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Certified Sommelier Exam

Instructions:

Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
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Match each statement with the correct term.
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1. QmP Pradikate Levels (Dry to Sweet)
Dehydrated strawberries
Generic term for sparkling
Vaudesir - Valmur - Les Preuses - Grenouilles - Bougros - Les Clos - Blanchot - Highest minimum alcohol of Chablis ACs
Kabinett - Spatlese - Auslese - Beerenauslese (BA) - Eiswein - Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA)

2. Loire Valley Major Regions
Fino: lightest; fortified to 15.5% - Manzanilla: a delicate style of Fino aged only in the coastal town of Sanlucar de Barrameda - Amontillado: a Fino that has been left in cask for additional aging and develops a rich - nutty flaor; usually dry -
Pays Nantais - Anjou -Saumur - Layon - Touraine - Central Vineyards
Hazelnut
Stewed fruits

3. 2009 or 2008 in Cotes -du -Rhone?
White wines from Viognier from small single estate
Southern OR - Rogue Valley - Applegate Valley - Umqua - Douglas Red Hills - Snake River - Columbia River - Walla Walla Valley - Columbia Gorge - Willamette Valley
Plum
2009 Great 2008 Not so great

4. Beaujolais ACs
Chenin Blanc wines in the same styles as Vouvray
One of CA's oldest growing regions - Significant diurnal swings - Known for Zinfandel and Rhone varieties
Beaujolais AC - Beaujolais Nouveau AC - Beaujolais -Superieur AC - Beaujolais Villages AC - Beaujolais Cru AC
Volcanic soils - red basalt - low fertility - Cool maritime climate - high humidity - windy (East facing slopes) - Chardonnay - Riesling - Gewurztraminer - Pinot Noir - sparkling wines - Hobart - Launceston - Piper's River - Coal River

5. Primary Greek Red Varietals
AVAs - Columbia Valley - Yakima Valley - Walla Walla Valley - Red Mountain - Horse Heaven Hills - Columbia Gorge - Wahluke Slope - Snipes Mountain - Lake Chelan - Puget Sound
Touriga Nacional - Touriga Francesa - Tinta Cao - Tinta Roriz - Tinta Baroca - Mourisco Tinto - Sousao
Xynomavro - Agiorgitiko - Mavrodaphne
Clay -based soils with chalk - Sparkling wines from Maria Gomez and Bical - Red wines must contain a minimum of 50% Baga grape (normally 80%) - Predominant white grape is Maria Gomez

6. Monterey County
Santa Lucia Highlands - Chalone - San Bernabe
Vino de Mesa (VdM) - Vino de la Tierra (VdIT): 60% from region - Denominacion de Origen (DO) - Denominacion de Origen Calificada (DOCa - DOC - DOQ): Rioja and Priorat in 1988; Ridera del Duero pending - DO Pagos: single estates only
Sparkling wines made from Chenin Blanc with up to 20% Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc - Best wines made by Methode Traditionelle
Only a small percentage of grapes grown may be used for Port production - DOC status for table wines earned in 1982 - Grapes: Touriga Nacional - Tinta Roriz - Tinta Barroca

7. Lazio
Home of Rome - Cesanese del Piglio Rosso/Reserva DOCG - Frascati (carafe wine blended from Trebbiano & Malvasia) - Est! Est! Est! di Montefiascone
Driest region in NZ - 2nd in size to Marlborough - Sandy alluvial soils over gravel - limestone - Sunny climate - warmest in NZ - Known for Chardonnay - CS - and Syrah
Regulators of American Viticultural Areas
Wachau: steep vineyards facing the Danube - Wagram - Kremstal - Kamptal

8. Southern Rhone Varietals (White)
Aged in glass - may be ready to drink on release OR aged further in bottle - Sees less oxygen than Tawny - so it doesn't lose its color - Vintage Port - LBV Port (4 -6 years) - Single Quinta Port - Reserve Port
Cooler coastal climate with an active sparkling wine industry- Warm interior with old vine Zinfandel - Petite Sirah - Carigange - etc. - Notables include Anderson Valley (Alsatian varietals) - Guenoc - Redwood Valley - Yorkville - Potter Valle
Roussanne - Clairette - Picpoul - Bourbolenc - Grenache Blanc - etc.
Primary Whites Grown are Vernaccia and Vermentino - Primary Reds Grown are Cannonau - Carignano - and Nuragua

