It's Time to take a Wine Test!

So has everyone been reading and studying my blogs in detail and looking up different things regarding wines?  To help increase your overall wine knowledge, some of which is probably quite useless when you are enjoying your favorite glass, please enjoy the following quiz with detailed answers. Many questions would be great to add to your Trivia night parties. Hope you like this format. 

1. Phylloxera is a(n)

a. Disease

b. Greek vessel for storing wine

c. Grape variety

d. Insect

Corrrect answer D: Phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae (Fitch 1855); family Phylloxeridae, within the order Hemiptera, bugs); originally described in France as Phylloxera vastatrix; equated to the previously described Daktulosphaera vitifoliae, Phylloxera vitifoliae; commonly just called phylloxera (/fɪˈlɒksərə/; from Ancient Greek: φύλλον, leaf, and ξηρός, dry) is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America. These almost microscopic, pale yellow sap-sucking insects, related to aphids, feed on the roots and leaves of grapevines (depending on the phylloxera genetic strain). On Vitis vinifera, the resulting deformations on roots ("nodosities" and "tuberosities") and secondary fungal infections can girdle roots, gradually cutting off the flow of nutrients and water to the vine.[2] Nymphs also form protective galls on the undersides of grapevine leaves of some Vitis species and overwinter under the bark or on the vine roots; these leaf galls are typically only found on the leaves of American vines. American vine species (such as Vitis labrusca) have evolved to have several natural defenses against phylloxera. The roots of the American vines exude a sticky sap that repels the nymph form when it tries to feed from the vine by clogging its mouth. If the nymph is successful in creating a feeding wound on the root, American vines respond by forming a protective layer of tissue to cover the wound and protect it from secondary bacterial or fungal infections.Currently there is no cure for phylloxera and unlike other grape diseases such as powdery or downy mildew, there is no chemical control or response. The only successful means of controlling phylloxera has been the grafting of phylloxera-resistant American rootstock (usually hybrid varieties created from the Vitis berlandieri, Vitis riparia and Vitis rupestris species) to more susceptible European vinifera vines.

2. What procedure effectively solved the problem of phylloxera?

a. Irrigation

b. Grafting

c. Cross-pollination

d. Fruit set redone

Correct answer B: The only successful means of controlling phylloxera has been the grafting of phylloxera-resistant American rootstock (usually hybrid varieties created from the Vitis berlandieri, Vitis riparia and Vitis rupestris species) to more susceptible European vinifera vines. Of interest the root stock used to replant the vineyards of France came from American rootstock in Texas. 

3. Wines as we drink it today originated where?

a. Portugal and Spain

b. France and Italy

c. Iran and Iraq

d. Chile and Argentina

Correct answer C:  The origins of wine predate written records, and modern archaeology is still uncertain about the details of the first cultivation of wild grapevines. It has been hypothesized that early humans climbed trees to pick berries, liked their sugary flavor, and then began collecting them. After a few days with fermentation setting in, juice at the bottom of any container would begin producing low-alcohol wine. According to this theory, things changed around 10,000–8000 BC with the transition from a nomadic to a sedentism style of living, which led to agriculture and wine domestication. Wild grapes grow in Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, the northern Levant, coastal and southeastern Turkey, and northern Iran. The fermenting of strains of this wild Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris (the ancestor of the modern wine grape, V. vinifera) would have become easier following the development of pottery during the later Neolithic, c. 11,000 BC. The earliest discovered evidence, however, dates from several millennia later. The earliest archaeological evidence of wine fermentation found has been at sites in China (c. 7000 BC) Georgia (c. 6000 BC Iran (c. 5000 BC Greece (c. 4500 BC), and Sicily (c. 4000 BC). The earliest evidence of steady production of wine has been found in Armenia (c. 4100 BC The Iranian jars contained a form of retsina, using turpentine pine resin to more effectively seal and preserve the wine and is the earliest firm evidence of wine production to date Production spread to other sites in Greater Iran and Greek Macedonia by c. 4500BC. The Greek site is notable for the recovery at the site of the remnants of crushed grapes. The oldest-known winery was discovered in the "Areni-1" cave in Vayots Dzor, Armenia. Dated to c. 4100 BC, the site contained a wine press, fermentation vats, jars, and cups. Archaeologists also found V. vinifera seeds and vines. 

4. What country has never been infected with phylloxera?

a. Portugal and Spain

b. France and Italy

c. Iran and Iraq

d. Chile and Argentina

Correct answer D. so far, Chilean wine has remained phylloxera free. It is isolated from the rest of the world by the Atacama Desert to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and the Andes Mountains to the east. Phylloxera has also never been found in several wine-growing regions of Australia, including Western Australia and South Australia. The Riesling of the Mosel region has also remained untouched by phylloxera; the parasite is unable to survive in the slate soil.

