Test your wine knowledge with quiz questions from our expert.
What is the most planted wine grape in South Africa, according to total plantings?
Chenin Blanc
Accordign to Tim James' "Wines of the New South Africa," although its numbers have decreased in recent years, white wine grape Chenin Blanc still reigns supreme in vineyard plantings, constituting just over 18 percent of South Africa's area under vine. Cabernet Sauvignon comes in at number two, with 12 percent, and Colombard next at 11.8 percent. Pinotage makes up only 6.5 percent of the country's plantings.
South Africa's Ko-operatieve Wijnbouwers Verenigingvan Zuid Afrika (LWV) was established in what year?
1918
The KWV was first established as a cooperative producer in 1918, with a Dr. Kohler elected as chairman. Over the decades, the KWV came to oversee the majority of South Africa's wine business, its wine prices, and production standards. Now, the KWV functions again as a cooperative, producing more than 100 products.
True or False: The French Huguenots established viticulture in South Africa?
False
There is no doubt that the French Huguenots had a big impact on winemaking in South Africa - they helped to increase the number of vines planted there from about 100 in 1655 to 1.5 million by 1700. But it was Jan van Riebeeck of the Dutch East India Company who established viticulture in South Africa when he planted grapes in South Africa in the mid 1600s, making wine in an effort to help prevent scurvy in sailors during their spice route journeys.
What are some ways that winemakers can minimize the influence and odors of Brettanomyces yeast in a finished wine?
All of the above
While the influences of Brettanomyces are not easy to control, practicing all of the techniques mentioned above can help to lower the amount of "Brett" and thus help to keep it under the detection threshold for most wine drinkers.
What is a nickname that was once given to the Brettanomyces wine yeast?
The British Fungus
According to Master of Wine Christy Canterbury, Brettanomyces (often responsible for a variety of odors in red wine, ranging from spices and cloves to off-putting Band-Aid and cheese aromas) was once known as "The British Fungus."
Wine aromas resulting from the actions of Brettanomyces (Brett) yeast are often divided into "good" (spices and cloves) and "bad" (Band-Aid and animal). What is the most common ratio of "bad" Brett volatile phenols to "good" ones found in some red wines?
10 to 1
According to Master of Wine Christy Canterbury, the ratio of “bad” (4-ethylphenol, or "4EP") to “good” (4-ethylguaiacol, or "4EG") in red wines can be about 10 to 1 generally. However, that Brett ratio can differ significantly depending on the type of wine, and can be 8 to 1 for Bordeaux style red blends, 3 to 1 for Pinot Noir, and an astonishing 24 to 1 for Shiraz.
What volatile phenol is associated with an aroma of Band-Aid in wine?
4-ethylphenol (4-EP)
A by-product of the wine yeast Brettanomyces, 4-ethylphenol (4-EP) imparts aromas reminiscent of animals, horse saddles and (more often) Band-Aid. Whether or not this is viewed as a fault in a wine is most often a matter of personal preference.
True or False: French explorers made wine from native grape varieties when exploring the Great Lakes in Michigan?
True
According to the Michigan Grape & Wine Industry Council, in the late 1600s Louis Hennepin wrote of wild grapevines from which were made “great quantities of wine” during the inaugural voyage of Rene Robert Cavelier's ship The Griffon. These French explorers sailed into what they called the “Upper Great Lakes” from Lake Erie, where they found wild grapevines growing along what is now known as the Detroit River.
The influential and popular Japanese Manga "The Drops of God" is heavy on the French vino, but one U.S. wine has made the ranks as one of the "Apostles" wines sought after by the comic's protagonists. Which producer made that wine?
Sine Qua Non
The 2003 Sine Qua Non The Inaugural (Eleven Confessions) Syrah is the U.S. wine that made the cut and got a prestigious mention in "Drops of God," appearing as the "Seventh Apostle" in the comic.
The Santa Maria Valley American Viticulture Area became the third AVA established in the United States in what year?
1981
Santa Maria Valley was declared the third AVA in the U.S. in 1981. It was originally comprised of just over 97 thousand acres in Southern San Luis Obispo and Northern Santa Barbara counties, with borders that were originally based on area roads.
