Test your wine knowledge with quiz questions from our expert.
What are the most common grape varieties used to make Champagne?
All of the above
The three main grapes for Champagne are Chardonnay, as well as Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, the only two red grapes in the region. The three varieties account for about 99% of the region’s plantings.
But did you know that there are eight permitted varieties that can be grown in Champagne?
The others are Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Petit Meslier , and Arbane, all white varieties that make up less than .3% of plantings.
And, most recently, in 2021, Champagne producers were allowed to start planting Voltis, a white, fungus-resistant hybrid grape.
Since 2020, how often must candidate wine producers reapply for Crus Bourgeois Classification staus in France's Médoc?
Every 5 years
Since 2020, candidate producers in France's Médoc must re-apply every five years to the Crus Bourgeois Classification (which includes the levels of Cru Bourgeois, Cru Bourgeois Supérieur, and Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel).
True or False: While it is known for wine production, Spain's Empordà region is also known as the home of famous artist Salvador Dalí?
True
Salvador Dalí was born in Figueres in Catalonia, an important city in the Empordà winegrowing region of Spain. The area became known as a haven for Empordà has been the cradle for several schools of art, primarily Surrealism, also hosting artists such as Joan Massanet and Angel Planells.
Garnatxa tinta and Samsó are the principal red wine grapes in what Spanish DO?
Empordà
Empordà in Spain's Catalonia area sits near what is largely considered sparkling Cava territory. However, Empordà is better known for its red wines made from Samsó (Carignan) and Garnatxa tinta (Grenache).
True or False: Chile is home to 30% of the world’s production of Cabernet Sauvignon?
False
Chile is home to 15% of the world’s production of Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Sauvignon does loom large over Chilean wine production, however; the variety accounts for over 30% of the country's wine, making it Chile's number one wine grape.
The first recorded plantings of grape vines in Chile dates back to what year?
1544
The first recorded plantings of grape vines in Chile dates all the back to 1544, making it one of the very oldest viticultural areas in the "New World" (it is bested only by Mexico, which had grapes planted about a decade or so earlier than Chile).
Which winegrowing country has more own-rooted vines than any other country worldwide?
Chile
According to Wines of Chile, Chile remains the only phylloxera-free country in the world. As a result, many of its vines do not need to be grafted onto American rootstock to protect them from that dangerous louse, so Chile has more own-rooted vines than any other country worldwide.
Which Italian DOC spans the provinces of Brescia, Mantua, and Verona, and overlooks the country's largest lake?
Garda
First recognized in 1996, and situated between Lombardy and Veneto, the Garda DOC spans the Italian provinces of Brescia, Mantua, and Verona, and overloks Lake Garda (Italy's largest lake).
True or False: the Humboldt Current is essential for quality winegrowing in Chilean coastal wine regoins?
True
The Humboldt Current affects the coasts of South America from the 50th to the 4th parallels, allowing for grape ripening in areas of Chile that would otherwise be consider tropical. Cooling influences from the Humboldt Current, such as fog, help the grapes achieve long ripening curves, thus allowing for cooler-climate winegrowing.
The USA's first international Gold Medal winning wine was from what wine region?
Livermore Valley
California's Livermore Valley took home the USA's first international gold medal for wine in 1889, when a Livermore wine won the Gold at the Paris Exposition, effectively putting California on the world wine scene as an international contender.
