Talk-A-Vino

Müller-Thurgau Grapes. Source: Wikipedia

The Wine Quiz series is not meant to intimidate. The whole idea here is to have fun and learn something new. When answering the questions, it is fully encouraged to use all available sources of information, including Google or any other search engine. There are no embarrassing answers – the most embarrassing thing is not giving it a try…

Welcome to the weekend and your new wine quiz!

We are continuing our grape trivia series,  and today’s subject is Müller-Thurgau.

Müller-Thurgau is a white grape which was created in 1882 by the Swiss botanist Hermann Müller, who lived in the area called Thurgau, hence the name of the grape. While Hermann Müller thought that he was crossing Riesling with Sylvaner to create Müller-Thurgau, DNA tests of very recent showed that instead of Sylvaner, the second parent was the grape called Madeleine Royale. Riesling, of course, needs no introduction, I would like to mention that Madeleine Royale is known to ripen extremely early, sometimes by the 22nd of July, the feast day of Mary Magdalene (according to Wikipedia), hence the name.

Müller-Thurgau was created to have the great qualities of Riesling, combined with the early ripening ability of ( then thought to be ) Sylvaner. The design worked quite successfully, and resulting grape became quite popular in Germany and many other countries – according to the 2010 data, it was still one of 15 most planted white grapes in the world. Müller-Thurgau is known for its pleasant flavor profile of peaches, apples and pears. The problem with the grape, however, is a low acidity, which generally leads to the flat, flabby wines. This is one of the reasons why Müller-Thurgau mostly used as a blending grapes and rarely becomes the star of its own. However, the grape has worldwide following among winemakers who swear by it and produce interesting wines worth drinking.

And now, to the quiz!

Q1: Which country is not known to produce Müller-Thurgau wines:
a. Australia
b. England
c. Hungary
d. South Africa
e. United States

Q2: True or False: In 2010, plantings of Riesling in Germany were double in size compare to those of Müller-Thurgau

Q3: Wine Spectator calls wines with 90-94 ratings “Outstanding: a wine of superior character and style”. True or False: There are Müller-Thurgau wines rated as Outstanding by Wine Spectator.

Q4: Which one doesn’t belong and why:
a. Kerner
b. Müller-Thurgau
c. Scheurebe
d. Sylvaner

Q5: True or False: There  are no sparkling wines produced from Müller-Thurgau

Good luck, enjoy the quiz and your weekend! Cheers!