9. Pierce's Disease
Glassy -winged sharpshooter
Just under half of production is rose - Whites from Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc - Reds and Roses (both AOCs) from Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon
Aged in glass - may be ready to drink on release OR aged further in bottle - Sees less oxygen than Tawny - so it doesn't lose its color - Vintage Port - LBV Port (4 -6 years) - Single Quinta Port - Reserve Port
Minimum 7 years aging from a single vintage

10. SA's Primary White Cultivars
Volcanic slate soils - Predominantly reds from Spatburgunder and Portugieser
Fruit loops
Steen (Chenin Blanc) - Hanepoot (Muscat) - Chardonnay - SB - Semillon
Viura - Malvasia - Garnacha Blanca - Chardonnay - Sauvignon Blanc - Verdejo

11. Northern Rhone Climate
Established in the late 1870's - Alluvial soild - red clay - sand - and clay - Hot & humid with cyclonic rains possible - Semillon - Chardonnay - Riesling - Shiraz - Hunter Valley (predominantly white - established by Penfolds in the 1960's)
Continental with LeMistral winds
A vintage tawny with a minimum of seven years cask aging
Cinsault - Grenache - Syrah - Mourvedre - Merlot - Cabernet Sauvignon - Cabernet Franc

12. South Australia

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13. Merlot
Viura - Malvasia - Garnacha Blanca - Chardonnay - Sauvignon Blanc - Verdejo
Very Old Sherry - Aged 20 years (average minimum age)
Plum
Saumur Mousseux - Cremant de la Loire - Saumur Champigny

14. Vin Santo DOC
Coastal (Stellenbosch - Paarl - Constantia - etc.) - Breede River Valley - Olifants River - Klein Karoo (Sweet Muscadelle and light whites) - Boberg (for fortified wines only)
Cabernet Franc - Cabernet Sauvignon - Pinot Noir - Gamay - Groslot
Chaume Premier Cru - Bonnezeaux - Quarts de Chaume - Coteaux du Layon -Chaume - Coteaux du Layon Villages
Dessert wine from passito grapes (Trebbiano & Malvasia) fermented slowly in small wooden barrels - Matured minimum 3 years and up to 6 years

15. Franken (Franconia)
From Lake Garda in the west to the Adriatc - Venice and Verona
Regions: Penedes and Priorat DOCa - Mediterranean - Home of Catalunya and Barcelona
Wines traditionally bottled in bocksbeutel - Wines from Silvaner - Riesling - and Muller -Thurgau
Pays Nantais - Anjou -Saumur - Layon - Touraine - Central Vineyards

16. Alsace Noble Varietals

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17. North Central Spain: Primary Red Varietals
Baix Penedes - Medio Penedes - Alta Penedes
Syrah - Grenache - Mourvedre - Cinsault - Counoise - Terret Noir - Vaccarese - Muscardin - etc.
Tempranillo - Graciano - Mazuelo (Carinena)
A dry style of Sherry that has characteristics of both Fino/Amontillado and Oloroso - Develops limited flor

18. Biologically -aged Sherry Styles & Descriptions
Very Old Rare Sherry - Aged 30 years (average minimum age)
Fino: lightest; fortified to 15.5% - Manzanilla: a delicate style of Fino aged only in the coastal town of Sanlucar de Barrameda - Amontillado: a Fino that has been left in cask for additional aging and develops a rich - nutty flaor; usually dry -
hite wines from Viognier
Albariza - Barros - Arenas

19. Gisborne
Lafite -Rothschild - Latour - Mouton -Rothschild - Margaux - Haut -Brion
Orange Candy
Chenin Blanc wines in the same styles as Vouvray
Known for Poverty Bay - High yields and large quantities of Muller -Thurgau - Bulk wine and carafe wine