5. What country exported the phylloxera epidemic to Europe?

a. Iran and Iraq

b. Chile and Argentina

c. United States

d. Australia

Correct answer C:  In the late 19th century the phylloxera epidemic destroyed most of the vineyards for wine grapes in Europe, most notably in France.  Phylloxera was introduced to Europe when avid botanists in Victorian England collected specimens of American vines in the 1850s. Because phylloxera is native to North America, the native grape species are at least partially resistant. By contrast, the European wine grape Vitis vinifera is very susceptible to the insect. The epidemic devastated vineyards in Britain and then moved to the European mainland, destroying most of the European grape growing industry. In 1863, the first vines began to deteriorate inexplicably in the southern Rhône region of France. The problem spread rapidly across the continent. In France alone, total wine production fell from 84.5 million hectolitres in 1875 to only 23.4 million hectolitres in 1889.  Some estimates hold that between two-thirds and nine-tenths of all European vineyards were destroyed. In France, one of the desperate measures of grape growers was to bury a live toad under each vine to draw out the "poison".   Areas with soils composed principally of sand or schist were spared, and the spread was slowed in dry climates, but gradually the aphid spread across the continent. A significant amount of research was devoted to finding a solution to the phylloxera problem, and two major solutions gradually emerged: grafting cuttings onto resistant rootstocks. So America caused the problem and then solved it. It is also as a result of this story that when you cross Country borders or return home from Europe you have to declare to Customs you don't have any plant or animal items in your luggage.  No telling what bugs and critters you could be bringing back and what havoc they might cause on our agricultural system.

6.  Thomas Munson of the USA found the cure for the phylloxera epidemic. What State did he develop the cure in. 

a. New York

b. Texas

c. California

d. Oregon

Correct answer B: The rootstocks that Munson recommended to the French were Texas native Vitis Berlandieri, cinerea and cordifolia (vulpina) grapes that were found in the central Texas hill country at Dog Ridge in Bell County near Temple, Texas. These wild grapes can still be found there.  Munson specified these Texas native grapes because soils in this location closely match the limestone soils in French vineyards and these grapes were highly tolerant of high pH limestone soils. Later, Munson was also asked to advise on a Phylloxera-resistance rootstock for California vineyards, and through discussions with Luther Burbank he recommended Vitus rupestris.

7. Who discovered the role of yeast in fermentation?

a. Louis Pasteur

b. Thomas Munson

c. Jules Guyot

d. Steven Spurrier

Correct answer A:  Pasteur was the first to demonstrate experimentally that fermented beverages result from the action of living yeast transforming glucose into ethanol. 

8. Who was the Englishman Steven Spurrier?

a. A famous football coach

b. A winemaker

c. A wine Merchant in London, England

d. A wine Merchant in Paris, France

Correct answer C:  Steven Spurrier (born 1941) is a British wine expert and the former merchant who has been described as a champion of French wine.  Spurrier organized the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, which unexpectedly elevated the status of California wine and promoted the expansion of wine production in the New World. He is also the founder of the Academie du Vin and Christie's Wine Course, in addition to authoring and co-authoring several wine books. 

9. Grapes are grown in a warm climate with produce wines with___________than a wine from a cool climate? 

a. more acid and less alcohol

b. more acid and more alcohol

c. less acid and more alcohol

d. less acid and less alcohol

Correct answer C.  Kudo's to Bill Sudlow for correcting this answer. Grapes from cooler regions typically don't ripen as quickly which results in lower sugars and higher acidity. Higher sugar leaves more sugar to ferment thus higher alcohol and drives the acidity downwards leaving some vintners to want to actually add acidity at times.  It also plays into harvest as the vintner is trying to achieve a balance between alcohol and acidity and if he picks too late in a hot environment with an overabundance of alcohol the acidity might end up too low.   Growers in cooler climates do face distinct challenges. Vines may be lower yielding, winters can harm or kill the vines and frost events are more common and destructive. Polar vortexes that seem to dominate the news during winter can claim entire vintages in the Finger Lakes and Ontario. In the last few years, growers in Chablis, Burgundy and Bordeaux suffered devastating losses due to spring frost. Also, if the summer growing season is too short or cool, grapes may not ripen fully by harvest. That’s why many cooler regions allow chaptalization, the addition of sugar to must so alcohol levels increase during fermentation. 

