of grapes.

Question 2

What producer makes the Adrianna Vineyard Mundus Bacillus Terrae Malbec?

Answer 2

Catena Zapata

Question 3

What village is the Burgundy Premier Cru “Les Amoureuses”?

Answer 3

Chambolle-Musigny

Question 4

What village is the Burgundy Premier Cru “Aux Malconsorts”?

Answer 4

Vosne-Romanee

Question 5

What village is the Burgundy Premier Cru “Aux Serpentieres”?

Answer 5

Savigny-Les-Beaune

Question 6

What village is the Burgundy Premier Cru “Clos Saint Jacques”?

Answer 6

Gevrey-Chambertin

Question 7

Which of the years from 2010 to 2016 was the least favorable for the production of botrytized sweet wines in Sauternes?

Answer 7

2012 - notably, Chateau d’Yquem, Rieussec, and others did not produce Sauternes that year.

Question 8

Mazuelo, Samso, and Bovale Grande are all synonyms for what grape variety?

Answer 8

Carignan

Question 9

Dagger nematodes are responsible for spreading which vineyard disease?

Answer 9

Fan leaf virus

Question 10

Which of the following are red wine AOPs? Premiere Cotes de Bordeaux, Cadillac Cotes de Bordeaux, Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux, Cadillac, Francs Cotes de Bordeaux

Answer 10

Cadillac Cotes de Bordeaux, Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux

Question 11

What styles of wine are authorized in Francs Cotes de Bordeaux?

Answer 11

Dry white, liquoreux white, and dry red

Question 12

What styles of wines are authorized in Cadillac (BDX)?

Answer 12

liquoreux white wines

Question 13

What styles of wines are authorized in Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux?

Answer 13

red only

Question 14

What styles of wines are authorized in Cadillac Cotes de Bordeaux?

Answer 14

Red only

Question 15

What styles of wines are authorized in Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux?

Answer 15

semi-sweet white wines

Question 16

What is the distinction between liquoreux and moelleux?

Answer 16

Liquoreux means ‘syrupy sweet’ and is used for rich, often botrytized wines that are markedly sweeter than Moelleux. Moelleux literally translates to ‘like marrow’ or ‘mellow’. They are usually sweet in BDX (less than 45 g/L RS), whereas in Vouvray, moelleux styles can range from 50-200 g/L RS.

Question 17

Where is the Arbois grape used as a blending component?

Answer 17

It is generally blended as a minor component with Sauvignon Blanc in the Loire Valley, specifically Cheverny, Valencay, and Touraine AOPs. Vouvray allows up to 5% with CB in its AOP.

Question 18

What grape is NOT allowed in Arbois Vin de Paille AOP production?

Answer 18

Pinot Noir

Question 19

What type of vine training system is most commonly used in Barolo and Barbaresco?

Answer 19

Guyot - with Nebbiolo, longer canes with more buds are needed for production, as the buds closest to the plant are typically sterile.

Question 20

What is the grape variety of Klevener de Heiligstein?

Answer 20

Savagnin Rose - the pink-berried mutation of Savagnin, not as aromatic as Gewurztraminer.

Question 21

What are the three distinct soil-types in Beaujolais and in which crus are they more commonly found?

Answer 21

Roche Pourri - “rotten rock”, a blue metamorphic stone made of decomposed schist and volcanic matter; more common in Julienas, mixed in Morgon and Brouilly
Gore/Gres - igneous rock made of friable pink granite; more common in Chenas, Moulin-a-Vent (also has higher Mn levels), Fleurie (>90%), Chiroubles, Regnie, mixed in Morgon and Brouilly
Diorite - hard, deep green to black igneous rock; more common in Cote de Brouilly

Question 22

What nutrient is found in higher concentrations in Moulin-a-Vent and what effect does it have on the grapes?

Answer 22

Manganese; the high Mn levels are to the point of toxicity, which causes vines to produce less leafy vegetation and grape clusters -> lower yield= concentrated, more profound and complex flavors.

Question 23

Where are the following producers located, what grapes are they best known for growing, what are their flagship cuvees:
a) Clonakilla b) Brokenwood c) Yering Station?

Answer 23

a) Clonakilla - Canberra, Australia - Shiraz Viognier (co-ferment)
b) Brokenwood - Hunter Valley, Australia - Graveyard Shiraz
c) Yering Station - Yarra Valley, Australia - Scarlett (Pinot Noir)

Question 24

What type of vine training system is most commonly used in Barolo and Barbaresco?

Answer 24

Guyot. With Nebbiolo, longer canes with more buds is required for production.