20. Northwest Spain: Notable Regions
New Zealand
roduce of Australia: most general; no vontage - variety allowed on label - South -Eastern Australia Super Zone - State of Origin - Zones (e.g. Barossa is a zone in S. Australia) - Regions (e.g. Barossa is divided into Barossa Valley and Eden Valley)
Galicia (Rias Biaxas) - Toro - Rueda - Ribera del Duero
Albariza - Barros - Arenas

21. Soave
Riesling - Gewurztraminer - Muscat - Pinot Gris (Tokay d'Alsace) - Sylvaner (Zotzenberg only)
Vaudesir - Valmur - Les Preuses - Grenouilles - Bougros - Les Clos - Blanchot - Highest minimum alcohol of Chablis ACs
Howell Mountain - Chiles Valley - Napa Valley - Atlas Peak - Stag's Leap District - Oak Knoll - Wild Horse Valley - Los Carneros - Yountville - Mount Veeder - Oakville - Rutherford - Spring Mountain District - Diamond Mountain District
Dry white made from Garganega (with some Trebbiano) - DOCG versions: Superiore - Superiore Classico - Recioto

22. Noble
Terroir
Aged 12 months in bottle or barrel
Tuscany's dry white DOCG - Up to 10% Chardonnay and Trebbiano allowed
Sangiovese & clones (Prugnolo Gentile - Brunello - Morellino) - Canaiolo - Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot - Syrah

23. TTB Estate Bottled Requirements
Red wines from Grenache blends with Syrah - Mourvedre - Clairette - and Bourboulenc
Winery and vineyards must be located in the same AVA - Winery must own or control the vineyards where the grapes are grown
18 villages with elevated status - Red wines are predominantly Grenache
Alto Adige - Northernmost region in Italy with steep alpine valleys - Home of Tocai (now known as Friulano) - Lagrein - and Schiava - Key Regions: Valle d'Isarco - Santa Maddalena - Trentino - and Trento

24. Viognier
Fruit loops
Red wines from Syrah with up to 20% Viognier allowed
Chaume Premier Cru - Bonnezeaux - Quarts de Chaume - Coteaux du Layon -Chaume - Coteaux du Layon Villages
Central Italy - The food center of Italy - Divided by 7 rivers

25. Single Quinta Port
Alsatian blended carafe wine (2 or more grapes)
Regulators of American Viticultural Areas
Sour red cherry
Fruits sourced from BEST quintas - Usually produced in non -declared vintages - Ageworthy - excellent values

26. Sauternes
Sits in GravesWorld famous botrytis dessert wines - Semillon - Sauvignon Blanc - Muscadelle - Dry wines labeled as Graves Blanc or Bordeaux Blanc Saint - Estephe - Northernmost commune of the Haut - Medoc - Wines are rustic
Produced in non -declared vintages - Fruit sourced from top quintas - Aged 4 -6 years in casks - Vintage and bottling years must be declared on label - Some are age -worthy
Roussanne - Clairette - Picpoul - Bourbolenc - Grenache Blanc - etc.
Home of Rome - Cesanese del Piglio Rosso/Reserva DOCG - Frascati (carafe wine blended from Trebbiano & Malvasia) - Est! Est! Est! di Montefiascone

27. Quincy
Sparkling wines from Marsanne and Roussanne
Whites from Sauvignon Blanc - Red and rose classified as Vin de Pays
South of Paso Robles - Maritime influence - cool climate - Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
Napa County - Sonoma County - Mendocino County - Lake County - Marin County - Solano County

28. Auckland

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29. Soil in Cote d'Or
Limestone (best whites) and Marl (best reds)
North Coast Super AVA - Sierras - Central Coast (Santa Cruz to Santa Barbera) - Central Valley (south to Clarksburg and Lodi) - Southern Valleys ( Santa Ynez to San Diego)
Brut Zero (Bone Dry) - Brut (Dry) - Extra Dry (Off -Dry - Sec - Demi -Sec - Doux
True tawnies matured entirely in cask - After 6 years in cask - wines take on a smooth - creamy character - fruitcake spices - Age declarations: 10yr - 20yr - 30yr - 40yr (based on how old it "feels")

