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Weekly Wine Quiz #36 – Stomping The Grapes
It is Saturday, therefore, it is wine quiz time!
It seems that my last couple of quizzes generated quite a bit of controversy in terms of right/wrong answers (you can scroll through the comments in the “answer” posts for #33 and #35). So this quiz will top that, as it doesn’t have the right answer, or at least it would be possible to argue forever whether my answer will be right or wrong. Nevertheless, I hope it will be fun for all, as it will not require any knowledge of grapes, regions or winemakers.
Let’s get to it. Imagine that in the older times (doesn’t matter precisely when) you come to apply for the job as a grape stomper at a winery. There is one skill (you can call it requirement or ability) which you have to have in order to be hired for that job.
Just to be clear – this is not a body feature, like big feet, for instance – it is something which you have to be able to do in order to get the job.
As I mentioned at the beginning, this quiz doesn’t have an absolute answer – so I’m asking for your forgiveness upfront, just in case you will not like my version : )
Have fun and good luck! Have a great weekend! Cheers!
Weekly Wine Quiz #34: Hello, My Name Is…
It is Saturday, and therefore, it is time for your Saturday wine entertainment (no, you don’t get to drink wine yet – first, you have to solve a puzzle, and if you don’t – no wine for you! Okay, I’m only kidding…)
Last wine quiz #33 caused some controversy – but you know what – this one might do the same. Or not.
Anyway, I have to thank Vino in Love for the idea for this wine quiz. In his last wine quiz, he used a made up name for the grape. Below you see a list of names of the wines – except one of them was made up by me. Do you know which name is a made up name?
A. If you see Kay
B. No girls
C. Frequency
D. Predicament
E. To the rescue
Give it a try! You don’t have much to win (outside of pride), but you have even less to lose.
Please provide your answer in the comments section. Have fun and good luck! Cheers!
Weekly Wine Quiz #33: Right Place, Wrong Vineyard
It is Saturday, and therefore it is time for the new wine quiz. I expect that you will not have much difficulty with today’s quiz. Here we go.
Below you will find a list of wineries, all of them from California, and all of them quite famous, if not legendary. While famous, one of those wineries doesn’t belong to the list. You need to figure out which one and why.
Here is the list:
A. Bryant family
B. Colgin
C. Araujo
D. Sloan
E. Pride Mountain
Please provide an answer in the comment section below.
Have fun and good luck! Have a great weekend! Cheers!
Wine Quiz Anthology
It appears that I reached a stumbling block with my weekly wine quizzes – the wine quiz #32, where you were asked to match 6 red wines with 6 wine reviews, didn’t get a single answer (so far). And not because people couldn’t answer the question, but because they found it too long and/or intimidating.
I believe this makes it a good point to take a little break and look back at the line up of the past Wine Quizzes. This is also a nice point for me as a software guy (yep, by education and daytime work : ) ), as 32 – I have 32 wine quizzes out so far – is a very round number in the world of computers (2 to the power of 5 is 32), so it feels like I accomplished something : ). I also looked at this project somewhat religiously from the point of view of the timeline – these are 32 [consecutive] weeks worth of quizzes. They all come in different shapes and forms, and I changed the format slightly from a quiz to a quiz. Until the Quiz #7, the answers were provided with the next quiz in a week, and then beginning from that quiz #7, the answers for the quizzes started coming out every Wednesday. I also used Poll format for many quizzes – that definitely generates a lot more answers (people don’t like to leave comments, sigh) – but with those polls nobody remembered their answer and it was impossible to declare winners.
Anyway, I don’t plan to close any of the quizzes, so if you see something you missed, you can still take part in it – and then even check your answer right away.
Without further ado, here they are – all 32 with the links for the answers. Enjoy!
Weekly Wine Quiz #32 – A Guessing Game: Ultimate Challenge, Part 2 – still waiting for your answers!
