Society Happenings - CMAA International Wine Society Wine Test 2003
 
Invented by Michael Ambrose, CCM - Certified Wine Sadist

Disclaimer: This test was designed to separate the fanatical wine geek from the well-informed wine advocate. The early questions are essential bits of knowledge that any wine authority worth his/her Laguiole should know. The late questions become more difficult. The answers to vintage questions were scores from Parker and WS, where both authorities agree. Most other questions were found in The Wine Bible by Karen MacNeil.
The Easy Stuff
Multiple Choices
  
1. The grapes found in a "Bordeaux blend" include:
a. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Marsanne
b. Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon
c. Merlot, Brunello, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Savignon, Malbec
d. Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon
8. In the last 15 years, which two vintages of Chateauneuf-du-Pape are considered the best?
a. 1991, 1999
b. 1997, 1999
c. 1990, 1992
d. 1990, 1998
e. 1993, 1994
2. The word meritage has been an attempt to categorize wines that contain:
a. Multiple grape varieties, no one of which equals 75 percent of the final blend
b. Only the grapes found in the "Bordeaux blends"
c. Both a and b are true
d. Neither a nor b are true
9. What was the best year for Champagne?
a. 1990
b. 1991
c. 1992
d. 1993
3. Which of the following wines would not be considered a Meritage Blend?
a. Bacio Divino
b. Insignia
c. Rubicon
d. Trilogy
e. Opus One
10. Carbonic Maceration is used extensively in making wines from which region?
a. Rioja
b. Beaujolais
c. Friuli
d. Muscadet
4. Which year is considered to be the best for California Cabernet?
a. 1993
b. 1995
c. 1997
d. 1998
e. 1999
11. In making Sauternes, noble rot is caused by what microorganism?
a. Trichloranisole
b. Acetaldehyde
c. Botrytis cinerea
d. Mercaptan
5. What year is considered to be the best for French Burgundy?
a. 1990
b. 1991
c. 1992
d. 1993
e. 1994
12. The term "corked" refers to a bottle of wine that has a particular offensive odor and flavor similar to wet cardboard. It comes from which microorganism?
a. Botrytis cinerea
b. Rustica bacillus
c. Trichloranisole
d. Phenol acetate
6. The wine world woke up to what vintage of Tuscan wines? Hint: WS featured Solaia as the wine of the year.
a. 1983
b. 1989
c. 1995
d. 1997
e. 1998
13. According to research done by Bollinger, how many bubbles are there in a bottle of Champagne?
a. 56 million
b. 13 million
c. 3 million
d. 1.5 million
7. Listed below are vintages of the greatest Bordeaux vintages. Choose the group that all years are recognized "vintages of the century."
a. 1961, 1968, 1982, 1991
b. 1945, 1961, 1982, 2000
c. 1962, 1970, 1983, 1989
d. 1946, 1963, 1982, 2000
14. Choose the sequence of bottle sizes going from smallest to largest.
a. Salmanazar, Methuselah, Balthazar, Nebuchandnezzar
b. Jeroboam, Salmanazar, Methuselah, Balthazar
c. Balthazar, Salmanazar, Methuselah, Nebuchandnezzar
d. Methuselah, Salmanazar, Balthazar, Nebuchandnezzar
A Bit More Esoteric
15. The area of Friuli is acclaimed as one of the top places in the world for snappy white wines. The grapes included in these wines all the following grapes except:
a. Pinot Grigio
b. Pinot Bianco
c. Chardonnay
d. Sauvignon Blanc
e. Tocai
f. All of the above are used
19. The difference between Armagnac and Cognac is:
a. Armagnac is distilled twice, Cognac once.
b. Cognac allows up to 11 grape varieties, Armagnac allows up to three grape varieties in the distillation of the eau-de-vie.
c. VSOP in Armagnac indicates the youngest
eau-de-vie in the blend is 4.5 years old - in Cognac the youngest is five years old.
d. A, B and C are true.
e. A, B and C are backwards (example A, Cognac twice, Armagnac once)
16. Madeira gets its toffee-caramel-like character from the following process:
a. Heating the fortified wine to a temperature of 105 degrees for three to six months
b. Leaving the wine in open top fermentors until a "flor" forms
c. Leaving the grapes to shrivel in the sun before extracting the juice
d. Adding a brown sugar base before distilling the grape spirit used in fortifying the wine.
20. Choose the grape variety that is used to produce the sweetest style of Sherry:
a. Pedro Ximenez
b. Palomino
c. Moscatel
d. Moscato
e. Parellada
17. The two leading white grapes used in the Loire Region are:
a. Muscadet, Sauvignon Blanc
b. Melon de Bourgogne, Sauvignon Blanc
c. Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc
d. Melon de Bourgogne, Chenin Blanc
21. In Germany, the most widely planted grape does not produce the best wine. The most prolific grape is:
a. Riesling
b. Muller-Thurgau
c. Silvaner
d. Gewurztraminer
e. Weissburgunder
18. In Alsace, Vendange Tardive and Selection de Grains Nobles are the most expensive and labor intensive designations. The following statement(s) are true:
a. They are made only in favorable years and normally make up less than 1 percent of production.
b. VT wines may be sweet or dry.
c. SGN wines are always sweet plus being infected with botrytis.
d. Only A and B are true.
e. Only B and C are true.
f. A, B, and C are true.
22. Of the following list of second-growth Bordeaux, one is a fourth growth. It is:
a. Ch. Brane-Cantenac
b. Ch. Beychevelle
c. Ch. Durfort-Vivens
d. Ch. Rauzan-Gassies
e. Ch. Ducru-Beaucaillou
Are You Kidding Me? This is Bull----!!
23. On Greek table wine, the letters "E.O" (epitrapezios Oenos) mean?:
a. Table wine.
b. Wine made with the Retsina grape (having a flavor component of pine essence).
c. A wine of high quality (Premier Cru).
d. An estate bottled wine.
25. In Italy, the term "La Gerla" means:
a. Northern Italian term for farmhouse.
b. The wooden storage vat used for the purpose of racking wines.
c. The grape "pomace" from which Grappa is made.
d. The traditional basket used for collecting grapes in the Tuscan region.
24. In Hungary, the word "Szara" is used to indicate:
a. The traditional barrel which holds about 140 liters of wine.
b. A dry type of wine made in the Tokay region.
c. A vineyard in the Caesaris Primus region.
d. A grape variety from the Syrah family.
  
   
Answers can be found here.
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