Test your wine knowledge with quiz questions from our expert.
True or False: Vineyards cover less than 10 percent of the territory in Italy's Asolo Prosecco
True
The sparkling wine producing region of Asolo Prosecco in Italy is notoriously hilly. SO much so, in fact, that vineyards cover only about 6% of the territory, far outnumbered by neighboring forests (covering nearly 29% of the territory).
Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine is named for the rivers that join and move into the Loire near Nantes in France. Only white wines can be labaled Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine, and the appellation produces nearly 80 percent of all Muscadet wine. It's the largest wine producing zone in Muscadet, with roughly 8,000 hectares of vineyard plantings.
What percentage of Asolo Prosecco production is labeled "Sui Lieviti"?
1%
"Sui Lieviti" means “on the lees,” and accounts for a mere 1% of the production of Asolo Prosecco. Most Asolo Prosecco is made in the Extra Dry and Brut categories, which together account for over 90% of all Asolo Prosecco production.
True or False: One of the alternative names for Carménère is a reference to the size of its seeds?
True
Carménère is a relative of Cabernet Sauvignon (being an offspring of Cabernet Franc and Gros Cabernet), and shares some of that well-known variety's characteristics. One of the names for Carménère, Grande Vidure (large hollow), is a reference to a time when it was believed to be a large-seeded clone of Cabernet Sauvignon.
Which of the following wine regions is NOT part of Australia's Victoria?
McLaren Vale
Australia's Victoria is home to several important wine regions, such as Beechworth and Yarra Valley (both known for Pinot Noir), as well as Rutherglen (famous for its fortified dessert wines). McLaren Vale, however, is not one of those regions, as it is situated in South Australia.
True or False: Australia's Victoria wine region contains over 650 producers?
True
Australia's Victoria wine region is home to just over 650 producers, making wine from fruit supplied by over 1,100 grape growers, farming more than 22,000 hectares of vines.
True or False: Portugal's Alentejo winegrowing region sees some of the highest sunshine amounts in Europe?
True
Portugal's Alentejo region enjoys over 3,000 hours of sunshine annually. This puts is on par with San Diego, and is well above Portugal’s national average of sunshine hours (already the highest in Europe, according to Wines of Alentejo).
What grape variety is also known as Preto Mortágua and Mortágua?
Touriga Nacional
An important red grape variety for Portugal's Alentejo region, Touriga Nacional is also known in the Dão and Douro regions as Preto Mortágua, Mortágua, Tourigo Antigo, and Tourigo.
What is the more common name of the grape variety also known as Grande Vidure, Carmenelle, Cabernelle, Grant Carmenet, Carbouet, and Cabernet Gernischt?
Carménère
Carménère's name is derived from the French carmin (meaning crimson), a tribute to the color that its vines' leaves turn in Autumn. Carménère is also known as Grande Vidure, Carmenelle, Cabernelle, Grant Carmenet, Carbouet, and Cabernet Gernischt (the latter being used primarily in China, where it is also planted).
Carménère is a cross between Cabernet Franc and what other grape variety?
Gros Cabernet
Considered one of the original six red grapes of Bordeaux, and now planted primarily in Chile, Carménère is a cross between Cabernet Franc and Gros Cabernet.