Weekly Wine Quiz #31 – A Guessing Game: Ultimate Challenge, Part 1 – here is the answer
Weekly Wine Quiz #30 – A Guessing Game, In Reverse – here is the answer
Weekly Wine Quiz #29: A Guessing Game – here is the answer
Weekly Wine Quiz #28: Where Is The Wine In This Picture? – here is the answer
Weekly Wine Quiz #27 – This Whiskey Can’t Age Any Longer… – here is the answer
Weekly Wine Quiz #26 – Extreme Wines, Part 2 – here is the answer
Weekly Wine Quiz #25 – Extreme Wines – here is the answer
Weekly Wine Quiz #24 – Bottles Big, Bottles Small – here is the answer
Weekly Wine Quiz #23: There Is A Vineyard In UK … – here is the answer
Weekly Wine Quiz #22: Olympics For All – here is the answer
Weekly Wine Quiz #21: Do You Know The King? – here is the answer
Weekly Wine Quiz #20: How Much Does It Worth To You? – here is the answer
Weekly Wine Quiz #19: Wine, An Ultimate Facilitator of Art and Craft – here is the answer
Weekly Wine Quiz #18: Wine and Independence Day – here is the answer
Weekly Wine Quiz #17: Let’s Talk About Penguins (And Some Weapons) – here is the answer
Weekly Wine Quiz #16: Father of California Wine – here is the answer
Weekly Wine Quiz #15 – Most Historically Significant Spirit? – here is the answer
Weekly Wine Quiz #14: True American Grape – here is the answer
Weekly Wine Quiz #13 – Wine as a Matter of Life and … Death – here is the answer
Weekly Wine Quiz #12: The End of Prohibition – here is the answer
Weekly Wine Quiz #11 – Bubbles, Big and Small – the answer is in the Quiz #12 above
Weekly Wine Quiz #10 – Where [In California] Am I? – use the link above for the answer
Weekly Wine Quiz #9 – What Is In The Name? – use the link above for the answer
Weekly Wine Quiz #8 – Do You Know Your AVAs? – here is the answer
Weekly Wine Quiz #7 – Where In The World Am I? – here is the answer
Weekly Wine Quiz #6 – No Pinot? – use the link above for the answer
Weekly Wine Quiz #5 – Do You Know Kosher Wines? – use the link above for the answer
Weekly Wine Quiz #4 – Which One Doesn’t Belong? – use the link above for the answer
Weekly Wine Quiz #3 – Judgement of Paris – use the link above for the answer
Lets Play a Little Game – Here Is A Wine Quiz – use the link above for the answer
Lets Play a Little Game – Here Is A Wine Quiz – use the link above for the answer
Have a great weekend! Cheers!
Weekly Wine Quiz #32 – A Guessing Game: Ultimate Challenge, Part 2
And yet another Saturday is here, and, of course, a new quiz. It will be the last one (at least for now) in the Guessing Game series (previous three can be found here: #29, #30, #31). As promised, this one is about red grapes, but we will kick it up a notch – you have 7 grapes to match with 6 reviews – one grape is there just for fun, but in my opinion, it easily could’ve been for real. So here are your grapes:
A. Cabernet Sauvignon
B. Malbec
C. Merlot
D. Nebbiolo
E. Pinot Noir
F. Syrah
G. Zinfandel
And here are the reviews:
1. “complex, yet subtle, with blackberries, minerals and berries. Full-bodied and very velvety, with lovely rich fruit, with chocolate and berry character. Very long and refined. A joy to taste.”
2. “aromas of tar and smoke, with very pure, concentrated blackberry and spice notes underneath mark this exotic, seductive red. Silky and complex, it caresses the palate. It needs a little time to absorb the oak, but this is long and has great potential.”
3. “a seductive red, drawing you in with its pure cherry and floral aromas and flavors, then capturing you with the silky texture and harmonious profile. Stays fresh and elegant, with a long, ethereal finish.”
4. “still tight, with a wall of mocha and raspberry ganache covering the massive core of fig fruit, hoisin sauce and plum cake notes. This is extremely dense but remarkably polished, with a long, tongue-penetrating finish that drips of fruit and spice laid over massive grip.”
5. “delicious stuff; not huge, but impeccably balanced, nuanced and tremendously long and pure. It’s a cascade of currant, blueberry and plum fruit shaded on one side by subtle, toasty oak, on the other by hints of minerality and exotic spice. But it’s the elegance and the length that make this a winner.”
6. “torrent of blackberry, boysenberry and bittersweet ganache notes. But there’s exceptional drive and focus here as well, with a great graphite spine driving through the spice- and floral-infused finish. A stunner for its combination of power and precision.”
For an extra credit, try to figure out the country of origin for the wine in the reviews.
Good Luck! Have a great weekend and drink well! Cheers!
Weekly Wine Quiz #31 – A Guessing Game: Ultimate Challenge, Part 1
To finish off the wine reviews quiz series, today we are following the steps of the previous two wine quizzes (#29 and #30), only now going to the next level: you will need to match 5 reviews and 5 wines. Actually, that “finishing off” will separate into two separate quizzes – one for white wines and one for reds.
