Test your wine knowledge with quiz questions from our expert.
True or False: Tannat wines might be exceptionally heart-healthy?
True
Tannat - grown widely in Uruguay and South West France, can make wines that might be particularly friendly to your cardiovascular health. According to examiner.com, studies have shown that Tannat contains high concentrations of polyphenols, procyanidins, flavenoids and resveratrol, primarily due to the fact that the grape has more seeds than most other red wine grapes. These four anti-oxidants are believed to promote heart health.
Which Southwestern French red wine grape seems to have found a spiritual home in Uruguay?
Tannat
Tannat (also sometimes called Harriague) was introduced to Uruguay by 19th century Basque settlers. Now it is made in a wide variety of styles in that South American country, from light to tannic and even sweet. Because of its promising success, plantings of Tannat have been increasing year on year in Uruguay.
True or False: Uruguay's wine growing regions resemble those of Bordeaux's Right Bank?
True
According to Opus Vino, Uruguay is well-situated for potential fine wine production; its soils and geography resemble those of Bordeaux's Right Bank, with clay, calcareous soils and gently sloping hills.
While Malbec is clearly on the rise as Argentina's signature red wine grape, according to Andre Domine's book Wine, Bonarda is more widely-planted. It's also traditionally been much less regarded, making its way into blended wines for the domestic market there. However, more focused efforts have been bottled in recent years which show that Bonarda is capable of producing very high quality Argentine wines in its own right.
Mendoza is well known for Malbec, but what grape varieties comprised the dominant plantings before the expansion of Malbec?
Cereza and Criolla Grande
Historically, Cereza and Criolla Grande were favored in Mendoza plantings for their high yield, before giving way to Malbec. They still comprise about one quarter of the plantings in the region. Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo are now gaining momentum in Argentina - and increased acreage in Mendoza.
Argentina's vineyards are planted up to about what elevation?
10,000 feet
Argentina has vineyards planted up to 9,800 feet above sea level, which is roughly a third the height of Mt. Everest (and probably higher than most of us would be willing to hike on a normal basis). At these altitudes, hail and frost are the primary vineyard concerns, however the vines also enjoy more tempered high and low temperatures and more sunlight, which are beneficial for grape development.
Where does Argentina rank in worldwide vineyard crop yield?
Fifth
Argentina is a large country, with over one million square miles, and is the 8th largest nation in the world. It's vineyards are largely planted near the Andes mountains, and produce a crop yield that is the fifth largest in the world.
True or False: People who taste wines often, such as sommeliers, may actually re-wire their brains to perceive wines differently from less frequent tasters?
True
In a study published bu ScienceDirect.com in 2005, brain imaging techniques employed on both sommleiers and wine consumers showed marked differences in brain activity between the groups when tasting wines. Specifically, the sommeliers employed more activity in brain areas that are associated with previous cognitive, mnemonic and emotional experiences than consumers. This suggests an integration of brain activity for experienced tasters when tasting wine that is different than what happens in the brains of casual wine drinkers.
Master of Wine Tim Hanni has identified how many "Vinotypes" - or general types of wine tasters - in his research on how people perceive wine tastes?
Four
Hanni has identified four basic types of tasters based on his research: Sweet (very sensitive tasters who need sweet flavors to offset their heightened experience of other tastes), Hypersensitive (a large segment of the population, who eschew strong flavors and seek out complex tastes), Sensitive (who can tolerate a wide range of flavor intensities), and Tolerant (who live by the motto "the bigger the better"). You can try out Hanni's research for yourself - and see if his assessment of your "vinotype" matches your drinking reality - at http://www.myvinotype.com .
True or False: The higher your emotional ties to wine and food matching, the less likely you are to perceive the match as a good one.
False
According to Master of Wine Tim Hanni's research into food and wine pairing, the more emotionally invested you are in selecting a particular wine to match with a particular food, the more likely you are to perceive that match as working well. Hanni cites this as a psychological phenomenon, and a "self-fulfilling prophecy of wine and food matching, not an experiential reality."
