Test your wine knowledge with quiz questions from our expert.
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.
What percentage of wines made in Italy's Alto Adige are designated as DOC wines?
98%
Of the 40 million bottles of wine produced in Alto Adige each year, a full 98% of those are designated as DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) wines.
True or False: The average vineyard are per farmer in Italy's Alto Adige wine region is smaller than 2.5 acres?
True
In Italy's Alto Adige wine region, there are roughly 5,000 farmers tending 5,600 hectares of vineyards. The average vineyard area per farmer there is only 1 hectare (just under 2.5 acres).
What variety is the 2nd most prevalent for red wines in New Zealand?
Merlot
Pinot Noir rules the red wine scene in New Zealand, accounting for 73% of the country's red wine production. While Syrah from New Zealand has been a hit with wine industry tastemakers, it accounts for just 6% of the country's reds. Merlot takes 2nd place at 14%.
True or False: Sales of wines in alternative packaging dropped in the USA in 2020?
False
Wine packaged in cans, tetra packs, and plastic containers were hot commodities in the USA in 2020, increasing in sales by a whopping 61% in dollar growth according to Nielsen.