30. Sherry Grape Varietals
Grenache Blanc - Clairette - Picpoul - Bourboulenc - Mauzac
Aged in wood - ready to drink on release - Sees oxygen in the barrel and - thus - loses its color - Aged Tawny Port (with indication of age)
Red wines are predominantly Grenache
Palomino (95% of all plantings) - Pedro Ximenez - Moscatel: along with PX - used to sweeten blended wines and to add color

31. Soils in Cote Rotie
Lychee
Generic term for sparkling
Condrieu - and Hermitage Steep slopes with granite soils
Lesser appellations - Cabernet Sauvignon -based wines - No classified growths

32. Medoc First Growths
Southwest Sicily - Blend of Nero d'Avola (70%) and Frappatto (30%)
Mediterranean climate with Mistral winds - Many vineyards planted on flat valley floor
Minimum 7 years aging from a single vintage
Lafite -Rothschild - Latour - Mouton -Rothschild - Margaux - Haut -Brion

33. Paso Robles

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34. Lirac
Red wines are predominantly Grenache
Introduced in Australia in 1990 - Guarantees all claims made on label (variety - vintage - region - etc.) - 85% for vintage - variety - and origin
Terraced vineyards on granite slopes - 90% red; 10% white - 12 approved grape varieties - By law - 20% minimum of red wines must be from Touriga Nacional - Predominant white grapes are Arinto and Encruzado
Red wines from 100% Syrah

35. Oregon AVAs
Moderate climate - Tradition - influence - innovation - research - Maremma - Morellino di Scansano - etc.
Southern OR - Rogue Valley - Applegate Valley - Umqua - Douglas Red Hills - Snake River - Columbia River - Walla Walla Valley - Columbia Gorge - Willamette Valley
Most widely planted grape in the world
High acid

36. Beaujolais Cru ACs
'Re -passed' - Traditional winemaking technique in the Veneto - Young Valp put into tanks or barrels containing lees or dried fruits from previous Amarone fermentation - Causes secondary fermentation - increasing alcohol content - and adding Amaron
Rioja DOCa (sub -zones are Rioja Alta - Rioja Alavesa - Rioja Baja) - Navarra
Just under half of production is rose - Whites from Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc - Reds and Roses (both AOCs) from Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon
Saint Amour - Julienas - Chenas - Chiroubles - Moulin a Vent - Fleurie - Morgon - Regnie - Brouilly - Cote de Brouilly

37. Transfer Method
33 total - Important ones are Minho (Vinho Verde) - Dao - Bairrada - Porto & Douro - Borba - Alentejo - Madeira
Vaudesir - Valmur - Les Preuses - Grenouilles - Bougros - Les Clos - Blanchot - Highest minimum alcohol of Chablis ACs
Shiraz - Cabernet Sauvignon - Grenache - Pinot Noir - Merlot
Bottles are disgorged under pressure into large tank - filtered - and rebottled - Used for bottles smaller than half/larger than Jeroboam

38. Solera system
A form of slate with strata which allow the vine roots to penetrate and grow (common in Douro for grapes used in Port)
Harvest in early September - Palomino grapes pressed immediately - Pedro Ximenez grapes sun dried (Soleo) for use in sweetening agents - Fortification with neutral grape spirit
A method of fractional blending wherein old wine is periodically refreshed with younger wine (no more than 1/3) to ensure consistency - Wine is taken from a cask in one criadera and blended into a cask fro the next
Fino: lightest; fortified to 15.5% - Manzanilla: a delicate style of Fino aged only in the coastal town of Sanlucar de Barrameda - Amontillado: a Fino that has been left in cask for additional aging and develops a rich - nutty flaor; usually dry -

39. Anejo
3yr - 5yr Reserve - 10yr Special Reserve - 15yr Extra Reserve
Tartared raspberry
Most widely planted grape in the world
Aged 24 months in bottle or barrel

