Test your wine knowledge with quiz questions from our expert.
The first California wine to win a competition in France was from what region?
Livermore Valley
Charles Wetmore's Livermore Valley dry white wine took home the Grand Prix prize at the Paris International Exposition of 1889, making the first California wine to garner top honors in a French competition.
Italy's Moscato di Pantelleria and its Passito di Pantelleria winemaking areas were granted DOC status in what year?
1971
Moscato di Pantelleria and Passito di Pantelleria achieved DOC status in August of 1971. They represent the third Sicilian wine style to gain DOC status; Etna was first in 1968, followed by Marsala in 1969.
True or False: the Italian island of Pantelleria, famous for Passito-style dessert wines, is actually closer to Tunisia than it is to Italy?
True
Pantelleria is located about 100 kilometers (or 62 miles) south-west of the Italian island of Sicily. However, it is a mere 60 kilometers (about 37 miles) east of the coast of Tunisia.
Which of the following grape varieties is not native to Sicily?
Negroamaro
Negroamaro is probably native to southern Italy (though exactly where is a matter of some debate). The variety is thought to be loosely related to both Verdicchio and Sangiovese, and is widely grown in Apuglia, its most important area for at least the last 1,500 years.
True or False: The Italian grape variety Crovinone (used in the production of Amarone) is the same as Corvina?
False
Corvinone, less well known than Amarone's Corvina, was often thought of as being the same (or related to) that more famous grape. Corvinone, however, is its own distinct variety, grown in Valpolicella and still used in the production of some Amarone wines.
What is the traditional grape vine trellising system in Soave?
Pergola
Pergola Veronese is the customary trellising system used in Soave vineyards (though the use of Guyot is on the rise). The Pergola training shades grapes from the heat of the Summer, and gives growers additional control over sun exposure for the fruit.
True or False: Permitted Soave grape varieties include Garganega, Chardonnay, and Pinot Grigio?
False
Soave may contain Garganega (at least 70 percent), with Trebbiano and Chardonnay (and a few other white varieties) also permitted to make up the remainder. Pinot Grigio is not permitted.
The name of the Italian island of Pantelleria translates to what phrase in English?
Daughter of the winds
The home of Passito di Pantelleria, the island of Pantelleria means "daughter of the winds," a tribute to the very strong winds that blow across the island from the north coast of Africa.
A mural in the Egyptian tomb of Khaemwaset (from about 1480-1425 BC) depicts wine grape growing in what type of trellising?
Pergola
Khaemwaset's tomb shows a fairly comprehensive overview of winemaking at the time in ancient Egypt, including the depiction of grapes growing on a high pergola system.
