Test Your Wine Knowledge
a) Premier Cru
b) Village c) Grand Cru d) First Growth ____________________________________________________ Answer: c) Grand Cru The order of quality is: 1) The best: Grand Cru 2) Premier Cru 3) Village First growth is a classification used in Bordeaux A Rosé
B Riesling C Gewürtraminer D Pinot Noir E Cabernet Sauvignon ________________________________ Answer: E While Cabernet Sauvignon is a wonderful wine, the tannins and body are too big to pair nicely with turkey and all the fixings. Thanksgiving is really about all the sides and the type of gravy you are preparing. I make a gingersnap gravy, so a Gewürztraminer pairs perfectly with it. But really, Rosé, Riesling, Sauvignon blanc, Fernao Pires and Pinot Noir are your best bets for a delicious Thanksgiving pairing. Answer: Puligny-Montrachet
Meursault, having no grand cru vineyards, still garners great respect for the rich and expansive body of their wines. The best vineyard sites within Meursault are Les Charmes, Aux Perrières and Les Genevrières. Meursault’s neighbors, Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet, attract collectors from around the world because of their age-worthy nature. The difference, aside from the ten-second trip a bird would fly, is that these wines have more depth. They have the body but also increased tightness that just take the wines to a higher place. a) Flavor compounds
b) bacteria known to cause "corked" bottles of wine c) sediment found in white wine d) San Francisco Meth labs that make wine too! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answer: a) flavor compounds Flavor compounds responsible for herbaceous flavors in wine, such as the bell pepper aroma in cabernet. A) A wine region in Croatia
B) A winemaker in Italy C) A grape in Slovenia D) A winemaking process in Spain ---------------------------------------------------------------- Answer: A) A grape in Slovenia Rebula is more commonly known as Ribolla Gialla from Friuli, Italy. The varietal dates back to the 13th century and translates to “re-boil." This refers to the common practice of putting the wine through secondary fermentation. In Italy it tends to have no oak on it, which leaves the wine light and floral. In Slovenia (see this month’s Company’s Coming), they put the wine in barrels and on the lees. This adds a ton of body and infuses spices into the nose and palate. A) an area in Italy
B) a winery in Italy C) a winemaker in Italy D) a varietal from Italy ----------------------------------- answer is: D) a varietal from Italy Corvina is from the Veneto region in Italy and is bottled on its own or blended with Molinara and Rondinella to make Valpolicella. It typically has aromas of red cherries and plums to prunes and dried cherries and highly floral. Tannins are moderate and has a moderate plus acidity. Great easy drinking wine but can also be a workhorse with foods. Stay away from the spicy foods though. Answer: False
There are four reasons why you want to decant a wine Sediment - When wines age and even some young unfiltered wines have a lot of sediment so you would want to decant them before service. If time allows, have the bottle upright for a few hours, otherwise keep it on its side and use one of those lovely wine service carriers that keeps the bottle on an angle. When you decant these wines you pour the wine into the decanter with a candle lit below to illuminate your process. Once you see sediment coming, stop pouring, keeping the sediment in the bottle away from the wine you will be drinking. For older wines this is done slowly and just before drinking so to allow as much of the character to be in place. Young Wines - Some young wines just need a spanking. This type of decanting is not done gently. You want to slosh it around so that it receives the maximum oxygen introduction. Ambiance - There are lovely decanters that are on the market and can grace the table elegantly. Hide ugly labels - We eat and drink with our eyes. Do need to say more?! A) Grown in Bordeaux, Australia and in small amounts in South Africa and California.
B) An Alternative to Chardonnay C) Has an affinity to oak D) Always produces a sweet wine _______________________________________ Answer: Always produces a sweet wine Sémillon is mostly known for being grown in the Bordeaux region of France, and is blended with Sauvignon Blanc to create Bordeaux Blanc—a dry wine. Also, in Bordeaux, when botrytis (noble rot) appears, it produces a sweet wine that is blended (80% Sem and 20% SB with a little of muscadelle) to create a sweet wine called Sauterne. Botrytis doesn’t always occur and when it does, the wine grower is faced with difficult and timely picking conditions, thus the expensive price tag attached to it. A 100% Sémillon from France is pretty hard to find, but Australia, California and South Africa all produce 100% bottlings. Australia is probably your best bet because they grow a lot more of it there than in California and South Africa. Sémillon is a classic variety that’s often overlooked by the average consumer. I always welcome it because it’s an alternative to Chardonnay (not as full bodied), has an affinity to oak and ages well. This month we have a rare bottling from Etude Wines, California. Join now or you will miss out on this opportunity. A) Alsace
B) Champagne C) Burgundy D) Bordeaux E) Loire Answer: C) Burgundy If you are looking for an affordable white Burgundy, a Chardonnay from Mâconnais is your best bet. It's nestled in between Côte Chalonnaise to the north and Beaujolais to the south. It is typically labeled Mâcon-Blanc, Mâcon-Supérieur, Mâcon-Villages, or Mâcon-[name of village]. (Listed in the order of quality). The less expensive ones have no oak, while the better wines will have a kiss of oak. The best quality wines out of the Mâconnais is the Pouilly-Fuissé. These wines have gained popularity so the price has risen. You can still find values, but not as good of a value as from Mâcon-Villages. (You pronounce Mâcon as mah-kawn). A) Monastrell
B) Mataro C) Morrastel D) Mourvèdre E) D and B F) All of the above Answer: F) All of the above. Mourvèdre, the most common name, is the M in GSM (Grenache, Syrah & Mourvèdre-a Typical blend in the south of France). In music terms, it gives the bass and structure to the lighter Grenache but is softer than Syrah. The melodic bridge, if you will. In the hands of good winemakers, it’s capable of aging well, because of the strong structure and intense fruit. In Spain, where it can be called Monastrell, Morrastel or Morastell, it’s widely planted next to Grenache and is the main grape in areas such as Alicante, Jumilla and Valencia. In the new world, and sometimes in France and in Spain, it is referred to as Mataro. Mataro can be found in Australia and California. |
Connect with us
Phone 415 242 2030
Email: info@wineunleashed.com |
© 2015 Wine Unleashed
|
Website by Spotted Dog Graphic Design