40. Vinho Verde
Grape Variety: Chenin Blanc - Limestone over tufa - Wide range of styles (Sec - demi -sec - moelleux - doux - still - petillant - mousseux)
Saumur AOC - Minimum 80% Chenin Blanc with Chardonnay and others
Red - white - and rose wines produced in the Minho province (9 sub -districts) - Bottled young to undergo malolactic fermentation in the bottle (thus - have a prickle or bubble to it) - Best whites are from Alvarinho or Loureiro
Medium sweet & sweet Madeiras served with dessert or cheese course - Fermentation is stopped by addition of spirit

41. Label Integrity Program (LIP)
Sangiovese and Canaiolo with Trebbiano and Malvasia - Addition of white grapes no longer mandatory - Up to 20% CS - Merlot - and Syrah permitted
Alluvial clays
Regions: Penedes and Priorat DOCa - Mediterranean - Home of Catalunya and Barcelona
Introduced in Australia in 1990 - Guarantees all claims made on label (variety - vintage - region - etc.) - 85% for vintage - variety - and origin

42. Austria Major Regions
Rioja Alta - Rioja Alavesa - Rioja Baja
Burgenland - Niederosterreich - Steiermark (Styria) - Wien (Vienna)
Cranberry
Auckland - Hawkes Bay - Gisborne - Wairarapa

43. Washington State Appellations
AKA Palatinate - Warm climate - Trocken wines important (Grosses Gerwachs) - Riesling - Scheurebe - Grauburgunder - Muller -Thurgau - Spatburgunder
AVAs - Columbia Valley - Yakima Valley - Walla Walla Valley - Red Mountain - Horse Heaven Hills - Columbia Gorge - Wahluke Slope - Snipes Mountain - Lake Chelan - Puget Sound
Alluvial clays
Rioja Alta - Rioja Alavesa - Rioja Baja

44. Primary Tuscan White Varietals
A single Solera sherry bottled unblended and produced in small quantities
Black plum
Vernaccia - Trebbiano - Malvasia
White - red - and rose from SB - PN - and Pinot Gris

45. Disgorging/Degorgement
Yeast remnant popped out
Red wines from Syrah with up to 20% Viognier allowed
Hazelnut
Sour red cherry

46. Late Bottled Vintage Port
Produced in non -declared vintages - Fruit sourced from top quintas - Aged 4 -6 years in casks - Vintage and bottling years must be declared on label - Some are age -worthy
South end of North Island - Includes Marlborough - Quality Pinot Noir (up and coming region)
Red wines from minimum 90% Syrah and up to 10% Marsanne and/or Roussanne - Whites from Marsanne and Roussanne
hite wines from Viognier

47. Chablis
AOC for whites only - exclusively Chardonnay - limestone ove Kimmeridgian Clay (think crushed oyster shells) - region susceptible to late frost - Grand Cru sites have SW exposure
Red wines are predominantly Grenache
Sparkling wines from Marsanne and Roussanne
Soils: volcanic - gravel alluvial with sandstone - Cool maritime climate (warmer north - cooler south) - mountain ranges create rain shadow effect

48. Cultivars
The Hamptons - North Fork Long Island - Long Island - Hudson Valley - Seneca Lake - Cayuga Lake - Finger Lakes
What varietals are called in South Africa
Recent prominence due to ancient indigenous varietals - Home of Mount Vesuvius - Primitivo - Aglianico - Falanghina - Fiano - Greco - Fiano d'Avellino DOCG - Greco di Tufo DOCG - Taurasi DOCG
Chardonnay - Riesling - Semillon - Muscat - Sauvignon Blanc - Chenin Blanc - Verdelho - Viognier

49. Anada
Dry with warm - sunny summers - Rain shadow effect - Tremendously diverse soils - Bound by Vosges Mountains and the Rhine
Central Italy - The food center of Italy - Divided by 7 rivers
Vintage dated sherries
Southwest Sicily - Blend of Nero d'Avola (70%) and Frappatto (30%)

50. Crozes -Hermitage
Arrested fermentation fortified wine - Vineyards planted on steep slopes (up to 60 degrees) with schist soils
Juicyfruit Gum
NZ's 2nd fastest growing region (to Marlborough) - Stony - well -drained soils - Quality SB - Chardonnay - Riesling - and PN
Red wines from Syrah with up to 15% Marsanne and Roussanne - Whites from Marsanne and Roussanne