Here are your grape choices:
A. Chardonnay
B. Chenin Blanc
C. Sauvignon Blanc
D. Savagnin
E. Viognier
Here are the reviews. Just to make it a bit easier, note that all the reviews are for single-grape wines.
1. “Gently kissed with toast, giving the core of white peach, lemon and chamomile a broader frame of lightly toasted brioche and paraffin. A suave echo of flint chimes through the finish in this lovely rendering of the toasty style.”
2. “An enticing, lemony white that is both aromatic and rich on the palate. Apple and mineral notes combine with the lemon flavors that glide to a lingering finish”
3. “This has weight and depth but remains stylish, with ginger and glazed pear notes in reserve while persimmon, green almond and piecrust notes lead the way. Lovely cut on the finish keeps the ginger edge echoing. Should develop nicely in the cellar”
4. “Extremely rich and generous, with ripe, opulent peach, nectarine, apricot and tangerine flavors that are woven together on a full, lush body with smoke, spice, cedar and mineral details and a juicy acidity.”
5. “Intensely minerally and smoky, with a blanket of acidity behind the apple, sea salt and anise flavors. The long finish is bracing and powerful.”
Please provide the answers in the form of A1, B2 etc. Bonus question – provide country of origin for each grape/review combination. Double bonus – in addition to country, provide more precise appellation, like Finger Lakes, Oregon, etc (doesn’t have be exact, but it should be more narrow that the whole country).
Have fun, good luck and have a great weekend! Cheers!
Weekly Wine Quiz #30 – A Guessing Game, In Reverse
In the last week’s quiz, you were given two reviews of the wine, and you were asked to identify the wine (from the multiple choice selection). I want to continue with that “guessing game”, but change it around. In today’s quiz, you will know the wine, and you will need to select the proper review for it.
There is no reason to be shabby with our wine for this quiz – as you could’ve guessed from the picture, you will need to select a correct review for Chateau Latour, one of the original five so called “First Growth” from Bordeaux 1855 classification, and in general, one of the grandest wines in existence.
Here are five possible review choices for you – again, all coming from professional publications (well, may be except one – you will figure it out):
A: “dense ruby/purple color as well as an extraordinary nose of spring flowers intermixed with blueberries, black raspberries, wet rocks and spice box. Deep, full-bodied, rich and intense, this gorgeous effort again demonstrates what brilliant winemaking and a top-notch terroir can produce. It should drink well for 15-20 years.”
B: “deep purple-ruby. Pungent floral and spice notes enliven complex aromas of dark plum, cocoa and minerals. Large-scaled and juicy, with lively acidity giving sharp definition to the uncommonly deep, pure flavors of black fruits, forest floor and dark spices. The impressively ripe, powerful finish features youthfully chewy tannins and outstanding persistence. This big boy will require a lot of patience: forget about it in the cellar for at least 15 years”
C: “bright ruby. Perfumed, expressive aromas of red and dark berry preserves, smoky herbs and lavender, with a touch of licorice adding depth. Fleshy and supple in texture, offering intense black raspberry and bitter cherry flavors lifted by a spicy quality. Shows the richness of the vintage but carries no excess fat. The finish lingers with impressive tenacity and echoes the floral and smoke notes”
D: None of the reviews here are for Chateau Latour
E: “Deep, bright violet. Intensely perfumed black raspberry and blueberry on the nose, with seductive Asian spice, lavender and incense qualities emerging with air. Sappy red and dark berry liqueur flavors are lifted by juicy acidity picking up suave spice and floral pastille notes on the back end. Velvety tannins provide shape but are absorbed by the lush fruit, which carries through an extremely long, sappy, incisive finish.”
Bonus question – try to identify the vintage of Chateau Latour as well, at least the range. Again, just for fun, try to answer without using the “brute force” methods.
Have fun and a great weekend! Cheers!
Wednesday’s Meritage – Wine Quiz Answer, #GrenacheDay, #ChampagneDay, WTSO Full-On and more
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Meritage Time!
So, what do you think of Wine Quiz #29, A Guessing Game? I now understand that I goofed up with my logic (not the first time; sigh) and the way second question was asked implied the answer for the first – so I definitely have a room for improvement. I still hope it was fun, and – we have a winner!
