Test your wine knowledge with quiz questions from our expert.
True or False: Alsace has a cold, continental climate?
True
Alsace is in France's northeast corner, and is one of the drier areas of the country (due to its position near the Vosges mountains, which act as a barrier to rain and humidity). The area receives ample sunshine despite its cooler temperatures, which allows for a long ripening period for white grape varieties such as Riesling.
As instituted in the German wine law of 1971, how many stages are included in the official quality control testing for German wine before it can be sold on the market?
Three
There are three stages of testing for ensuring minimum quality standards are met for German wine: examination of harvest details, an analytical examination, and a sensory examination. Once all three are passed, the wine receives an official quality control test number, or A.P.Nr.
True or False: Germany is the second largest market for sparkling wine in the world?
False
The German wine consumer is seriously devoted to bubbly: the country is the single largest market for sparkling wine, consuming almost one quarter of all bottles of bubbly made worldwide.
True or False: Germany ranks third worldwide in vineyard area devoted to Pinot Noir plantings?
True
France and the USA take the top spots, but Germany is number three in the world when it comes to vineyard area for Pinot Noir (Spatburgunder). Eleven percent of the country's vineyard area is planted with Pinot Noir, equivalent to over eleven thousand hectares.
In 1794, shortly before it was to be auctioned, Burgundy’s now most famous vineyard - Romanée-Conti - received its name, in homage to its owner the Prince of Conti. Only one other official Burgundy climat has been named after one of its owners. What is it
Clos des Cortons Faiveley
According to the book "Le Domaine de la Romanée-Conti" by author Gert Crum, the Grand Cru monopole Clos des Cortons Faiveley (of Domaine Faiveley), is the only other official Burgundy climat named after a former owner. It was authorized in 1930.
True or False: The component in plants that creates tannin wasn't discovered until 2013?
True
According to ScienceDaily.com, an international team of scientists discovered the plant organelle that creates tannins (which give wine structure and astringency, and serve to protect most land plants) in 2013. The scientific team that isolated the source was headquartered at INRA in Montpellier, and dubbed the organelle "tannosome."
Modern winemaking in Japan dates back to what year?
1874
Japanese researchers visited Europe to study viticulture and procure vines in the 1870s. One of the country's largest wine producers, Mercian, can trace its history back to 1877.
