Test your wine knowledge with quiz questions from our expert.
True or False: Sonoma's West Sonoma Coast AVA was not planted with wine grapes until the 1940s?
False
The West Sonoma Coast AVA (approved in May, 2022) has a long agricultural history that stretches back to the 1880s. However, the area's first vitis vinifera vines were planted there even earlier, in 1817. The region is also well known for its commercial apples production, along with active dairy and ranching industries.
WHich of the following are NOT part of Sonoma's new West Sonoma Coast American Viticultural Area (AVA)?
Petaluma Gap
Newly approved in 2022, the West Sonoma Coast is Sonoma County's 19th AVA, located on the furthest western portion of Sonoma County encompassing the rugged terrain along the Pacific coastline. The new AVA includes three sub regions: Annapolis, Fort Ross-Seaview, and Freestone-Occidental. To the west of course lies the Pacific Ocean, while the shared Sonoma/Mendocino County line forms the AVA's northern boundary. Its southern boundary is marked by the northern boundary of the Petaluma Gap AVA.
What region is responsible for 80% of the sparkling wine production in Portugal?
Bairrada
Made primarily from the Maria Gomes, Bical and Arinto grape varieties, sparkling wine from Bairrada makes up most of Portugal's bubbly production, supplying 80% of the country's sparklers.
True or False: the CONEGLIANO VALDOBBIADENE Prosecco Superiore Rive DOCG is the highest level on the Prosecco DOCG Quality Pyramid?
False
CONEGLIANO VALDOBBIADENE Prosecco Superiore Rive DOCG occupies the second tier from the top on the Prosecco DOCG "quality pyramid." Top honors (and the strictest production requirements) go to the VALDOBBIADENE Superiore di Cartizze DOCG.
What sports star called Oregon Pinot Noir "the greatest wine you can find in America, and maybe not even America, but the world?"
LeBron James
In an interview with Yahoo! Sports in 2017, basketball star LeBron James not only professed his love for fine wine, but singled out Oregon's wine scene for special praise, saying “Oregon Pinot is some of the greatest wines you can find in America, and maybe not even America, but the world.”
True or False: U.S. consumption of Champagne fell from 2020 to 2021?
False
According to the Champagne Bureau, for the first time in decades the United States led all countries globally in shipment volume for Champagne, receiving over 34 million bottles of France's most famous bubbly. That translated to over $872.5 million worth of Champagne, a more than 63 percent increase year-over-year.
What is the most widely planted white wine grape in Portugal?
Fernão Pires
Also known as Maria Gomes, Fernão Pires is Portugal's most widely planted white wine grape. Popular in Bairrada, Lisboa, and Alentejo, Fernão Pires makes very aromatic, silky wines with naturally low acidity.
True or False: China is one of the Top 10 producers of wine worldwide?
True
As reported by Statista, China produced 9.3 million hectoliters of wine in 2018. This puts it in the number 10 spot worldwide for wine production, slightly behind South Africa (9.5 million hectoliters) and Germany (9.8 million hectoliters).
When must sparkling Sekt grown and made in Austria carry the term "Sekt Austria" on its label?
Always
As of 2022, Sekt that is made from Austrian grapes and vinified into sparkling wine in Austria must carry the term "Sekt Austria" on the label (this is true for Sekt Austria (PDO), Sekt Austria Reserve (PDO), and Sekt Austria Große Reserve (PDO) wines). Austrian Sekt continues to be identified by the red-white-red banderole found on the top of the bottle.
True or False: Austria's Wagram region is now an offcial DAC?
True
For wines made from the 2021 vintage onward, Wagram is now officially Austria's 17th DAC winegrowing region. This means that Wagram will now subdivide its DAC wines into three sub-categories: Gebietswein (regional wine), Ortswein (villages wine) and Riedenwein (single-vineyard wine).
