Test your wine knowledge with quiz questions from our expert.
What French AOC houses the only unfortified wine in the country with a maximum alcohol content stipulation?
Muscadet
Under French AOC regulations, the maximum alcohol content of a wine bearing the Muscadet AOC can be no higher than 12 percent. This makes it the only unfortified French wine to have a maximum alcohol content condition.
True or False: Since 2008, Austria's Kamptal DAC has been designation reserved for wines made from only Gruner Veltliner or Riesling?
True
Kamptal DAC designated wines not only must have a minimum alcohol content between 12 to 12.5 percent (13 percent or more for Kamptal DAC Reserve wines), but also must be dry and made from Gruner Veltliner or Riesling.
True or False: Plantings of Aligote and Gamay make up half of the land under vine in Burgundy?
False
Chardonnay makes up approximately 48 percent of plantings (as measured by area under vine) in Burgundy. Pinot Noir accounts for 34 percent. Gamay and Aligote, and all other varieties, combine for a total of only 18 percent.
What percentage of Bourgogne's wine production is comprised of rose wines?
1 percent
A five year average (from 2007-2011) of Bourgogne wine production showed that rose wines made up only 1 percent of the region's production. Here's how the remaining percentages break down: 61 percent white wines, 30 percent red wines, and 8 percent Cremant de Bourgogne.
True or False: Bourgogne's subsoil was formed between 15 and 18 million years ago?
False
According to the Bourgogne Wine Board, the region's subsoil was formed between 150 and 180 million years ago. it is composed primarily of marine limestone and marls dating to the Jurassic period.
The first written evidence that Bourgogne vineyards existed dates back to what century?
4th century
While its vineyards almost certainly existed in the first and second centuries (under Gallo-Roman influence), the fist written evidence of Bourgogne vineyards dates to 312 AD, according to the Bourgogne Wine Board.
Which Burgundy AOC is permitted to use Sauvignon grapes?
Saint-Bris
Saint-Bris consists of about 250 acres situated near Burgundy's Chablis region. Saint-Bris is an oddity among Burgundy AOCs because it permits wine made from Sauvignon grapes (both Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris are allowed), rather than Chardonnay or the Aligoté. As of 2014, Saint-Bris is the only Burgundy AOC to allow Sauvignon grapes.
Hungary's Tokaji wines are seeing a quality renaissance in the early 21st Century. What led to a decline in wine quality in the region during the 20th century?
All of the above
Under Socialist rule, Hungary's Tokaji region saw a decline in wine quality as its famed hillside vineyards were deemed too difficult to farm, and focus was given to flatter areas on more fertile soils in an effort to increase wine production quantity. Today, forward-thinking producers in Tokaji are reclaiming and replanting the best vineyard sites, and yield reductions have helped increase the quality of the region's best wines.
