Quiz & Quote #24

"Wine can of their wits the wise beguile,

Make the sage frolic, and the serious smile."

                                         - Homer

Teutonic Trauben Trivia


Test your knowledge of German and Austrian grape varieties. Look for answers posted on Friday!

1. Which of these is the common German synonym for Pinot Noir?
Schwarz Pinot Blaufränkisch Spätburgunder Dornfelder
2. Name Germany's second most planted white variety, known for making inexpensive, flabby wines.
Müller-Thurgau Silvaner Kerner Grauburgunder
3. Which of these grapes is not like the other?
Trollinger Lemberger Spätrot Portugieser
4. Known for excellent sweet wines, this is Austria's second most planted white variety.
Roter Veltliner Zierpfandler Neuburger Welschriesling
5. This crossing, first bred in 1922, is now Austria's leading red grape.
St-Laurent Lemberger Wildbacher Zweigelt
6. Which of these is not a synonym for true Riesling?
White Riesling Cape Riesling Johannisberg Riesling Rheinriesling
7. This popular ancient transplant from Austria makes excellent white wines in Franken
Silvaner Scheurebe Müller-Thurgau Kerner

Quiz & Quote #23

"I like all varietals.  I just don't generally like the way they manipulate Chardonnay in California.  Too much oak and secondary malolactic fermentation."                                               

- Miles Raymond (Sideways) 

Movie Wine Trivia

1. In 'Silence of the Lambs' Hannibal Lecter claims to have eaten a human liver with what wine?
Barolo Chianti Bordeaux Dolcetto
2. In 'Notorious' Devlin breaks a bottle of this Burgundy to find it filled with uranium?
1937 Volnay 1935 Romanee-Conti 1940 Gevrey-Chambertin 1934 Pommard
3. In 'Sideways' Maya opens a bottle of which wine and proclaims it too high in alcohol?
Sassicaia Whitcraft Prinot Noir Andrew Murray M Syrah Fiddlehead Sauvignon Blanc
4. In the 'Bottle Shock' barroom blind tasting scene Gustavo identifies this Cabernet.
1974 Stag's Leap 1970 Heitz 1971 Ridge 1972 Robert Mondavi
5. In 'Dr. No' Bond picks up a bottle of which '55 Champagne to use as a weapon?
Dom Perignon Veuve Clicquot Pol Roger Bollinger
6. In 'The Muppet Movie' Kermit orders a bottle of bubbly. What is it?
Cava Champagne Prosecco Sparkling Muscatel from Idaho
7. In 'French Kiss' Luc teaches Kate about terroir using
Burgundian soil samples A drive through the French countryside A bottle of Chateauneuf-du-Pape A homemade aroma kit

Quiz & Quote #22

"I can certainly see that you know your wine. Most of the guests who stay here wouldn't know the difference between Bordeaux and Claret."

- John Cleese (Basil Fawlty) Fawlty Towers

Un de ces raisins ne sont pas comme les autres.  Or, One of these grapes is not like the others.

For each of the following French wine regions, choose the grape that is NOT classically grown in that region.

1. Southern Rhône
Grenache Noir Carignan Malbec Mourvedre
2. Loire Valley
Semillon Sauvignon Blanc Melon de Bourgogne Chenin Blanc
3. Bordeaux
Cabernet Franc Merlot Muscadelle Cinsault
4. Alsace
Pinot Gris Muscadelle Pinot Noir Auxerrois
5. South-West France
Fer Malbec Tannat Mourvedre
6. Jura
Petit Menseng Poulsard Trousseau Savagnin
7. Burgundy
Gamay Chardonnay Chasselas Aligoté

Quiz & Quote #21

"I have lived temperately...I double the doctor's recommendation of a glass and a half of wine a day and even treble it with a friend."                                                                                           - Thomas Jefferson

Super-size Me!

Think you know your extra-large wine bottles? See if you can match these oversized Champagne/Burgundy bottle names with their liter capacity.

