Practice Exam 1

Question 1

Touriga Nacional is best described as a grape with:

Answer 1

Deep color, black fruit, floral notes, and high tannin

Question 2

Rueda DO is best known for fresh, aromatic white wines made from:

Answer 2

Verdejo

Question 3

A wine smelling of damp cardboard/musty cellar is most likely affected by:

Answer 3

TCA (cork taint)

Question 4

The Mâconnais region of Burgundy is best known for producing which style of wine?

Answer 4

Good value Chardonnay (often unoaked or lightly oaked)

Question 5

Oregon’s Willamette Valley is best known for which grape variety?

Answer 5

Pinot Noir

Question 6

Chardonnay from a cool coastal Californian area often shows:

Answer 6

Higher acidity with citrus/apple notes, sometimes with oak influence

Question 7

Red Burgundy (Bourgogne Rogue) is made from:

Answer 7

Pinot Noir
(signature red grape of Burgundy)

Question 8

Compared to cool climates, warm climates typically produce wines with:

Answer 8

Higher alcohol, fuller body and lower acidity

Question 9

Cabernet Sauvignon is typically characterized by:

Answer 9

High tannin and blackcurrant flavors

Question 10

Chablis AOP produces wines primarily from which grape?

Answer 10

Chardonnay
(Chablis is Chardonnay)

Question 11

The best conditions for long-term wine storage are:

Answer 11

Cool, dark, and a constant temperature

Question 12

A light-bodied white wine is usually best served:

Answer 12

Well chilled: 7-10°C

Question 13

A typical white Vinho Verde is:

Answer 13

Light-bodied with high acidity and sometimes a slight spritz

Question 14

A typical Mosel Riesling Kabinett is usually:

Answer 14

Light-bodied with high acidity and green fruit notes

Question 15

Madeira production involves which distinctive process?

Answer 15

Heating the wine and long oxidative aging

Question 16

Which grape variety is most associated with Sancerre AOC wines?

Answer 16

Sauvignon Blanc

Question 17

Däo reds (often including Touriga Nacional) are commonly described as:

Answer 17

Fresh with red/black fruit, spice, and firm tannins

Question 18

Clare Valley is famous for which style of wine?

Answer 18

Dry, high-acid Riesling with lime notes

Question 19

Pinotage is a crossing of which two grape varieties?

Answer 19

Pinot Noir x Cinsault

Question 20

Which style of Sherry is aged entirely oxidatively?

Answer 20

Oloroso

Question 21

The principal grape of Chianti Classico DOCG is:

Answer 21

Sangiovese

Question 22

In wine tasting, “body” mainly refers to:

Answer 22

The weight/richness of the wine in the mouth

Question 23

Austria’s signature white grape is:

Answer 23

Grüner Veltliner

Question 24

Traditional grapes for Cava include Macabeo, Xarel-lo and:

Answer 24

Parellada

Question 25

What are the ‘noble’ grape varieties of Alsace?

Answer 25

Riesling Gewürztraminer Pinot Gris Muscat

Question 26

Saint-Émilion and Pomerol are best known for:

Answer 26

Merlot-dominant blends

Question 27

A typical aroma profile for cool-climate Sauvignon Blanc is:

Answer 27

High acidity with grass, gooseberry, and citrus notes

Question 28

Compared to Cab Sauv, Merlot is generally:

Answer 28

Lower in tannin and softer in texture, often with plum notes

Question 29

Aged Riesling can develop a distinctive aroma of:

Answer 29

Petrol/kerosene

Question 30

Which aromatic white grape is most associated with the Northern-Rhône and often shows apricot and blossom notes?

Answer 30

Viognier

Question 31

Stellenbosch is a key South African region for:

Answer 31

Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux-style blends

Question 32

Argentinian Malbec from Mendoza is commonly:

Answer 32

Deeply colored with ripe dark fruit and soft tannins

Question 33

Tannins in a full-bodied red are softened by most food that is high in:

Answer 33

Protein and fat

Question 34

Sauternes sweet wines are produced mainly from:

Answer 34

Sémillon-led blends affected by noble rot

Question 35

In an aged wine, aromas such as leather, mushroom, and forest floor are usually:

Answer 35

Tertiary aromas

Question 36

Central Otago is best known for which grape variety?

Answer 36

Pinot Noir

Question 37

Salty foods can often make a wine seem:

Answer 37

Less bitter and less tannic

Question 38

Which grape variety is widely planted in Chili’s Central Valley?

Answer 38

Cabernet Sauvignon

Question 39

The Yarra Valley is a cooler Australian region well regarded for:

Answer 39

Pinot Noir and Chardonnay

Question 40

Margaret River is well known for which white wine style?

Answer 40

Sauvignon Blanc-Sémillon blends

Question 41

Which white grape is widely planted in South Africa and can make styles from simple to complex?

Answer 41

Chenin Blanc

Question 42

In red winemaking, ‘punching down’ or ‘pumping over’ is done primarily to:

Answer 42

Control extraction of color, flavor, and tannin from skins

Question 43

Carménère commonly shows:

Answer 43

Ripe black fruit with herbal notes (especially if under-ripe)

Question 44

English sparkling wines are most often made from the same key grapes as which famous region?

Answer 44

Champagne

Question 45

A wine with bruised apple, nuttiness, and faded fruit is showing signs of:

Answer 45

Oxidation

Question 46

Compared to French oak, new American oak more commonly imparts aromas of:

Answer 46

Coconut, vanilla, and dill

Question 47

Muscadet Sèvre et Maine ‘Sur Lie’ is a Loire wine made from which grape?

Answer 47

Melon de Bourgogne

Question 48

The white wine Gavi DOCG from Piedmont is made from which grape variety?

Answer 48

Cortese

Question 49

On an Italian wine label, DOCG signifies:

Answer 49

A top-level protected designation with stricter rules than DOC

Question 50

Fino Sherry is matured under a layer of:

Answer 50

Flor yeast

Question 51

In Germany, Prädikat levels are based on:

Answer 51

The sugar levels in grapes at harvest

Question 52

On a Rioja label, ‘Crianza’ indicates:

Answer 52

A minimum aging period before release

Question 53

A basic Ruby Port is typically:

Answer 53

Deeply colored, fruity, and aged briefly in large vessels

Question 54

What type of wine is a Vin Doux Naturel?

Answer 54

Sweet wine fortified with grape spirit

Question 55

A typical Côtes du Rhône AOC red is based mainly on:

Answer 55

Grenache

Question 56

Casablanca Valley in Chile is a cooler region noted for:

Answer 56

Sauvignon Blanc

Question 57

Beaujolaus Nouveau is commonly made using which winemaking technique?

Answer 57

Carbonic maceration

Question 58

Which type of oak is traditionally associated with classic Rioja maturation?

Answer 58

American oak

Question 59

A full-bodied red wine is usually best served at:

Answer 59

15-18°C

Question 60

Torrontés is an aromatic white grape most associated with which country?

Answer 60

Argentina

Question 61

Amarone Della Valpolicella is produced using which method?

Answer 61

Drying grapes before fermentation (appassimento)

Question 62

Rías Baixas DO is known for which white grape?

Answer 62

Albariño

Question 63

Brunello di Montalcino is a Tuscan wine made from 100%:

Answer 63

Sangiovese

Question 64

Prosecco is typically made by which method and from which grape?

Answer 64

Tank method (Charmat) from Glera

Question 65

Provence rosé is typically:

Answer 65

Pale, dry, with delicate red fruit and herbal notes