Talk-A-Vino

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 New Year 2021 and your new wine quiz!

Let’s start with the answers to the last quiz #130. In that quiz, you were given a series of questions where you were supposed to figure out what connects the items on the list and which one of the items doesn’t belong.

Here are the questions, now with the answers:

Question 1: Below is a list of wines. One of those wines shouldn’t be listed, but to find out which one doesn’t belong, you will need to understand first what connects all those wines:

A. 2014 Duckhorn Vineyards Three Palms Vineyard Merlot
B. 2016 Chateau Leoville Barton
C. 2012 Mollydooker Carnival of Love Shiraz
D. 2012 Peter Michael ‘Au Paradis’ Cabernet Sauvignon
E. 2015 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia
F. 2013 Lewis Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon

Answer 1: This was definitely a difficult question. The correct answer is C, 2012 Mollydooker Carnival of Love Shiraz. All wines on this list are Wine Spectator top wines of the year throughout the different years, with the exception of 2012 Mollydooker Carnival of Love Shiraz, which was wine #2 in 2014.

Question 2: Below is the list of names – one of them doesn’t belong to the list. Can you find out which one:

A. Cayuse
B. No Girls
C. Andremily
D. Horsepower
E. Hors Categorie

Answer 2: C, Andremily. All of these wines are produced by or closely affiliated with Christophe Baron, the famous Washington Walla Walla winemaker – with the exception of Andremily, which is also a highly allocated wine produced by former Sine Qua Non assistant winemaker Jim Binns.

Question 3: Below is the list of vintages. One of them shouldn’t be on the list. Do you know which one?

A. 2011
B. 2010
C. 2005
D. 2004
E. 2001
F. 2000

Answer 3: The correct answer is F, 2000. All other years achieved a perfect rating for Rioja wines by Rioja Consejo Regulador, Excellent, but year 2000 was rated only Good, which is the 3rd rating from the top.

Sadly, we had no takers for this quiz, so I will have to keep all the lucrative prizes to myself.

Now, to the new quiz. It is the beginning of the year, and I definitely still in Champagne mood, so this is the subject for our new quiz.

Here we go:

Question 1:  A typical pressure inside of the Champagne, and for that matter, most of the Méthode Traditionnelle sparkling wine bottles, is 6 atmospheres (this is why you need to take special care while opening the bottle of Champagne). However, some of the wines produced under the same Méthode Traditionnelle are deliberately made to have a lower pressure of 5 atmospheres – can you find this wine in the list below?

1. Trentodoc
2. Cava
3. Cremant de Jura
4. Franciacorta Satèn
5. Méthode Cap Classique

Question 2: You know that to remove the cork from a Champagne bottle, you need to untwist the wire (which is called Muselet). While untwisting, how many turns do you have to make:

1. 3
2. 4
3. 5
4. 6
5. 7

Question 3: Riddling (remuage) is a process where the bottles of Champagne are turned little by little, also with the change of an angle, while inserted upside down into the vertical “table” called Pupitre, to gradually force the sediment to concentrate in the neck of the bottle for easy removal. Do you know who is credited with the invention of the Pupitre?

1. Dom Perignon
2. Dom Ruinart
3. Madame Clicquot
4. Claude Moët

Question 4:  The foil covering the top of the Champagne bottles was originally intended to:

1. Hold cork in its place
2. Just for looks and marketing
3. To protect the cork from a variety of insects and rodents while wine is in storage
4. To cover wire cage imperfections

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