1. 3 liter
Sovereign Nebuchadnezzar Methuselah Jeroboam Balthazar Melchior Salmanazar
2. 6 liter
Sovereign Nebuchadnezzar Methuselah Jeroboam Balthazar Melchior Salmanazar
3. 9 liter
Sovereign Nebuchadnezzar Methuselah Jeroboam Balthazar Melchior Salmanazar
4. 12 liter
Sovereign Nebuchadnezzar Methuselah Jeroboam Balthazar Melchior Salmanazar
5. 15 liter
Sovereign Nebuchadnezzar Methuselah Jeroboam Balthazar Melchior Salmanazar
6. 18 liter
Sovereign Nebuchadnezzar Methuselah Jeroboam Balthazar Melchior Salmanazar
7. 20.5 liter
Sovereign Nebuchadnezzar Methuselah Jeroboam Balthazar Melchior Salmanazar

Quiz & Quote #20

"A man will be eloquent if you give him good wine."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Notables' Potables

Match these celebrities and world leaders past and present with their wine of choice. (Answers at bottom of page)

1. Richard Nixon
Penfolds Grange Chateau Margaux Beaulieu George de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Dom Perignon
2. Joseph Stalin
Pol Roger Chateau Petrus Chambertin Khvanchkara
3. Marilyn Monroe
Blue Nun Liebraumilch Chateau Calon-Segur Dom Perignon Chateau Cheval Blanc
4. Thomas Jefferson
Chateau Latour Chateau D'Yquem Romanee Conti Chateau Margaux
5. Elvis Presley
Veuve Clicquot Grande Dame Chateau Lafite Blue Nun Liebfraumilch Chateau Mouton Rothchild
6. Winston Churchill
Pol Roger Khvanchkara Dom Perignon Romanee Conti
7. Keanu Reeves
Ridge Monte Bello Sassicaia Chambertin Penfolds Grange
8. Napoleon Bonaparte
Romanee Conti Chateau D'Yquem Chambertin Chateau Latour
9. Johnny Depp
Roederer Cristal Rose Chateau Calon-Segur La Tache Opus One
10. Ronald Reagan
Stag's Leap Cabernet Chateau Margaux Beaulieu Geaorge de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Ridge Monte Bello

Answers:


1. Chateau Margaux  2. Khvanchkara  3. Dom Perignon  4. Chateau D'Yquem  5. Blue Nun
6. Pol Roger  7. Penfold's Grange  8. Chambertin  9. Chateau Calon-Segur  10. Beaulieu GdL Cabernet

Quiz & Quote #19

"Here's to the corkscrew- A useful key to unlock to storehouse of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship, and the gate of pleasant folly."
                                                                          - W.E.P. French 

 

 

 

Wine Label Lore

Test your wine label knowledge with this week's quiz. If you don't score 100% check back Friday for the answers.

1. The legal category for Italy's highest quality wines is:
DOC IGT DOCG
2. Under EU labeling, the most stringent regulations apply to which wine category?
Table wines Quality wines Table Wines with a geographical indication
3. Which of these German wine label quality categories indicates the highest must weight?
Spätlese Auslese Kabinett
4. U.S. sparkling wine labels must list what next to the word "Champagne?"
The vintage A disclaimer stating the wine is produced outside of the Champagne region in France The actual place of origin
5. On which country's wine lables would you find the term Smaragd?
Hungary Germany Austria
6. The term Supérieur on a French wine label indicates:
Higher alcoholic strength Lower yields Wine from selected vineyard plots
7. The word "Crianza" on a Rioja red wine label would indicate what?
A young wine with little or no cask aging. A wine from a superior vintage A wine that has been aged at least 12 months in oak casks
8. The highest wine classification in Burgundy is:
Premier Cru Grand Cru Premier Grand Cru

Quiz & Quote #18

"Wine is a living liquid containing no preservatives. Its life cycle comprises youth, maturity, old age, and death. When not treated with reasonable respect it will sicken and die."
                                         - Julia Child

Is it the Wine's Fault?

Can you identify the most likely cause of these "off" wine aromas?