10. A vintage date on a bottle of wine signifies the year the: 

a. wine was released

b. wine finished fermenting

c. wine finished oak aging

d. grapes were harvested

Correct answer D:  Vintage means year the grapes were harvested

11. The primary difference between the production of red wine and white wine is?

a. red wines are fermented at cooler temperatures than white wines

b. red wines are aged in oak barrels and white wines are not

c. red wines are fermented with their skins, white wines without

d. red wines are fermented with wild yeasts, white wines with cultured yeasts.

Correct answer is C:  longer skin contact during the fermentation process results in the increased red color of the wine. Of interest, some white wines like Champagne actually come from red grapes. Many Champagnes are made from Pinot Noir a red grape but during fermentation, the skins are removed. 

12. Which of the following characteristics in a bottle of wine will NOT prolong its aging potential?

a. Alcohol

b. Body

c. Tannin

d. Sugar

Correct answer A. Alcohol is volatile in non-fortified wines and causes the wine to turn to vinegar more quickly. Generally speaking, the lower the alcohol level in a non-fortified wine the longer it will last There is a widespread misconception that wine always improves with age, or that wine improves with extended aging, or that aging potential is an indicator of good wine. Some authorities state that more wine is consumed too old than too young. Aging changes wine, but does not categorically improve it or worsen it. Fruitness deteriorates rapidly, decreasing markedly after only 6 months in the bottle. Due to the cost of storage, it is not economical to age cheap wines, but many varieties of wine do not benefit from aging, regardless of the quality. Experts vary on precise numbers but typically state that only 5–10% of wine improves after 1 year, and only 1% improves after 5–10 years. In general, wines with a low pH (such as pinot noir and Sangiovese) have a greater capability of aging. With red wines, a high level of flavor compounds, such as phenolics (most notably tannins), will increase the likelihood that a wine will be able to age. Wines with high levels of phenols include Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo, and Syrah. The white wines with the longest aging potential tend to be those with a high amount of extract and acidity. The acidity in white wines, acting as a preservative, has a role similar to that of tannins in red wines. The process of making white wines, which includes little to no skin contact, means that white wines have a significantly lower amount of phenolic compounds, though barrel fermentation and oak aging can impart some phenols. Similarly, minimal skin contact with rosé wine limits their aging potential. 

After aging at the winery most wood-aged ports, sherries, vins doux naturels, vins de liqueur, basic level ice wines, and sparkling wines are bottled when the producer feels that they are ready to be consumed. These wines are ready to drink upon release and will not benefit much from aging. Vintage ports and other bottled-aged ports and sherries will benefit from some additional aging. 

Champagne and other sparkling wines are infrequently aged, and frequently have no vintage year (no vintage, NV), but vintage champagne may be aged. Aged champagne has traditionally been a peculiarly British affectation, and thus has been referred to as le goût anglais "the English taste", though this term also refers to a level of champagne sweetness. In principle, champagne has aging potential, due to the acidity, and aged champagne has increased in popularity in the United States since the 1996 vintage. A few French winemakers have advocated aging champagne, most notably René Collard (1921–2009). In 2009, a 184-year-old bottle of Perrier-Jouët was opened and tasted, still drinkable, with notes of "truffles and caramel", according to the experts. A couple of years ago a salvage team recovered items from a shipwreck in the North Sea of Europe which included cases of Champagne from around 1910 and when opened were described as fresh and as if they were produced yesterday. 

13. Botrytis is a: 

a. special yeast strain used to produce sparkling wines

b. type of red-skinned grape grown in Germany

c. the mold that attacks grapes and concentrates their sugar content

d. process of adding sugar to fermenting wine to boost alcohol

Correct Answer C. Botrytis is also known as "Noble Rot" and is present in most sweet wines.

14. Which two characteristics in wine are best when paired with dishes that have a high-fat content?

a. Sugar and acid

b. Acid and Tannin

c. Sugar and Tannin

d. Alcohol and sugar

Correct Answer B Fatty foods need either an acidic or high alcohol wine otherwise the wine will taste flabby. Tannin also helps to "cut the fat" so to speak and acidic tannic red wines are what you usually see served with steaks and chops.

15. It is never a good idea to pair white wines with red meats and red wines with white meats.

a. True

b. False

The correct answer is it depends. The question refers to old rules of wine and food pairing that have been followed for hundreds of years but as wine styles have changed it is no longer an absolute rule and feel free to experiment in your home. Fact is there are white wines that go well with steak and red wines that go well with fish. A lot of these rules are based on our own prejudices that we have grown up with. Want to have some real fun? Buy yourself some black painted glasses where you cannot see the color of the wine and then have a tasting with your friends. You will be surprised how many will say that is a red wine when in fact it is white and vice versa. Sometimes even the professional experts cannot tell the difference in black glasses.