Test your wine knowledge with quiz questions from our expert.
Which of the following are nested AVAs within The Southern Oregon AVA?
All of the above
Umpqua Valley, Red Hill Douglas County, Elkton Oregon, Rogue Valley, and Applegate Valley are all nested within the Southern Oregon AVA. Formally established in 2005, the Southern Oregon AVA covers an area measuring 2,283,600 acres (924,500 ha).
What was the first vintage of an Oregon Pinot Noir to achieve a perfect 100 point score from a major U.S. wine magazine?
2016
This might come as a shock to Oregon Pinot lovers, butt it wasn't until the 2016 vintage that an Oregon Pinot garnered a perfect 100 point rating from a major U.S. wine magazine. That wine was the Patricia Green Cellars 2016 Bonshaw Block: 53, which earned a perfect 100 from Wine Enthusiast.
Which of the following is Croatia's most planted wine grape (by surface area), as of 2022?
Graševina
As of 2022, at Graševina (better known as Welschriesling in Austria and Germany) was the most-planted wine grape in Croatia. It accounts for 32% of Croatia's wine grape surface area, at 4,300 hectares (and just over 21 million vines planted).
True or False: Croatia has more than 120 indigenous wine grape varieties?
True
Despite its small size (at just over 56,000 square kilometers, it is not quite as big as the U.S. state of West Virginia), Croatia is home to more than 120 indigenous wine grape varieties. All of those exist in a planted vineyard area of only 135 square kilometers.
True or False: Grenache/Garnacha is the 4th most planted grape variety in the world?
False
One of the oldest fine wine grape varieties still grown today (with references dating back to 153 BCE), Grenache is the 7th most-planted wine grape variety worldwide, and the 5th most-planted red wine variety. A whopping 97% of the world's Grenache plantings can be found in Europe, with Spain and France enjoying the highest concentration of old vine Garnacha/Grenache plantings.
How many bottles of Italy's Gavi are produced each year?
13 million
Italy's Gavi is made entirely from the Cortese grape variety, grown on 1,600 hectares of plantings. Gavi produces approximately 13,000,000 bottles per year, exported to over 100 countries.
True or False: In Portugal's Lisboa wine region, Arinto is made into both still and sparkling wines?
True
Arinto is likely native to Portugal's Lisboa area (which contains the largest genetic diversity of the variety), where it is made into still white wines as well as sparkling wines. This vigorous variety is adaptable, and able to be grown in many different terrains in the region.
Which grape variety is limited almost exlcusively to Portugal's Colares region?
Ramisco
Now one of Portugal's most rarely planted varieties due to urban sprawl, Ramisco is almost exclusively found in the sandy soils of the coastal Colares region near Lisboa. Ramisco grows on its own rootstocks, sprawling along the sand without the supports used in more traditional vine training. Ramisco produces red wines with cherry and game flavors, an impressive acidity.
Vineyard plantings in Lebanan can reach what elevation?
2400 meters
Lebanon is known for being able to grow a wide variety of wine grapes, from native varieties such as Merwah, to more international varieties like Grenache, Carignan, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Assyrtiko. Many of these are planted at high elevations in Lebanon, with some such as Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Malvasia being found as high as a dizzying 2400 meters / 7874 feet) above sea level.
True or False: Chile has 125 times more area under Carménère vines than France?
True
Unsurprisingly, Chile has the most Carménère under vine in the world— over 10,000 ha/25,500 acres of it are planted there (as of 2021). Interestingly, Carménère's native France has only about 80 ha/197 acres planted, more than 125 times less area dedicated to Carménère vines than Chile.