Question 25

Arrange these towns from N to S - Bernkastel, Urzig, Trier, Peisport, Cochem

Answer 25

Cochem, Urzig, Bernkastel, Piesport, Trier

Question 26

Describe the climate of Madeira.

Answer 26

1) Warm maritime, humid; warm summers, mild winters (can have lack of dormancy problems at warmest sites) 2) Mountains are up to 1800m asl, causes moist air in the humid winds arriving from the north to cool and condense into rainclouds, so north and center of island considerably cooler and wetter than south; majority of rain (can exceed 3m in center) in autumn and winter

Question 27

requirements to be labeled Frasqueira Madeira

Answer 27

a) single vintage, b) single varietal (named on bottle), c) min 20 years in wood, d) year of harves AND year of bottling must be on label, e) quality must be assessed by IVBAM

Question 28

What is en Rama; name a producer

Answer 28

"raw" or unfiltered style of biologically aged sherry - most are heavily filtered to remove flor particles - en Rama only lightly filtered so as to retain cloudiness and flavor character; Hidalgo La Gitana Manzanilla en Rama, Gonzales Byass Tio Pepe Fino en Rama, Lustau "3 en Rama" series from 3 different villages - Fino Jerez, Fino El Puerto de Santa Maria, and Manzanilla Sanlucar de Barrameda

Question 29

What organization classifies Rutherglen and what are the classifications?

Answer 29

"The Muscat of Rutherglen Network", founded in 1995; 4 classifications - Rutherglen Muscat (3-5 yr, 180-240g/L RS), Classic Rutherglen Muscat (6-10yr, 200-280g/L RS), Grand Rutherglen Muscat (11-19yr, 270-400g/L RS), Rare Rutherglen Muscat (20+yr, 270-400g/L RS)

Question 30

What is the dominant soild type of the Serralunga d'Alba, and how does this affect the wines there?

Answer 30

gray marl and light yellow sandstone; higher in Calcium Carbonate, which restrains vigor and produces wines that are more austere, powerful, and structured.

Question 31

4 DOCGs pf the Marche region?

Answer 31

Castelli de Jesi Verdicchio Riserva DOCG (min 85% Verdicchio, min 18mo aging); Verdicchio di Matelica Riserva DOCG - min (85% Verdicchio, min 18mo aging); Conero (Conero Riserva) DOCG (min 85% Montepulciano, max 15% Sangiovese); Vernaccia di Serrapetrona DOCG (nim 85% Vernaccia Nera - a min 40% of the Vernaccia grapes must be dried to obtain min 13% alcohol potential to make a SPARKLING RED)

Question 32

What is Mantania a PDO for?

Answer 32

Moschofilero (min 85%), within the greater Peloponnesian peninsula

Question 33

5 winds that affect the Languedoc

Answer 33

Tramontane (from NW, cold and dry); Cers (from W or SW, very dry, cooler in winter, warmer in summer); Scirocco (from the south, warm and wet); Autan (from SE France - 2 forms - L'Autan blanc is dry, L'Autan noir is humid/wet); Marin (warm marine wind from Mediterranean)

Question 34

Can Fino Sherry have a VOS or VORS designation?

Answer 34

no

Question 35

Which of the following is NOT a requirement of Franciacorta Saten: Blanc only, brut only, vintage only, min 24 months on lees, max 5 atm pressure?

Answer 35

Vintage only

Question 36

Name the commune and classification for Chateau Lynch-Bages

Answer 36

Pauillac, 5th growth

Question 37

Which year from 2010 to 2016 was considered the most challenging in Montalcino and would be the least likely vintage for Brunello di Montalcino Riserva to be produced?

Answer 37

2014 - cold and wet vintage in which many producers declassified their Brunello to Rosso di Montalcino.

Question 38

Where are the Sellicks Ranges?

Answer 38

forms the southern boundary of McLaren Vale in Southern Australia

Question 39

Where are the Southern Alps?

Answer 39

runs down middle of the South Island of New Zealand, creates rain shadow for Marlborough

Question 40

Where are the Cederberg Mountains?

Answer 40

Western Cape of South Africa, just OUTSIDE the Olifants River District. Cederberg Ward is isolated from the other wine centers, doesn't sit within any of the 5 WO regions or 24 WO districts other than the broader Western Cape zone - home to a single winery - Cederberg Private Cellar

Question 41

What are the 4 AVAs within Yakima Valley

Answer 41

Rattlesnake Hills, Snipes Mountain, Candy Mountain, and Red Mountain.