And The Answers Are....!

Hello Wine-O's!

Yesterday, I shared a fun little wine quiz that I found in the Food Network Magazine.

Here are the answers!

1. Which is NOT a U.S. Wine Region?

A. Columbia Valley, WA

B. Willamette Valley, OR

C. Sonoita, AZ

D. Hill Country, TX

E. Estill Springs, TN

F. North Fork, NY


Correct answer: Estill Springs, TN


2. "Corked" wine smells like:

A. Tobacco

B. Plastic

C. Musty Cardboard

D. Pencil Shavings

Correct Answer: Musty Cardboard.
This is not a good thing, by the way. 3-5% of all wines are affected by TCA, which is what causes this 'corked' smell.

3. Which is NOT a real wine bottle size?

A. Royale

B. Jeroboam

C. Balthazar

D. Nebuchadnezzar

Correct Answer: Royale
These are all sparkling wine bottle sizes. The Nebuchadnezzer holds a whopping 15 liters! Crack me open one of those!!

4. A fungus called noble rot gives some dessert wines a desired ____ aroma.

A. Boiled Cabbage

B. Wet Hay

C. New Rubber

Correct Answer: Boiled Cabbage
The 'noble rot' is botrytis, a rare fungus that grows on ripe wine grapes. Botrytis affected grapes make some of the most prized sweet wines!

5. Pair the wine with the best take out food pairing:

Rose Pad Thai

Chianti Chicken tikka masala

Riesling Pizza

Correct Answer: Rose-Chicken Tikka Masala, Chianti-Pizza, Riesling-Pad Thai
All of the above are a balance of acid, sugar, and spice... and everything nice!

6. Mead is a type of wine that's made with ___ instead of grapes.

A. Honey

B. Apples

C. Berries


Correct answer: Honey
The production of mead dates back to as early as 6,000 B.C. Have I ever tried it? No way!

7. Match the country to its bubbly.

Germany Cava

Spain Champagne

Italy Lambrusco

France Sekt

Correct Answer:

Germany-Sekt, Spain-Cava, Italy-Lambrusco, France-Champagne

8. Match the wine experts to their occupation.

Robert Parker Winemaker

Aldo Sohm Sommelier

Fred Franzia Wine Critic

Correct Answer:
Robert Parker-Wine Critic, Aldo Sohm- Sommelier, Fred Franzia-Winemaker

Robert Parker writes for The Wine Advocate, Fred Franzia was the winemaker for Charles Shaw (2 Buck Chuck), and Aldo Sohm has been voted Best Sommelier in the World by the Worldwide Sommelier Association.

9. True or false?
You should swirl red wine, but not white or rose.


Correct answer: False
Swirl away, my friends! It'll oxygenate the wine and strengthen its flavors, regardless of color.

10. If you find stuff that looks like coffee grounds in your wine, you should:

A. Send the wine back.

B. Strain it, or decant it slowly.

C. Shake the bottle so the grounds dissolve into the wine.

Correct Answer: Strain it, or decant it slowly.
The stuff that looks like coffee grounds is wine sediment, a naturally occurring breakdown of the wine. If you see some, just strain the wine or pour it carefully so most of the sediment stays at the bottom of the bottle.

11. If you like dry, not-too-sweet champagne, you should order:

A: Extra brut

B. Demi-Sec

Correct Answer: Extra brut
The scale of sweetness for sparkling wine, from dries to sweetest goes:

Extra Brut-Brut-Extra Dry-Sec-Demi Sec-Doux.


So, how did you do?

Here's the scoring (according to the magazine)

0-4 Correct Answers
Novice! You need to do a little homework! The best way to learn about wine is to drink it. Before you know it, you'll be comparing tasting notes and throwing around words like "complexity" and "crispness".

5-7 Correct Answers
Quaffer! Not bad- we're guessing you've taken a trip to Napa Valley, or at least seen Sideways. But, there's more to learn: Ask wine shop managers or sommeliers anything and everything. You'd be surprised by how happy wine lovers are to teach you all about it-- SO TRUE, I say :)

8-11 Correct Answers
Master Sommelier! You're a true oenophile. Open a bottle of vintage Chateau Margaux for yourself and celebrate your good grade.



I hope you enjoyed this little quiz! Have a great Tuesday!

Stacey