Both reviews included into the post were for the same wine, 2001 La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza Reserva Especial – the first one was written by Robert Parker, and second was Stephen Tanzer’s review. And the winners are (drumroll, please) whineandcheersforwine and thedrunkencyclist – both were able to correctly answer all three questions including the bonus part. Well done! As a side note, this is one of the best Rioja wines you can find for the money – it will cost you between $25 and $30, it drinks perfectly now, and will be for the next 20-30 years.
And now let’s move on to the interesting news section.
On October 2nd, the greatest purveyor of the QPR wines, Wine Til Sold Out, says “Make room in your cellars”, and I say “hold on to your wallets” – Full-On Marathon is coming. Starting at 6 AM Eastern time, WTSO will be offering wines staring from $15.99 and going all the way into the hundreds of dollars. The event will end at midnight on the same day. Knowing WTSO, this will be one amazing event which will put your family finances in a grave danger – but if anything, it will be fun to watch!
I almost missed it (changing the post after it was out) – International #GrenacheDay is coming on Friday, September 21st! There is not much time left – find that Grenache bottle and get ready to celebrate!
Champagne lovers, your special day is coming! 3rd annual #ChampagneDay will be celebrated through all social media outlets on October 25th – you can find your invitation here. You have enough time to be well prepared – start thinking about that special bottle.
There is an interesting debate going in regarding the actual state of the wine blogging – best of the best are trying to figure out if it is dead or alive (as I’m writing this post, I would consider it quite alive, but what do I know…). Here are couple of viewpoints: Joe Roberts, a.k.a. 1WineDude, and Steve Heimoff. If you have an opinion – write a blog post, join the debate!
Last but not least, St. Emilion region in Bordeaux has a new classification – you can read more about it here in Dr. Vino’s blog post.
We are done here – the glass is empty – for the moment, of course. Cheers!
Weekly Wine Quiz #29: A Guessing Game
I have to admit – I was beaten up by some folks for the last week’s quiz, denoted as too difficult. This week’s quiz will be a traditional multiple choice type, so will see what you will think about this one.
Nowadays, wine reviews are coming from everywhere. On a high level, you got Wine Spectator, Wine Advocate, James Suckling, Wine Enthusiast, Stephen Tanzer and many tens of others, and then you got thousands of wine bloggers, store owners, educators, aficionado – fine, I know, you got the picture. All of the reviews are written in the context – here is a bottle of wine, and here is the review – so when you read it, it is easy to connect particular wine with the particular review. Now, what if we break the context link? How easy it would be to identify the wine just based on the review by itself?
Here are two reviews for you, both belonging to the “professional” category. First:
“bucolic, natural bouquet of bright red cherries, balsamic, mint and a touch of dried honey all with superb delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with wonderful delineation and supple, lithe tannins. The acidity is very well judged and it leads to a pert, tense finish of bitter cherry, loganberry and licorice. This is an outstanding wine drinking perfectly now, but it should age effortlessly.”
and second:
“deep red. Sexy, intensely perfumed bouquet of ripe raspberry and cherry with suggestions of potpourri, sandalwood and vanilla. Shows more power and darker fruits on the palate, picking up a touch of singed plum that adds a serious quality to the sweet black raspberry and cherry flavors without costing the wine any of its vibrancy. The long, sweet finish hangs on with very good tenacity.”
For the wine quiz, here are my questions:
Question #1: Are these two reviews for the same or different wines?
Question #2: Which wine do you think it is?
A. Burgundy
B. Super Tuscan
C. Oregon Pinot Noir
D. Rioja
E: Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Bonus question: How old do you think this wine is – approximately, of course?
See, it is a multiple choice, as I promised – but you will have to use the comment section. Just for fun, try to answer this question without using “brut force” methods.
Have a great weekend! Cheers!
Weekly Wine Quiz #28: Where Is The Wine In This Picture?
This week’s quiz will be slightly different than most of the quizzes before – it will not be a multiple choice question. It will be more of a “what is it” type of posts which I’d done a few times in the past (here is one example for you, and here is another). This time, you will have to use the comments section to provide an answer.
Below is the picture which is very much relevant to wine – but this is up to you to figure out how. So this is the main question – how this picture relates to wine. For the bonus questions, all the particulars – what, where and even when. I understand that it is not an easy question – you can find some clues in my twitter stream @talkavino if you will look at my tweets over the last few days. Good luck!
Have a great weekend! Cheers!
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