THE WORLD OF WINE
Below I will list random wine based questions that may be asked in any Sommelier or Wine exam. Great for Flash Cards.
QUESTION 1
"WHAT IS IL FALCONE AND WHERE IS IT MADE"?
IL FALCONE is the name that Rivera has chosen to remember Emperor Frederick II of Swabia who built the castle called Castel del Monte near Andria so that he could indulge his passion for falcony. The castle later gave its name to the surrounding DOC and DOCG area. "Nero di Troia" (about 70%), the main indigenous variety of the DOC Castel del Monte, combined with other local varieties. Aged in French oak for at least 14 months and for a further year in bottle. This wine is made on the Murgia hills in the Castel del Monte D.O.C. area.
QUESTION 2
WHAT IS TORCOLATO, WHERE IS IT MADE?
Torcolato, which means twisted, is a wine made from grapes left to dry on giant, corkscrew strands hung from attic ceilings. It is made in BREGANZE, Italy, the wine is made from a blend of garganega grapes plus vespaiolo and tocai friulano.
QUESTION 3
WHAT IS SAPERAVI?
Saperavi literally means paint, dye or give color is an acidic, teinturier-type grape variety native to Georgia, where it is used to make many of the region's most well-known wines. It is also grown in small quantities in the Niagara and Finger Lakes regions of New York State as well as former USSR countries. Its leaves are 3-lobed, large, and roundish. The berries are medium to large, elliptic or round depending on the type, dark bluish, and thin-skinned; with a maturation period of approximately 5 months and moderate productivity.
QUESTION 4
WHAT IS GRANDE VIDURE?
Carménère
QUESTION 5
WHAT IS EUTYPA DIEBACK?
Eutypa dieback is a disease caused by a fungus (Eutypa lata) which grows slowly through the wood of infected grapevines and other woody host plants. Vines become infected through fresh wounds such as those made during pruning. ... Two or more years might pass between infection and the appearance of symptoms.
QUESTION 6
WHERE IS THE WAHLUKE SLOPE LOCATED?
The Wahluke Slope AVA is an American Viticultural Area located within Grant County, Washington. It is part of the larger Columbia Valley AVA.
QUESTION 7
WHAT ARE PORT TONGS USED FOR?
Port Tongs are used to open Vintage Ports when the cork may be too brittle to open conventionally, it is used by heating the tong heads, clamping it over the neck of the bottle then stroking a cold wet feather across the heated neck which breaks the seal and opens the bottle. Then its poured into a decanter to be served.
QUESTION 8
WHAT IS SAIGNÉE?
Pronounced 'sonyay'.
In short saignée is one of the methods of making rosé wines, it is simply macerating (allowing contact with skins to leech out color and flavor) the wine with the skins for a short period of time.
QUESTION 9
NAME THE SATELLITES OF ST. EMILION
Saint Emilion is surrounded by satellite villages which once sold their wines under the Saint Emilion AOC: The villages are...
Lussac, Montagne, Parsac, Puisseguin, Sables, and Saint Georges.
QUESTION 10
NAME 2 SINGLE MALT PRODUCERS OF: ISLAY, SPEYSIDE, CAMPELTOWN
Islay - 1. Ardbeg 2. Caol Ila
Speyside - 1. The Macallan 2.Glenlivet
Campeltown - 1. Springbank 2. Glen Scotia
QUESTION 11
NAME FIVE VILLAGES OF COTES DU RHONE
1. Saint Maurice
2. Visan
3. Cairanne
4. Roaix
5. Sablet
QUESTION 12
NAME 2 1ER CRUS OF VOLNAY, FLAGEY-ECHEZEAUX AND SANTENAY
Volnay
1. Clos des Chênes
2. Clos du Verseuil
Flagey-Echezeaux
1. Les Beaux Monts Bas
2. En Orveaux
Santenay
1. Clos Rousseau
2. La Comme
QUESTION 13
WHAT IS AUSBRUCH?
Ausbruch (literal meaning: "break-out") or sometimes Ausbruchwein is an Austrian wine term for a quality level in the Prädikatswein category. It is situated between Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese in requirements, which makes it a sweet dessert wine typically made from grapes affected by noble rot.
QUESTION 14
WHAT ARE THE 3 DISTRICTS OF PENEDES?
The 3 Districts of Penedes are:
1. Alt Penedes
2. Baix Penedes
3. Penedes Central
QUESTION 15
NAME 3 AVA’S OF SIERRA FOOTHILLS
3 AVA's of Sierra Foothills are:
1. El Dorado AVA
2. Fair Play AVA
3. Fiddletown AVA
QUESTION 16
WHERE WOULD YOU FIND THE COTE DE SEZANNE?
Côte de Sézanne is one of the five sub-regions of the Champagne wine region. It is south of Vallée de la Marne, Champagne, and Côte des Blancs.
QUESTION 17
WHERE WOULD YOU FIND WINES PRODUCED FROM SCHIAVA AND HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THEM?
Schiava (Ski-ah-vah) grows primarily in the Alto-Adige region of Italy.
Primarily it is described as the Cotton Candy wine.
QUESTION 18
NAME FIVE PRODUCERS OF QUALITY SHERRY?
1. William & Humbert
2. Tio Pepe-Gonzalez Byass
3. El Maestro Sierra
4. Emilio Lustau
5. Sandeman
QUESTION 19
NAME ONE DISTRICT OF THE BREEDE RIVER VALLEY REGION?
Robertson
QUESTION 20
DESCRIBE THE REGULATIONS FOR PRODUCTION OF QBA IN GERMANY
Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete, abbreviated QbA (quality wine from one of the 13 specified wine-growing regions) must fulfill the following conditions:
be produced exclusively from German produce from the legally recognized roster of grapes permitted in Germany, grown in one of the 13 specified wine-growing regions; the region must be declared on the label
must reach a natural alcohol contentcorresponding to a must weight between 51 and 72o Oechsle (depending on region and grape variety)
must reach an existing alcohol content of at least 7% by volume.
The alcohol content of these wines may be strengthened prior to fermentation by chaptalization.
QUESTION 21
DESCRIBE THE WINES OF THE COTEAUX DU TRICASTIN
Grignan-les-Adhemar (formerly Coteaux du Tricastin) is an extensive appellation at the northern edge of the southern Rhone region. From the 2011 harvest, its name was changed to Grignan-les-Adhemar, to avoid negative associations with the vast and controversial Tricastin nuclear power plant.
AOC Grignan-les-Adhemar reds are made predominantly from Grenache and Syrah, although an addition of up to 15% of Carignan, Mourvedre or Cinsaut is permitted, provided that the combined total of these varieties does not make up more than 30% of the final wine blend.
The white wines made under the appellation are a blend of Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier. No single variety may make up more than 60% of these wines, which are fresh and crisp in style, with notes of white flowers and stone fruits.
QUESTION 22
WHERE WOULD YOU FIND THE OKANAGAN VALLEY?
OKANAGAN VALLEY, B.C. OKANAGAN VALLEY, B.C. - Located in southern British Columbia, Canada - the Okanagan Valley is one of the warmest regions in all of Canada.