Here we go:
1) When dining at a restaurant, the waiter opens the bottle and places the cork on the table. What do you do with it?
d) Examine the condition of the cork. While you could do any of the other three, there is actually not much you can tell by tasting (which is kind of gross, actually) or smelling the cork. The crystals are called tartaric crystals, which develop in the fermentation process. They have no adverse effect on the wine.
You will learn much more about the wine by inspecting the cork. What are you looking for? First, you should verify that the cork matches what you ordered and what the bottle says. Many wineries place the name of the wine and sometimes even the vintage on the cork. It’s just another way to verify that you are getting what you ordered.
You will also want to check the cork for anywhere that wine has run from the bottom to the top of the cork. It is expected that the bottom of the cork would be damp, but if it is wet (or stained) to the top, it is a sign that the seal was not properly set, or the cork has dried. Always remember…if wine can get out, air can get in, and air is wine’s worst enemy. Should you refuse the bottle if you encounter this? Not necessarily. You shouldn’t make that decision until you have had a chance to examine the wine in the glass.
2) What grape that is gaining popularity today was nearly extinct in 1965, with only 8 acres planted in the world.
c) Viognier. In the years since, the grape has gained popularity. In the Rhone region of France, there are over 740 acres planted. The grape has also gained popularity in North America, probably as an alternative to Chardonnay.
3) If you hold a merlot grape in your hand and squeeze it, what color is the juice that comes from that grape?
b) White. First of all, my apologies for the missing word in the original question. But anyway, there are only four grapes in the world that squeeze red juice. You might be wondering how that is when we have all of these beautiful, deep red wines. In order for our syrah’s to get that dark, inky, reddish-black color, or our cabs and merlots turn the beautiful ruby or garnet, they have to spend time soaking with the skins. The pigment from the skins then transfers to the juice, similar to what happens when you wash your new deep red shirt with your favorite white pants.
4) Which is the oldest AVA (American Viticultural Area) in the United States?
d) Augusta, MO. Sorry Napa Valley. Augusta was the first approved AVA. How did that happen? Apparently the paperwork was processed in alphabetical order, and “A” comes before “N”, and the rest is history.
5) (True or False?)The Wine Institute officially defines the Old Vines designation as “….any grapevine that was planted or grafted more than 45 years prior to the vintage of harvest.”
There is no hard and fast rule to determine what makes a grapevine old. A lot of wines put “Old Vines” on their label but you can’t tell how old the vines actually are by that. A lot of places start calling vines old after 30 or 35 years. However, there are many wineries that make wine from grapes whose vines are in excess of 100 years old.
6) Red wine typically should be served at what temperature? (F)
b) 50 to 55 This is the temperature that I keep mine at. Many people think this is a little cold, but I do let mine set out and warm up for 15-20 minutes before drinking. Probably 55 to 60 is where I would serve it. Many people hear the old adage “room temperature” and think 70+ is fine. You have to remember when room temperature was in an old stone castle. While we’re on the subject, white wine should typically be served no colder than 45 – 50. The colder a white wine gets, the more it will hide its faults, as well as its flavors.
7) (True or False) You should aerate or decant most wines.
Most wines are made to drink within the year. Reasons for decanting wine may include: 1) allowing oxygen to penetrate and open up a young wine that should have possibly needed more time to age; 2) to allow an old aged wine to ‘open up’; after a time in the bottle, the wine needs to breathe a bit in order allow all of those wonderful flavors that have developed over the years to stretch their legs and run around and play so that they may “express themselves”; 3) you may have some sediment that you want to keep out of your glass, and often times decanters make it easier to leave the sediment behind.
8) Which wine critic should you pay attention to?
All of OR none of the above. Guess what…If Steven Tanzer, Robert Parker, James Laube, and I all give a wine a high rating and you don’t like it, then you don’t like it. We are not going to change what you think. If we all pan a wine and you love it—buy it and enjoy. The value of people who review wines lies in benchmarking. For example, if you typically find that you love wines that Parker hates, you can use that as a guideline. If you find you often agree with Tanzer, you can use that. But please, please, please don’t come to rely on what someone else tells you to drink. It’s your palette! Do your own research!
9) What are the only two grapes that are allowed to be used in the wines of Burgundy, France?
d) Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Pretty simple. If you see “Burgundy” and it is a white wine, it is Chardonnay. If it is red, it is Pinot Noir. And yes…Burgundy is a region in France that the color was named after, not the other way around.
10) Spain is currently one of the hot regions for winemaking in the world. Are they a New World or Old World winemaking country?
b) Old World Although Spain has made strong showing recently with affordable, fruit-driven, yet complex wines, which is typical of New World winemaking, they have traced winemaking in Spain back to at least 3000 BC. I’d say that’s pretty much Old World.
Thank you for playing along. If you agree or disagree, leave me some notes in the comments! Thanks for reading!
If food is the body of good living, wine is its soul. – Clifton Fadiman
Wine for Real People 