Test your wine knowledge with quiz questions from our expert.
Which of the following grapes is a cross between Chardonnay and Seyval Blanc?
Chardonel
Chardonel is is a French-American hybrid grape made via a cross of the popular Seyval Blanc and the even more popular Chardonnay. Catawba, Concord, and Norton are all native to the Americas.
Which of the following is NOT an official AVA in Missouri?
Kansas City
While there is a Kansas City wine trail in Missouri, there is no Kansas City AVA. The "missing" fifth AVA in today's list of answers is Ozark Highlands, which encompasses nearly 1.3 million acres in south-central Missouri.
What grape is sometimes used in Reuilly to make rosé?
Pinot Gris
Similar to how some Pinot Grigio is produced in Northern Italy, the French Loire Valley region of Reuilly sometimes produces wine made from Pinot Gris that allows color to be extracted during the winemaking process by letting the juice remain on the skins of the grapes. Since Ponit Gris does have a slight skin color, this results in a lightly colored rosé wine.
True or False: Still rosé wine is produced in the Champagne region of France?
True
While Champagne is justifiably famous for its sparkling rosé wines, some still rosé is made in the region using Pinot Noir grapes, under the Rosé des Riceys appellation. Les Riceys also can lay claim to producing wine under a rare combination of three Appellations d'Origine Contrôlée (AOCs): Champagne, AOC Côteaux Champenois (for red wine), and Rosé de Riceys.
Isovaleric acid, produced by Brettanomyces yeast, can cause wine to smell sweaty or cheesy, generally considered a fault when present in large enough amounts.Brettanomyces can also produce compounds that have aromas considered pleasant (including cloves, smoke, spice, and lilac).
What term is used to describe a wine with a noticeable amount of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs)?
Reduced
Reduction/reduced is a term used to describe wines with detectable levels of volatile sulfur compounds (VLCs). Usually (but not always), this manifests as an odor similar to rotten eggs, caused by the presence of hydrogen sulfide (other VSC aromas include vegetable-like smells such as onion, corn, and cabbage).
True or False: The state of Pennsylvania has wineries that are forty or more years old?
True
Buckingham Valley Winery, Adams County Winery, Presque Isle, Mazza Vineyards, and Nissley Vineyards are all Pennsylvania state wineries that were founded 40 or more years ago in the 1970s.
The Italian wine Ramato is a rose style wine made from what grape variety?
Pinot Grigio
Ramato (typically made in Italy's Friuli region) could be thought of as an "orange" wine, as it takes its "copper" moniker from the resulting hue imparted by Pinot Grigio grapes that undergo some skin contact during fermentation.
True or False: The Chablis Grand Cru sites Les Clos and Blanchot are separated by an ancient path called The Blessed Path?
False
The path that separates Les Clos and Blanchot in Chablis is called La Voie Meurtriere, or "The Deadly Path." The path has been mentioned as far back as the 16th Century.
