Test your wine knowledge with quiz questions from our expert.
Which of the following is not one of the nested AVAs within Napa Valley?
Knights Valley
Napa Valley has sixteen sub-AVAs, but Knights Valley is technically within the Sonoma County AVA, though it sits quite close to Napa Valley's Calistoga area.
Monks in ancient France put the byproducts of winemaking and viticulture for which of the following uses?
All of the above
In ancient times, monks in France maximized their use of anything related to the vine. Spoiled wine was employed to make vinegar, and grapes that didn't make the cut for winemaking were either eaten or used to make verjuice for pickling and preserving other foods. Additionally, grape seeds often were used for their oil (in soap-making), and vine leaves made their way into cattle feed.
True or False: Medieval physicians in France recommended wine for its blood health benefits?
True
Henri de Mondeville, a French surgeon in the 14th century, is known to have stressed the benefits of wine for the blood. He was noted for mentioning that such wine (white, rose, or red) should be of the highest quality available (as judged by aroma and flavors).
True or False: Terre di Pisa DOC Rosso wines must be made 100% from Sangiovese?
False
Terre di Pisa Rosso wines can be made from a minimum of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese, and/or Syrah. Sangiovese from the DOC must be made with a minimum of 95% Sangiovese grapes.
In what year was the Terre di Pisa DOC established in Italy?
2011
The northern-Tuscan DOC of Terre di Pisa was established in 2011. Situated between Pisa, Florence, and Volterra, it is unique among Tuscan wine areas in that it has not yet succumbed to the mono-cultures of olives and grapes that dominate the rest of the region (also growing crops such as wheat and sunflowers).
True or False: The term Kabinett (used as a quality label for Riesling wines) celebrates its 300th year in 2016?
True
The term Kabinett (of Cabinet until 1971) was first documented in use at Schloss Vollrads in the Rheingau in 1716. The term is derived from Cabinetkeller ("cabinet cellar") to describe especially elegant vintages of wines meant to be aged in small, secret rooms (Cabinets) for future consumption.
True or False: Cabernet Franc is one of the most widely planted grape varieties in Italy's Veneto region?
True
The Glera, Garganega, and Pinot Grigio varieties make up about half of all grape plantings in the Veneto. While only constituting three percent of the region's plantings, Cabernet Franc is among the top ten most widely planted fine wine grapes in the Veneto.
Which of the following is not a sub-AVA of the Paso Robles American Viticultural Area?
Morro Bay District
As of October 2014, Paso Robles has 11 sub-AVAs, including Templeton Gap District and Paso Robles Willow Creek District. The nearby Morro Bay area does not fall within any of the 11 sub-AVAs of Paso Robles.
How many American Viticultural Areas are included in the Paso Robles region of California?
11
Paso Robles was established as an AVA in 1983, and remained the largest un-subdivided AVA of California at 614,000 acres until 2014. In October of 2014, all 11 of the proposed sub-AVAs for Paso Robles were officially approved.
What inspired the name of the Friuli Grave DOC in Italy?
The gravelly soil that dominates the growing area.
Similar to Graves in Bordeaux, Friuli Grave takes its name ("Grave") from the arid soil beds full of gravel and pebbles that make up much of its vineyards.