1. Must, damp cellar, wet cardboard
Brettanomyces Lactic acid bacteria Reduction Cork Taint
2. Rotten egg
Sulfur Dioxide Hydrogen Sulfide Dimethyl Sulfide Oxidation
3. Nail polish remover
TCA Ethyl Acetate Diacetyl Acetic acid
4. Buttery Smell
Diacetyl Mercaptan Geraniol Acetic acid
5. Sharp/Vinegary
Sulfur Dioxide Ascorbic acid Acetic Acid Ethyl Acetate
6. Rotten cabbage/Burnt rubber/Garlic
Cork Taint Hydrogen Sulfide Sulfur Dioxide Mercaptan
7. Wood/warm spices/medicinal
Dimethyl Sulfide Brettanomyces TCA Diacetyl
8. Floral/sweet/pungent
Geraniol Acetaldehyde Mercaptan Acetic Acid
9. Nutty/almonds/sherry
Brettanomyces Diacetyl Acetaldehyde Lactic Acid
10. Struck match
Sulfur Dioxide Cork Taint Hydrogen Sulfide Acetaldehyde

Quiz & Quote #17

"Reminds me of my safari in Africa. Somebody forgot the corkscrew and for several days we had to live on nothing but food and water."  

                                                                                                    - W.C. Fields




Discovering the New World Wine Regions
See if you can identify the correct country for each of these new world wine regions.

1. Waipara
Chile New Zealand Australia South Africa
2. Constantia
New Zealand Australia South Africa Argentina
3. Maipo Valley
Brazil Chile New Zealand Arentina
4. Manjimup
South Africa New Zealand Brazil Australia
5. Breede River Valley
Australia New Zealand South Africa Canada
6. Casablanca Valley
Mexico Chile Argentina Uruguay
7. Parras Valley
Chile Argentina Mexico Urugay
8. Maipu
New Zealand Argentina Brazil Chile
9. Fraser Valley
Canada Australia New Zealand South Africa
10. Serra Gaucha
Mexico Chile Argentina Brazil

Quiz & Quote #16

"Come quickly! I am tasting stars!"   

                                 - Dom Perignon

Perfect Pairings

Match the wine with it's most ideal pairing.

1. Barolo
Brie Lasagne Game
2. Alsace Gewürztraminer
Pâté Roasted Chicken Oysters
3. Champagne
Nicoise Salad Sushi BBQ Chicken Pizza
4. Oregon Pinot Noir
Salmon Roast Beef Chicken Pot Pie
5. Muscat
Pork Chops Blue Cheese Caesar Salad
6. Zinfandel
Macaroni and Cheese Veal Scaloppini Osso Buco

My Favorite Thanksgiving Quotes

I hope, my fellow wine lovers, that you will find time this Thanksgiving to celebrate the bounty of the earth, your good fortune, and health.  May your table be abundant with great food, great wine, and the company of great friends and loved ones.  As I pause this week to celebrate and give thanks with those I love, let me leave you with a few of my favorite thoughts of Thanksgiving.

Holiday Cheers to you all,
Rand

Remember God's bounty in the year. String the pearls of His favor. Hide the dark parts, except so far as they are breaking out in light! Give this one day to thanks, to joy, to gratitude! ~Henry Ward Beecher

Thanksgiving Day is a jewel, to set in the hearts of honest men; but be careful that you do not take the day, and leave out the gratitude. ~E.P. Powell

Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow. ~Edward Sandford Martin

The unthankful heart... discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings! ~Henry Ward Beecher

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. ~Thornton Wilder

Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence. ~Erma Bombeck

We hear of the conversion of water into wine at the marriage in Cana as of a miracle. But this conversion is, through the goodness of God, made every day before our eyes. Behold the rain which descends from heaven upon our vineyards, and which incorporates itself with the grapes, to be changed into wine; a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy. ~ Benjamin Franklin

 

Quiz & Quote #15

"From wine what sudden friendship springs!"

