Test your wine knowledge with quiz questions from our expert.
True or False: Italian red grape variety Sagrantino gets its name from the Latin word for “blood?”
False
The name Sagrantino can be traced back to “Sacrament,” from the Latin sacer, meaning “sacred.” This is due to the fact that the grape was farmed by monks to produce raisin wine, used primarily for religious rites and Communion wine.
Lugana Riserva must meet which of the following conditions?
All of the above
Lugana Riserva is a category introduced in 2011. To qualify, Lugana wines must be aged for 24 months (6 of which need to be in bottle), have brighter colors, and more eveolved and complex aromas than wines in the Lugana Superiore category.
In Lugana, Verdicchio is known as Trebbiano di Lugana, which makes potentially long-lived white wines with tropical fruit aromas when young. Other Verdicchio synonyms include Trebbiano di Soave, Marchigiano, and Turbiana.
What is another name for the grape commonly known as Welschriesling?
All of the above
Welschriesling may have its origins in the Italian region of Friuli, but it is well-traveled, garnering many synonyms in Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, and elsewhere.
True or False: Austria's Federal Institute for Viticulture and Pomology at Klosterneuburg is the third oldest wine-growing school in the world?
False
The Federal Institute for Viticulture and Pomology at Klosterneuburg is actually the oldest wine-growing school in the world, having celebrated its 150th birthday in 2010, so it can claim the number one age spot.
As of 2015, how many grape varieties are permitted for making quality wine in Austria?
35
Austria has officially approved 35 grape varieties for quality wine production: 13 red, and 22 white. The proportion of red grapes permitted has doubled within the last twenty years, now accounting for about one-third of the country's vineyard area.
True or False: Madeira wine must be made from vineyards grown on the main Portuguese island of Madeira?
False
Grapes used in the production of Madeira come primarily from the island of Madeira. However, Madeira wine can also include grapes cultivated on the nearby island of Porto Santo, where some lesser-known grape varieties such as Listrão are grown. Porto Santo was the first island within the Madeiran archipelago to be settled, with humans arriving there approximately 600 years ago.
