Test your wine knowledge with quiz questions from our expert.
From what body part does the Gaillac grape Loin de L'oeil take its name?
The eye
The South-Western French grape Loin de L'oeil is named from the fact that its bunches grow a good distance from the bud (a.k.a., the eye, or "l'oeil"). It tends to be made into both dry and concentrated sweet wines.
True or False: The area dedicated to Merlot plantings in France exceeds that of all other producers of Merlot in the world?
True
France is home to almost 115,000 hectares of Merlot, far exceeding the plantings of that grape in the rest of the world. A whopping 60% of French plantings are in the Gironde (Bordeaux accounts for nearly 71,000 of hectares of Merlot).
Plant Medoc, Semillon rouge, Beguey, Picard, and Crabutet Noir are all synonyms for what well-known red wine grape?
Merlot
Merlot has gone by many names, and dates back at least to the late 1700s, calling the Right Bank of Bordeaux its original home. Bordeaux is still the main purveyor of Merlot, being home to 3/5 of the world's Merlot plantings.
What percent of Beaujolais production is white or rose wine?
2%
While Beaujolais produces some white and rose wine, it is primarily red wine region; its red wine production accounts for 98% of the region's wine offerings.
The Edna Valley AVA is approximately how many miles from the Pacific ocean?
5 miles
The Edna Valley AVA in San Luis Obispo is about five miles from the Pacific Ocean. The AVA claims to be California's coolest, thanks to its geography providing a direct path to accept cool marine air from the Los Osos/Morro Bay area.
True or False: wine-growing in the Arroyo Grande AVA began before 1900?
True
Zinfandel was planted in the warmer, eastern portion of San Luis Obispo's Arroyo Grande AVA as far back as the 1880s. The area has since been planted through its western, sea-facing edge (less than four miles from the Pacific ocean) with other varieties, including Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
True or False: Alsace's Colmar is one of the driest towns in all of France?
True
Colmar is widely considered the unofficial capitol of the Alsatian wine route, and is the third-largest commune of the Alsace region. It also happens to be among France's driest spots, seeing only about 607 mm (24 inches) or rain annually. Colmar's dry, sunny climate, protected by its proximity to mountains, makes it an ideal spot within Alsace for wine-growing.
The name Katzenthal, where Alsace's Grand Cru Wineck-Schlossberg is located, is named after what animal?
Cats
Alsace's Katzenthal translates to "Valley of the cats," and houses the Grand Cru Wineck-Schlossberg, which primarily produces Riesling, as well as Muscat and Pinot Gris.
Alsace's Rosacker Grand Cru site might be named after a wild rose that likely grew abundantly at the edges of the vineyard site in the past. However, another theory is that the name derives from the heavy soil (Acker), which required the use of horses (Ross) for plowing. Taxes on the area's wines date back to at least 1483.
What is the most widely planted grape variety in the Cognac Delimited Region of France?
Ugni Blanc
The base wine for Cognac must be at least 90% Ugni Blanc (more commonly known as Trebbiano), and it is unsurprisingly the most widely planted grape in the region. The base wines typically reach high acidity and low (around 9%) alcohol levels before they are distilled.