                               - John Gay 

Wine-dering with the Antipodes

1. The sweet hedonistic Australian wine specialty Liqueur Muscat hails from which area?
Barossa Rutherglen Margaret River
2. Which red grape variety produces the most noteworthy wines of Tasmania?
Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon Pinot Noir
3. GSM is:
A name used in Australia for Rhone varietal blends A wine region of southern Australia An Australian wine research organization
4. The world's southernmost wine region is located in:
South Australia New Zealand Tasmania
5. Max Schubert is known in Australian wine history for:
Improving irrigation techniques Inventing innovative canopy management techniques Creating Penfold's Grange

Quiz & Quote #14

"In vino Veritas"

                         - Plato 

Great Wines of the World Trivia

1. In 2000 police uncovered a scheme to sell 20,000 bottles of a fake version of this wine.
Romanee-Conti Chateau Maregaux Chateau Petrus Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Vega Sicilia Unico Penfolds Grange
2. The producer of which wine rejected an offer to have his wine featured in the 2004 film Sideways?
Romanee-Conti Chateau Maregaux Chateau Petrus Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Vega Sicilia Unico Penfolds Grange
3. This venerable wine's vineyard was the subject of a failed 2010 vine poisoning extortion plot.
Romanee-Conti Chateau Maregaux Chateau Petrus Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Vega Sicilia Unico Penfolds Grange
4. This wine first gained acclaim at the 1929 world's fair.
Romanee-Conti Chateau Maregaux Chateau Petrus Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Vega Sicilia Unico Penfolds Grange
5. Which cult wine received poor reviews on its first release in 1951?
Romanee-Conti Chateau Maregaux Chateau Petrus Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Vega Sicilia Unico Penfolds Grange
6. Which wine is sometimes described as an "iron fist in a velvet glove"?
Romanee-Conti Chateau Maregaux Chateau Petrus Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Vega Sicilia Unico Penfolds Grange

Quiz & Quote #13

"Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance"

                                                                                         - Benjamin Franklin 

Esoteric Whites and Abstruse Reds

Can you identify the color of these not so common wine grapes?

1. Mavrodaphne
White Red
2. Dornfelder
White Red
3. Inzolia
White Red
4. Corvina
White Red
5. Moschofilero
White Red
6. Plavac Mali
White Red
7. Jacquere
White Red
8. Rotgipfler
White Red

Quiz & Quote #12

"Good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used"

                                                                           -Shakespeare 

Cali Wine History

1. The first Californial winery was located at Mission San Juan Capistrano
True False
2. The first documented European vines were planted in California in the 1850's near San Francisco
True False
3. Inglenook wines won gold medals at the 1889 Paris Word's Fair
True False
4. The concept of labeling wines by grape variety was introduced to California by:
Robert Mondavi Frank Schoonmaker
5. Ridge Monte Bello made history by being voted the top red at the 1976 Judgment of Paris
True False
6. Cabernet Sauvignon is California's most planted grape variety.
True False
7. California produces 90% of the wine made in the United States
True False

Quiz & Quote #11

"Before a wine can be great, it must first be true."

                                                           -  Nicolas Joly

Biodynamics 101

1. Biodynamic agriculture is based on the theories of Austrian philosopher
Franz Brentano Rodulf Steiner Ludwig Wittgenstein Viktor Schauberger
2. Which of the following major French producers follows Biodynamic viticulture?
Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Maison Chapoutier Domaine Leroy All of the above
3. Which of the following is not a component of the 9 Biodynamic Preparations?
Cow Manure Quartz Elder Bark Yarrow
4. Which animal organ is used as a "sheath" for Biodynamic preparations?
Cow's Horn Stag's Bladder Sheep's Skull All of the above
5. Which of these Napa Valley producers is Demeter certified Biodynamic?
Grgich Hills Shafer Hall Acacia

Quiz & Quote #10

"The first duty of wine is to be Red...the second is to be a Burgundy"

