Test your wine knowledge with quiz questions from our expert.
What wine did Thomas Jefferson call "as sweet as the silky Madeira, as astringent on the palate as Bordeaux, and as brisk as Champagne?"
Nebbiolo
Writing from Turin in 1787, Jefferson noted that "There is a red wine of Nebiule made in this neighborhood which is very singular. It is about as sweet as the silky Madeira, as astringent on the palate as Bordeaux, and as brisk as Champagne. It is a pleasing wine." The "Nebiule" he refereed to was made from Italy's Nebbiolo grape variety.
True or False: President George Washington purchased Champagne for just $1 per bottle?
True
In 1793, President George Washington purchased some 485 bottles of wines from France, mainly Champagne and Burgundy. The total cost to him was just over $355. The Champagne that Washington bought in that purchase cost him $1.00 per bottle, according to mountvernon.org.
True or False: Colorado's vineyards are among the highest in the world?
True
Colorado’s grape-growing areas range in elevation from 4,000 feet on the lower side, to a dizzying 7,000 feet on the higher end. This places Colorado's vineyards among the very highest in the world. Conditions at those heights result in hotter days followed by cooler nights, helping to preserve acidity in the grapes.
The first recorded wine production in Colorado dates back to what year?
1890
According to Colorado Wine, the first recorded wine production in Colorado was in 1890. That was when Colorado Governor George Crawford, who founded Grand Junction in 1881, planted 60 acres of wine grapes (along with other fruit) on Rapid Creek above Palisade. Colorado's largest annual wine festival (Colorado Mountain Winefest) is held at Palisade.
What percentage of a wine must be made from the labeled variety according to Oregon state regulations?
90
For a wine to be labeled as a specific variety in Oregon, a full 90 percent of that wine must be made from the stated variety, according to state regulations. This is more stringent than the USA's Federal regulation for such labeling, which requires that only 75% of the stated variety be used.
True or False: California's Lodi AVA takes its name from the largest town within its borders?
True
California's Lodi AVA is located approximately 90 miles east of San Francisco, near the San Joaquin/Sacramento River Delta, and 40 miles south of Sacramento. Its border with the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range helps the area maintain a Mediterranean climate that's great for grape-growing. The Lodi AVA was named after the town of Lodi, the largest town within the AVA.
True or False: White wines from Italy's Langhe Nas-cëtta del Comune di Novello DOC can contain up to 15% international varieties (like Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc)?
False
The once obscure Nascetta variety from Piedmont's Novello area has seen a minor resurgence, thanks primarily to the high quality of white wines made under the Langhe Nas-cëtta del Comune di Novello DOC. For a wine to qualify for that designation, it must be made from 100% Nascetta grapes.
What year was the first recorded wine produced in Sonoma's Dry Creek Valley?
1872
Zinfandel farming was well underway in Sonoma's Dry Creek Valley as far back as the 1860s. The valley's first recorded wine production dates back to 1872.
True or False: Texas has one of the oldest winemaking traditions in the USA?
True
While the modern Texas wine scene is still up-and-coming (though it's already the fifth largest wine producing state in the USA), it has a wine-making tradition that is centuries old. There is evidence that Spanish missionaries made wine in what is now Texas as far back as the 1650s.
Which Italian wine region was dubbed "the Land of WIne" by the ancient Greeks?
Calabria
The Greeks gave the name "Enotria Tellus" (or "Land of Wine") to what is now modern Calabria. It is believed that wine from Cirò in Calabria may have been offered to the winners of the Olympic Games in ancient Greek.
