Test your wine knowledge with quiz questions from our expert.
True or False: Although some grape vines were planted by settlers in the 1870s, it would take another fifty years before commercial viticulture took hold in New Zealand?
False
It actually took an additional one hundred years - until the 1970s - for commercial viticulture to take off in New Zealand. Matua is credited for helping to start the modern wine industry there, having planted some of the first Sauvignon Blanc in New Zealand in 1969 (and producing their first bottle in 1974).
True or False: In the Pfalz German wine region, grape vine planting is so dense that vines outnumber inhabitants 600:1?
True
The Pfalz is one of the largest and most important winegrowing areas in Germany. The area is home to about 10,000 vine growers (about half of them working as contractors), and planting density is high enough that the number of vines outnumber the Pfalz's inhabitants.
Why are there no premiers crus in the Maconnais in Burgundy?
At the time when many premiers crus were designated, Maconnais prdicucers deemed it unnecessary
According to TheDrinksBusiness.com, During German occupation of France in World War II the Maconnais was separated from the rest of Burgundy, via the line between German-occupied France and Vichy France. French wine producers within the occupied territory were told by German high command that all wine below premier cru level would be subject to confiscation, prompting a rush of premiers cru classifications. Being on the Vichy side of France, The Maconnais was not subject to confiscation, and no premiers crus were designated there.
When were the first vines planted in Washington state?
1825
According to the Washington State Wine Commission, vines were first planted in Washington in 1825, at Fort Vancouver. It wasn't until 1981, however, until the state could claim to house even twenty wineries (by 2011, that number would climb to over 750).
How many wineries call eastern Washington's Woodinville area home?
104
As of 2014, there were 104 wineries concentrated in Woodinville, and together they host about 500,000 visitors annually. Most of the resident wineries are small, but the state's largest winery, Chateau Ste. Michelle, is also based there.
What red wine grape variety had an early foothold in plantings in the Walla Walla AVA?
Cinsaut
The "Black Prince" red wine grape Cinsaut makes up only a tiny amount of plantings in Walla Walla today, but it predates current favorites like Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot in the region. Largely used to make homemade wine at the time, Cinsaut was planted in Walla Walla in the 1920s, and at least one company (Blue Mountain) sold it commercially.
True or False: 95 percent of Napa Valley wineries are family-owned?
True
Almost all of Napa Valley's wineries are family-owned. In addition to that high percentage, over 75 percent of the area's wineries produce fewer than 10,000 cases annually.
What percent of California's Napa County is planted to grape vines?
9 percent
Only 45,000 acres - or roughly 9 percent - of Napa County in planted under vine. While large in stature in the wine market, Napa Valley's wine production is correspondingly small, and accounts for a mere 4 percent of California's total annual grape harvest.
In what year was the Oakville district American Viticultural Area (AVA) officially established?
1993
Oakville, which houses stalwart winegrowers such as Opus One, Harlan, Far Niente, and Robert Mondavi, became one of the first distinct wine regions recognized within the Napa Valley when it was granted AVA status in 1993.