                                                                      - Harry Waugh 

Burgundy

1. The top quality designation among Burgundy wines is:
Tete de cuvee 1ere Grand Cru Premier Cru Premier Grand Cru Classe
2. Which of these communes is not located in Cote de Nuits?
Vosne-Romanee Chambolle-Musigny Puligny-Montrachet Gevrey-Chambertin
3. "Gunflint" is a descriptive term most often associated with the white wines of:
Pouilly-Fuisse Givry Meursault Chablis
4. The term "Clos" refers to:
A walled vineyard A municipality A wine cellar A term used in Burgundy for a denominated wine region
5. Who layed the foundations for Burgundy's emphasis on terroir?
Benedictine monks The Dukes of Burgundy Cistercian monks The Romans
6. Often considered the world's best wine, Romanee-Conti produces about how many cases per year?
5000 2500 1500 500
7. Which Cote de Nuits grand cru vineyard produces white wine?
Clos de Vougeot Musigny Echezeaux Richebourg
8. Burgundy's approximately 72,000 acres of vines are divided among how many estates?
about 4000 about 1000 about 400 about 100

Quiz & Quote #9

"Remember Gentlemen, it's not just France we are fighting for, it's Champagne!"
                                                         - Winston Churchill

Champagne Fact or Fiction

1. Early makers of Champagne considered bubbles in their wine highly undesirable.
Fact Fiction
2. Oversized Champagne bottles such as Methuselah, Salmanazar, etc are illegal in Florida.
Fact Fiction
3. A Benedictine monk named Dom Perignon invented the traditional method for making Sparkling Wine.
Fact Fiction
4. The saucer shaped Champagne glass was originally formed from moulds of Marie Antoinette's Breasts.
Fact Fiction
5. It has been scientifically proven that Champagne gets you drunk faster than still wine.
Fact Fiction

Quiz & Quote #8

Wine taken in moderation never does any harm.
                                                              - Cervantes

Winetrip through Spain

1. Which of the following is not a synonym for Tepranillo?
Tinto Madrid Tinta de Toro Tinta Barroca Tinto de la Rioja
2. The cool white wine growing region to the north of Portugal's Vinho Verde is:
Txakolina Rueda Rias Baixas Tarragona
3. The distinctively aromatic white variety of Rueda is:
Albarino Verdejo Macabeo Viura
4. Name the pale dry style of Sherry produced in Sanlucar de Barrameda
Fino Oloroso Amontillado Manzanilla
5. The steeply terraced region known for intense, high quality red wines made from Garnacha is:
Priorat Ribera del Duero Pendes Jumilla

Quiz & Quote #7

"Good wine is a necessity of life for me"

-Thomas Jefferson

Quiz #7 In the Vineyard

1. Which of the following is not a fungal disease of grapevines?
Oidium Pierce's disease Perenospera gray rot
2. A system where vines are trained up a tall support and spread horizontally is known as:
Guyot Pergola Cordon Head Training
3. Name of the Australian enologist who revolutionized vineyard canopy management
David Wenham James Halliday Richard Smart Randall Graham
4. What practice founded by Rudolf Steiner recognizes the universe as an ecosystem?
Organic Viticulture Sustainable Viticulture Integrated Pest Management Biodynamic Viticulture
5. A varieation within a single grape variety due to spontaneous mutation is known as:
Hybrid Cross Clone Variety

Quiz & Quote #6

"In Europe we thought of wine as something as healthy and normal as food and also a great giver of happiness and well being and delight. Drinking wine was not a snobbism nor a sign of sophistication nor a cult; it was as natural as eating and to me as necessary."

- Ernest Hemingway

Quiz #6 - German Wine Lingo

1. "Naturwein" refers to:
Organically produced wine Wine made with only idigenous yeasts Historically an unchaptalized wine Wine that is unfined and unfiltered
2. The highest VDP quality designation, similar to Grand Cru of Burgundy is:
Grosses Gewachs Pradikatswein Auslese Qualitatswein
3. Sussreserve refers to:
The highest quality designation for sweet wines A sweet style of Sekt Addition of unfermented grape juice Off-dry Mosel Riesling aged at least 3 years
4. The QmP wine category with the lowest must weight is:
Spatlese Auslese Tafelwein Kabinett
5. Which of the following is one of Germany's 5 most planted wine grape varieties?
Lemberger Dornfelder Traminer Weissburgunder