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Certified Sommelier Exam

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Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
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Match each statement with the correct term.
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1. Alsace

2. Rheinhessen

3. Schist
Dry Madeiras served chilled as aperitifs - Alcohol is added after fermentation has been completed
Used in dosage phase to fill the space left after the yeast remnant pops out
A form of slate with strata which allow the vine roots to penetrate and grow (common in Douro for grapes used in Port)
Continental with LeMistral winds

4. Reuilly
A dry style of Sherry that has characteristics of both Fino/Amontillado and Oloroso - Develops limited flor
Marlborough - Nelson - Canterbury - Otago
White - red - and rose from SB - PN - and Pinot Gris
Alsatian blended carafe wine (2 or more grapes)

5. Soils in St. Joseph and Crozes Hermitage
Dried sour red cherry
All DOCG - Classico - Rufina - Colli Fiorentini (Florence) - Colli Senesi (Siena) - Colline Pisane (Pisa) - Colli Aretini (Arezzo) - Montalbano - Montespertoli
Limestone (best whites) and Marl (best reds)
Heavier - clay -oriented soils

6. Savennieres
Cava (most in Catalonia)
Condrieu - and Hermitage Steep slopes with granite soils
Anjou AOC - Dry wines from Chenin Blanc - Tiny appellation with low yields - Best wines have great aging potential - Clos de la Coulee de Serrant - Chateau de la Roche aux Moines
Vouvray - Montlouis - Chinon - Bourgueil & Saint -Nicolas -de -Bourgueil

7. Australia
Alsatian blended carafe wine (2 or more grapes)
GI originated in 1994 with EU agreement
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
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

8. 85% Varietal Madeiras
Riesling - Gewurztraminer - Muscat - Pinot Gris (Tokay d'Alsace) - Sylvaner (Zotzenberg only)
3yr - 5yr Reserve - 10yr Special Reserve - 15yr Extra Reserve
Sparkling wine made from Glera (Prosecco) grape - Superiore DOCG: Conegliano - Valdobiaddene - Colli Asolani
Mosel Valley - Rheingau - Rheinhessen - Pfalz - Ahr Valley - Nahe - Franken

9. Pays Nantais
Wine pumped into tanks with liqueur de tirage - Fermentation complete in 4 -5 days - Best for certain varietals (e.g. Moscato d'Asti - Prosecco - Sekt)
Great oyster wines made from Muscadet (Melon de Bourgogne - Maritime climate - Muscadet de Sevre et Maine AOC - Muscadet Sur Lie (must be used in conjunction with one of the appellations - Sur lie bottling: wines matured on lees for 6 -9 months follo
Riesling is king - Very steep vineyards with S/SW aspect - Slate soils - Delicacy - purity of fruit - racy acidity - terroir - low alcohol - ageworthy
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

10. Red Rioja Quality Levels & Requirements
Vino Joven: no aging requirements - Vino de Crianza: one year in barrels - one year further aging - Reserva: one year in barrels - two years further aging - Gran Reserva: two years in barrels - three years further aging
Sangiovese & clones (Prugnolo Gentile - Brunello - Morellino) - Canaiolo - Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot - Syrah
Most important DO in Southern Spain
Riesling - Gewurztraminer - Muscat - Pinot Gris (Tokay d'Alsace) - Sylvaner (Zotzenberg only)

11. Sercial & Verdelho Vinification Styles
Center of Cava production - Traditional Whites: Parellada - Xarel -lo - Macabeo - Traditional Reds: Garnacha - Monstrell - Ull de Liebre
High acid
Collection of vineyards
Dry Madeiras served chilled as aperitifs - Alcohol is added after fermentation has been completed

12. Carricante
Santa Lucia Highlands - Chalone - San Bernabe
Clone of Garganega grown in Sicily
Accounts for less than 3% of all port - Most expensive - BUT easiest to produce (2 years wood aging) - Produced from top quintas - Vintages must be declared and approved by IVP
Grass

13. North Central Spain: Primary Red Varietals
Tempranillo - Graciano - Mazuelo (Carinena)
Yeast remnant popped out
Cava (most in Catalonia)
Most southerly wine region in the world - Alluvial soils with outcroppings of chalk and limestone loams - Potential for Rieslings and sparkling wines

14. Provence
Well -known for quality rose wines - Includes Southern Rhone varietals and more - Bandol - Cassis
Sicily - Full -bodied reds from vineyards on the slopes of Mt. Etna made from Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Capuccio - White grape is Carricante (clone of Garganega)
90km northeast of Paris
Dried sour red cherry

15. Tempranillo (Rioja Riserva/Gran Riserva)
Wines traditionally bottled in bocksbeutel - Wines from Silvaner - Riesling - and Muller -Thurgau
Stewed fruits
Winery and vineyards must be located in the same AVA - Winery must own or control the vineyards where the grapes are grown
Moderate climate - Tradition - influence - innovation - research - Maremma - Morellino di Scansano - etc.

