Talk-A-Vino

Image from Wikipedia

And the has come for our weekly wine quiz!

I like to organize things, when possible. So far my quizzes where a little bit (just kidding – really a lot) all over the place – from auctions to riddles to history; left, right and beyond. At the same time, I really would like to run a series of quizzes somehow related to each other. So I thought of this grape series, and that is the best I can come up with at the moment, so let me run with this.

This will be a series of posts dedicated to different grapes. Don’t wait for any substantial gotchas – at this point, there no plans for quizzes solely dedicated to Fiana or Romorantin (hmm, on the other side…). Instead, the quizzes will be dedicated to the mainstream grapes majority can attest to, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and so on.

Today we are starting with the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. Cabernet Sauvignon needs no introduction – it is a mainstream grape in production of many of the best (and not) red wines in the world. In a few words Cabernet Sauvignon can be described as late ripening variety with thick skin and somewhat of a small berry. Flavor profile of Cabernet Sauvignon wines often includes eucalyptus, green bell peppers, mint and black currant (cassis). Cabernet Sauvignon has great affinity to oak and the wines are usually age very well. Cabernet Sauvignon is grown all over the world with most famous wines coming from Bordeaux, California, Australia, Argentina, Chile, Italy and Washington.

Here come the quiz questions:

Q1: Which two grapes are the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon?

Q2: The world’s oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vines are located in (name winery and/or vineyard for extra credit):

A. Bordeaux

B. Chile

C. California

D. Australia

E. Georgia

Q3: True or False: Since 2000, plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon increased in Bordeaux?

Q4: The second largest in the world plantings (by area) of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are located in:

A. Australia

B. California

C. Chile

D. Hungary

E. Moldova

F. South Africa

Q5: Absolute majority of Bordeaux wines are blends. Name four grapes which are traditional blending companions of Cabernet Sauvignon in Bordeaux

Have fun and good luck! Enjoy your weekend and cheers!