Test your wine knowledge with quiz questions from our expert.
True or False: Winemaking in Armenia didn't begin until modern times?
False
Armenian winemaking is ancient, and they have the evidence to prove it. It's oldest winery dates back over 6,000 years, based on findings made in the Areni-1 karst cave in the Armenian mountains. A rudimentary grape press, along with clay wine jars discovered in the cave included traces of grape pigments, alcohol and other grape materials from winemaking.
Which New Zealand wine region produces the second most volume of wine grapes harvested in the country?
Hawke's Bay
Marlborough is New Zealand's highest production wine area, accounting for 75% of the country's wine grape harvest annually. Hawke's Bay takes (a distant) second place, generating 12% of New Zealand's wine grape harvest each year.
True or False: Rioja's new Vinedo Singular wine designation has a minimum vineyard age requirement?
True
Rioja's new Vinedo Singular designation can only be used on wines that come from plots within a single vineyard. Among other requirements, the vineyard must be at least 35 years old .
What is the most widely planted white grape in Rioja?
Viura
Taking up just over 69% of the region's white grape plantings, Viura is by far the most widely planted white grape in Spain's Rioja. Malvasia, Garnacha Blanca, and Tempranillo Blanco combined make up just over 18% of Rioja's white grape plantings.
True or False: The pomace that remains after pressing grapes for Amarone is then used in the production of Ripasso Valpolicellas?
True
Amarone is produced by drying grapes, and the grape pomace left over from the winemaking process is put to further use. It is then added to batches of Valpolicella, in a process called ripasso ("repassed"), adding additional alcohol, flavor, and complexity to the Valpolicella wines.
True or False: Portugal's Alentejo produces no Rose wine?
False
Red wines dominate Alentejo production, making up about 78%, with white wines making up about 20.5%. The remaining production is a tiny percentage (about 1.5%) of Rose wine.
While Alicante Bouschet, Aragonez (Tempranillo), and Syrah are all grown in Portugal, they are not native to the country. Antao Vaz is indigenous to Portugal's Alentejo, and is grown primarily in the Evora and Vidigueira sub-regions.
Which of the following are among the sub-regions of Portugal's Alentejo wine area?
All of the Above
Portugal's Alentejo, famous for cork production, has eight sub-regions that make up its winemaking area. In addition to the four mentioned in today's Quiz question, there are Granja-Amareleja, Moura, Reguengos, and Vidigueira.
Portugal's Alentejo wine region is also home to about how much of the world's cork tree forests?
1/3
The Alentejo wine region is also famous for containing roughly one-third of the world's cork tree forests. It has bee said that cork trees, sheep, and pigs traditionally have outnumbered the amount of people living in the Alentejo.
True or False: Portugal's Alentejo region still practices the ancient Roman method of making and storing wines in amphorae?
True
Portugal's Alentejo (meaning "Beyond the Tejo" river) is, according to Wines of Alentejo, the only area of Portugal where the Roman technique of making and storing wine in clay amphorae (called "talhas de barro") is still practiced (Alentejo was once a part of the Roman province Lusitania). The clay pots used in this process can be as high as seven feet, hold up to 520 gallons, and literally weigh a ton when full.