16. Viognier
Lafite -Rothschild - Latour - Mouton -Rothschild - Margaux - Haut -Brion
Auckland - Hawkes Bay - Gisborne - Wairarapa
Fruit loops
Furmint - Harslevelu - Muskatoly (Muscat Ottonel) - Oremus

17. Friuli Venezia Giulia
Neutral grape spirit at 77% alcohol added to port wine
Siciliy - Fortified wine in both dry and sweet styles made from a blend including Catarratto - Inzolia - Grillo - etc.
Yeast remnant popped out
Northeast corner of Italy adjacent to Slovenia and Austria - Known for whites - but Merlot is most planted varietal

18. Gruner Veltliner
Lentils
Riesling - Gewurztraminer - Muscat - Pinot Gris (Tokay d'Alsace) - Sylvaner (Zotzenberg only)
Fruit character
VOS (Very Old Sherry) - VORS (Very Old Rare Sherry) - Anada - Almacenistas

19. Emilia Romagna
Central Italy - The food center of Italy - Divided by 7 rivers
Furmint - Harslevelu - Muskatoly (Muscat Ottonel) - Oremus
Riesling is king - Very steep vineyards with S/SW aspect - Slate soils - Delicacy - purity of fruit - racy acidity - terroir - low alcohol - ageworthy
Bourgogne Aligote Bouzeron (Aligote) - Rully (AC & Premier Cru) - Mercurey (AC & Premier Cru) - Givry (AC & Premier Cru) - Montagny AC (white only) - Premier Cru if more than 11.5% alcohol

20. Graves & Pessac -Leognan
3yr - 5yr Reserve - 10yr Special Reserve - 15yr Extra Reserve
Appellation for red and dry whites - No ranking; all designated Cru Classe - Pessac -Leognan AC in northern part
Tafelwein: table wine - Landwein: regional wine - Qualitatswein bestimmter Anbaugbiete (QbA): quality wine from one of the 13 major regions - Qualitatswein mit Pradikat (QmP): quality wine determined by the degree of ripeness at harvest; only classif
Wachau: steep vineyards facing the Danube - Wagram - Kremstal - Kamptal

21. Musca
Napa County - Sonoma County - Mendocino County - Lake County - Marin County - Solano County
Fruit character
Syrah - Grenache - Mourvedre - Cinsault - Counoise - Terret Noir - Vaccarese - Muscardin - etc.
Orange Candy

22. Edelzwicker
Alsatian blended carafe wine (2 or more grapes)
Xynomavro - Agiorgitiko - Mavrodaphne
Cabernet Franc - Cabernet Sauvignon - Pinot Noir - Gamay - Groslot
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

23. New South Wales

24. Pinot Gris (Alsace)
Tuscany's dry white DOCG - Up to 10% Chardonnay and Trebbiano allowed
Shiraz - Cabernet Sauvignon - Grenache - Pinot Noir - Merlot
Sweet pear
Fruit character

25. South Australia

26. Sardinia
As little as 90 from harvest to final bottling - Potential for lees contact - Eliminates need for riddling - More suitable for some grapes
Primary Whites Grown are Vernaccia and Vermentino - Primary Reds Grown are Cannonau - Carignano - and Nuragua
Dried sour red cherry
Red wines are predominantly Grenache

27. Port Styles
Trajadura - Alvarinho - Loureiro - Gouveio - Encruzado - Maria Gomez - Fernao Pires - Arinto - Roupeiro
France's largest wine producing region (750K acres) - Cinsault -Grenache blends dominant - Also dry whites and Vin Doux Naturels - Mediterranean climate
Tawny Port: - Ruby Port
Blueberry

28. Listrac & Moulis
Lesser appellations - Cabernet Sauvignon -based wines - No classified growths
Chenin Blanc wines in the same styles as Vouvray
Finesse
Terroir

