Test your wine knowledge with quiz questions from our expert.
True or False: Italy's Collio wine region is nearly surrounded by rivers,sea, and mountains?
True
Italy's Collio wine region, which was officially recognized in 1968, enjoys a unique geographical position that favors wine grape plantings. Collio sits between the Isonzo river, the Judrio river (between Slovenia and Italy), the Adriatic Sea, and the crown of the Julian Alps.
What does the Italian term "barbatella" refer to with respect to winegrowing?
Vine cutting
In Italy, small vine plants that have undergone vine cutting are sometimes referred to as "barbatella," because when the cut end begins to develop roots they look like a short beard (or "barba" in Italian).
Which of the following is NOT a sub-AVA of Califronia's Lodi wine region?
Fountaingrove District
California's Lodi has seven sub-AVAs, approved in 2005. They include Cosumnes River, Alta Mesa, Sloughhouse, Borden Ranch, Jahant, Mokelumne River, and Clements Hills. Fountaingrove District is a sub-AVA at the eastern edge of Sonoma County.
What is the name given to the large steel tanks used in the production of Prosecco?
Autoclaves
Prosecco is made using the Italian method of sparkling wine creation, which involves the use of large, sealed pressure tanks called autoclaves. Base wine is pumped into the autoclaves along with with sugar and yeasts, creating a secondary fermentation that captures the bubbles while preserving the fruity, floral aromas of the grape itself.
In what year was California's Santa Lucia Highlands AVA established?
1991
Established as an AVA in 1991, California's Santa Lucia Highlands is described as "small but mighty." The first commercial plantings in the area were in 1973, and as of 2021 SLH sported just shy of 50 vineyards, planted at various altitudes from 50 feet all the way up to 1,600+ feet above sea level.
True or False: Portugal has one of the highest number of ingidenous wine grape varities of any country?
True
Though relatively small in size, Portugal is one of the most diverse wine-producing countries on Earth. Not only does Portugal produce a large number of styles of wine (from sparkling to fortified to still wines), but it also boasts one of the highest numbers of indigenous vitis vinifera, with over 250 such varieties being native to the country.
True or False: Alto Adige accounts for less than 1% of Italy's total vineyard area?
True
Although very well known (especially for producing exceptional Pinot Grigio, though at least 20 different grape varieties are grown in the area), Italy's Alto Adige is relatively small. It accounts for less than 1% of Italy's total vineyard area.
Which of the following is a subregion of New Zealand's Marlborough wine region?
Awatere Valley
Awatere (meaning "fast-flowing river" in the Maori dialect) is one of three sub-regions within Marlborough, arguably the most famous and most important wine region in New Zealand's Southern Island. Awatere Valley accounts for about 30 percent of the vineyard area in Marlborough, and is primarily known for producing herbaceous, zesty Sauvignon Blanc whites.
True or Fasle: Italy's Alto Adige wine region produces mostly red wines?
False
The nearly 275 wineries in Italy's Alto Adige wine region produce some very lively reds, but by far most of their output consists of white wines—64% of the production there is white.