29. Navarra
Cranberry
Marlborough - Nelson - Canterbury - Otago
Wine pumped into tanks with liqueur de tirage - Fermentation complete in 4 -5 days - Best for certain varietals (e.g. Moscato d'Asti - Prosecco - Sekt)
Borders Rioja - Known for Rosado wines - Five sub -districts - Reds based on Garnacha - Tempranillo - Cabernet - Merlot - Whites based on Viura with Malvasia and Chardonnay

30. Almacenistas
Tafelwein: table wine - Landwein: regional wine - Qualitatswein bestimmter Anbaugbiete (QbA): quality wine from one of the 13 major regions - Qualitatswein mit Pradikat (QmP): quality wine determined by the degree of ripeness at harvest; only classif
White wines from Viognier from small single estate
A single Solera sherry bottled unblended and produced in small quantities
(Bordeaux)Haut Medoc - Saint -Estephe - Pauillac - Saint -Julien - Listrac & Moulis - Margaux - Graves - Pessac - Leognan - Sauternes

31. Germany
Sweet pear
South end of North Island - Includes Marlborough - Quality Pinot Noir (up and coming region)
Black plum
1/4 annual production of France - 60% Whites - Extreme northern latitudes - Primary Whites: Riesling - Muller -Thurgau - Silvaner - Scheurebe - Weissburgunder - Grauburgunder - Primary Reds: Spatburgunder - Dornfelder - Portugieser

32. Solera system
Lugana (Trebbiano) - Nebbiolo (Chiavennasca) - Franciacorta DOCG - Lugana di San Benedetto DOC - Valtellina Superiore DOCG
Well -known for quality rose wines - Includes Southern Rhone varietals and more - Bandol - Cassis
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)
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

33. Vouvray
Roussanne - Clairette - Picpoul - Bourbolenc - Grenache Blanc - etc.
Alsatian blended carafe wine (2 or more grapes)
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
Grape Variety: Chenin Blanc - Limestone over tufa - Wide range of styles (Sec - demi -sec - moelleux - doux - still - petillant - mousseux)

34. South African Wine Regions
Most important DO in Southern Spain
Riesling & Spatburgunder - Wines are richer than Mosel - great aging potential - trocken wines are important - Erstes Gewachs (First Growths)
Coastal (Stellenbosch - Paarl - Constantia - etc.) - Breede River Valley - Olifants River - Klein Karoo (Sweet Muscadelle and light whites) - Boberg (for fortified wines only)
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)

35. Anbaugebiete
Major Growing Region
Santa Lucia Highlands - Chalone - San Bernabe
Grass
South of Paso Robles - Maritime influence - cool climate - Chardonnay and Pinot Noir

36. Tavel
Largest AOC in Haut Medoc - Wines know for elegance and finesse - First Growth (Chateau Margaux) - Other notables: Chateau Palmer - Giscours - Brane - Cantenac
Aloxe Corton (red Grand Cru is Corton - white Grand Cru is Corton Charlemagne) - Beaune (Premier Cru only) - Pommard (Premier Cru only) - Volnay (Premier Cru only) - Puligny -Motrachet (4 Grand Cru*) - Chassagne -Montrachet (4 Grand Cru*) *2 overlap
Traditional Port cask holding 500 liters (440L of wine added to 110L of aguardente)
Rose from Grenache and Cinsault

37. Grenache
Saint Amour - Julienas - Chenas - Chiroubles - Moulin a Vent - Fleurie - Morgon - Regnie - Brouilly - Cote de Brouilly
Dehydrated strawberries
A dry style of Sherry that has characteristics of both Fino/Amontillado and Oloroso - Develops limited flor
Glassy -winged sharpshooter

38. Sherry Soil Types
One of CA's oldest growing regions - Significant diurnal swings - Known for Zinfandel and Rhone varieties
Volcanic slate soils - Predominantly reds from Spatburgunder and Portugieser
Albariza - Barros - Arenas
Finos fortified to 15.5% (let the flor grow) - Oloroso fortified to 18% (NO intention to let the flor grow)

39. Disgorging/Degorgement
Tuscany's dry white DOCG - Up to 10% Chardonnay and Trebbiano allowed
Kabinett - Spatlese - Auslese - Beerenauslese (BA) - Eiswein - Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA)
Yeast remnant popped out
Medium sweet & sweet Madeiras served with dessert or cheese course - Fermentation is stopped by addition of spirit

40. Austria Major Regions
Grape Variety: Chenin Blanc - Limestone over tufa - Wide range of styles (Sec - demi -sec - moelleux - doux - still - petillant - mousseux)
Burgenland - Niederosterreich - Steiermark (Styria) - Wien (Vienna)
Home of Rome - Cesanese del Piglio Rosso/Reserva DOCG - Frascati (carafe wine blended from Trebbiano & Malvasia) - Est! Est! Est! di Montefiascone
Renowned botrytis dessert wine from Hungary that has been produced for centuries - Technically a dry still wine sweetened with botrytized grapes (Aszu) - Sweetness levels measured in 3 -6 puttonyos - Eszencia is 100% botrytised grapes

41. New Zealand's North Island Regions
Auckland - Hawkes Bay - Gisborne - Wairarapa
Rioja DOCa (sub -zones are Rioja Alta - Rioja Alavesa - Rioja Baja) - Navarra
Produced by adding distillate to UNfermented must - The distillate is a local brandy - and the must is from similarly local grapes - Pineau des Charentes and Floc de Gascogne
Vinho de Mesa: table wines - Vinho Regional (VR); similar to VdP - IPR: similar to VDQS or IGT - Denominacao de Origem Controlada (DOC) - Garrafeira: reserve wines

42. Cote Challonaise ACs
Sangiovese & clones (Prugnolo Gentile - Brunello - Morellino) - Canaiolo - Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot - Syrah
The heating process causes maderization of the wine - caramelizing sugars and promoting oxidation - Estufa do Sol - finest wines are cask aged in lodges exposed to the sun for many years - Estufa - a vat or tank heated by hot water to approximatel
Bourgogne Aligote Bouzeron (Aligote) - Rully (AC & Premier Cru) - Mercurey (AC & Premier Cru) - Givry (AC & Premier Cru) - Montagny AC (white only) - Premier Cru if more than 11.5% alcohol
Saumur Mousseux - Cremant de la Loire - Saumur Champigny

43. Mendocino County
Finesse
Saumur AOC - Minimum 80% Chenin Blanc with Chardonnay and others
Semi -sparkling
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

44. Gigondas Soil
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
Whites: Viognier - Roussanne - Marsanne Reds: Syrah
Alluvial clays
Val do Salnes - O Rosal - Condado do Tea - Soutomaiort - Ribeira do Ulla

45. Condrieu
Wine pumped into tanks with liqueur de tirage - Fermentation complete in 4 -5 days - Best for certain varietals (e.g. Moscato d'Asti - Prosecco - Sekt)
hite wines from Viognier
South of Paso Robles - Maritime influence - cool climate - Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
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

46. Loire Valley Primary White Varietals
Produces aromatic whites from Verdejo plus Sauvignon Blanc and Viura
Chenin Blanc - Muscadet (Melon de Bourgogne) - Sauvignon Blanc - Chardonnay
Rugged mountainous region - Dry temperate climate - Stony schistous soild - Varietals: Garnacha - Carinena - Cabernet
Santa Lucia Highlands - Chalone - San Bernabe

47. Chateauneuf -de -Pape Soils
Alsatian blended carafe wine (2 or more grapes)
Alluvial deposits and "pudding stones"
Dry white made from Garganega (with some Trebbiano) - DOCG versions: Superiore - Superiore Classico - Recioto
From Lake Garda in the west to the Adriatc - Venice and Verona

48. Cotes -du -Rhone Villages
White wines from Viognier from small single estate
Same styles as Chinon - Sandy soils
18 villages with elevated status - Red wines are predominantly Grenache
Finos fortified to 15.5% (let the flor grow) - Oloroso fortified to 18% (NO intention to let the flor grow)

49. Lirac
Semi -continental (four seasons; climate issues like frost - rain at harvest - hail)
Sweet botrytis wines from Chenin Blanc made only in exceptional years
Accounts for less than 3% of all port - Most expensive - BUT easiest to produce (2 years wood aging) - Produced from top quintas - Vintages must be declared and approved by IVP
Red wines are predominantly Grenache

50. Douro
Lentils
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")
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
Trajadura - Alvarinho - Loureiro - Gouveio - Encruzado - Maria Gomez - Fernao Pires - Arinto - Roupeiro