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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. Beaujolais ACs
Galicia (Rias Biaxas) - Toro - Rueda - Ribera del Duero
Beaujolais AC - Beaujolais Nouveau AC - Beaujolais -Superieur AC - Beaujolais Villages AC - Beaujolais Cru AC
Minimum 7 years aging from a single vintage
Alsatian dessert wines from botrytis fruit - Made in small quantities and only in exceptional vintages

2. Washington State
Produces 55% of Australia's wine - Limestone - clays - loams - Cool southern coastal climates vs. warm northern inland (cool evenings in hilly areas due to altitude) - Barossa Valley - Eden Valley (wetter - rocky soils - hilly) - McLaren Vale
Young industry - Semi -continental desert climate requiring irrigation - Cascade Mountains rain shadow effect; long - dry growing season - Drastic diurnal shifts
Plum
The "pudding stones" found in Chateauneuf -de -Pape responsible for terroir

3. Produces more sparkling wine than any other country
Collection of vineyards
Minimum 7 years aging from a single vintage
Cava (most in Catalonia)
2009 Great 2008 Not so great

4. Friuli Venezia Giulia
'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
Regulators of American Viticultural Areas
Northeast corner of Italy adjacent to Slovenia and Austria - Known for whites - but Merlot is most planted varietal

5. Airen
Most widely planted grape in the world
Blueberry
Dry Madeiras served chilled as aperitifs - Alcohol is added after fermentation has been completed
Soils: Mostly alluvial mountain runoff with sandstone - some limestone - schist - clay - and chalk - Climate: Cool (South) to warm (North) maritime - windy from West (must plant East of mountain ranges) - high rainfall and humidity

6. Chateauneuf -de -Pape Soils
Cava (most in Catalonia)
Produces 55% of Australia's wine - Limestone - clays - loams - Cool southern coastal climates vs. warm northern inland (cool evenings in hilly areas due to altitude) - Barossa Valley - Eden Valley (wetter - rocky soils - hilly) - McLaren Vale
Glassy -winged sharpshooter
Alluvial deposits and "pudding stones"

7. Red Rioja Quality Levels & Requirements
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
Pinotage - CS - CF - Merlot - Syrah - Grenache - PN
AKA Palatinate - Warm climate - Trocken wines important (Grosses Gerwachs) - Riesling - Scheurebe - Grauburgunder - Muller -Thurgau - Spatburgunder
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

8. Soil in Cote d'Or
Furmint - Harslevelu - Muskatoly (Muscat Ottonel) - Oremus
Limestone (best whites) and Marl (best reds)
Pinot Noir
Vaudesir - Valmur - Les Preuses - Grenouilles - Bougros - Les Clos - Blanchot - Highest minimum alcohol of Chablis ACs

9. New South Wales

10. South Australia

11. Menetou Salon
Saint -Emillion (PGCC's are Ausone and Cheval Blanc) - Pomerol (Petrus - Le Pin - La Fleur Petrus - La Conseillante - Vieux -Chateau -Certan - Trotanoy)
Pays Nantais - Anjou -Saumur - Layon - Touraine - Central Vineyards
Well -known for quality rose wines - Includes Southern Rhone varietals and more - Bandol - Cassis
Adjacent to Sancerre - White - red - and rose from SB - PN - and Gamay

12. Aged Tawny Port
From Lake Garda in the west to the Adriatc - Venice and Verona
Dominio de Valdepusa - Finca Elez - Pago Guijoso - Dehesa del Carrizal (Toledo) - Senorio de Arinzano (Navarra) - Bodegas Otazu (Navarra)
Red wines from 100% Syrah
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")

13. Saint -Joseph
Tempranillo - Graciano - Mazuelo (Carinena)
Red wines from minimum 90% Syrah and up to 10% Marsanne and/or Roussanne - Whites from Marsanne and Roussanne
100% of grapes from named appellation - Vintage must be 85% of stated year - Varietal must be 85% of stated
NZ's original wine region - Home to Kumeu -Huapai and Waiheke Island - Very warm maritime climate with high humidity - Heavy clay soils (except for Waiheke Island) - Known for Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot

14. Portugal Red Varietals
Touriga Nacional - Tinto Roriz (Tempranillo) - Aragonez (Tempranillo) - Baga - Ramisco - Trincadeira - Castelao Frances - Joao de Santarem - Periquita
Pinot Noir
A dry style of Sherry that has characteristics of both Fino/Amontillado and Oloroso - Develops limited flor
Sangiovese and Canaiolo with Trebbiano and Malvasia - Addition of white grapes no longer mandatory - Up to 20% CS - Merlot - and Syrah permitted

15. Appellations shared between WA and OR
Dry white made from Garganega (with some Trebbiano) - DOCG versions: Superiore - Superiore Classico - Recioto
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
Touriga Nacional - Touriga Francesa - Tinta Cao - Tinta Roriz - Tinta Baroca - Mourisco Tinto - Sousao
Columbia River - Walla Walla Valley - Columbia Gorge

16. Languedoc -Roussillon

17. Musca
Albariza - Barros - Arenas
Yeast remnant popped out
Known as the "Garden of France" - France's longest river (625 miles) - Agricultural center of France - Maritime Climate to West/Coastal - Continental Climate to East/Inland
Orange Candy

18. Alsace

19. Anbaugebiete
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
Cote Rotie - Condrieu - Chateau -Grillet - St. Joseph - Crozes -Hermitage - Hermitage - Cornas - Saint -Peray
Same styles as Chinon - Sandy soils
Major Growing Region

20. Schist
Sangiovese & clones (Prugnolo Gentile - Brunello - Morellino) - Canaiolo - Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot - Syrah
Young industry - Semi -continental desert climate requiring irrigation - Cascade Mountains rain shadow effect; long - dry growing season - Drastic diurnal shifts
A form of slate with strata which allow the vine roots to penetrate and grow (common in Douro for grapes used in Port)
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

21. Cotes de Nuits Appellations
Marsannay - Fixin - Gevrey -Chambertin (8 Grand Crus) - Morey St. Denis (5 Grand Crus) - Chambolle -Musigny (2 Grand Crus) - Vougeot (1 Grand Cru) - Flagey Echezeaux (2 Grand Crus) - Vosnee -Romanee (6 Grand Crus) - Nuits St. Georges (Premier Cru onl
Marlborough - Nelson - Canterbury - Otago
Borders Rioja - Known for Rosado wines - Five sub -districts - Reds based on Garnacha - Tempranillo - Cabernet - Merlot - Whites based on Viura with Malvasia and Chardonnay
American Viticultural Area - Refers only to geographic region - Guidelines finalized in 1978 - became mandatory in 1983

22. 2009 or 2008 in Cotes -du -Rhone?
Red wines from 100% Syrah
2009 Great 2008 Not so great
Clone of Garganega grown in Sicily
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

23. Autolysis
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
Whites: Viognier - Roussanne - Marsanne Reds: Syrah
Gradual breakdown of yeasts
Grape Variety: Chenin Blanc - Limestone over tufa - Wide range of styles (Sec - demi -sec - moelleux - doux - still - petillant - mousseux)

24. 85% Varietal Madeiras
3yr - 5yr Reserve - 10yr Special Reserve - 15yr Extra Reserve
Tempranillo (Tinto Fino - etc.) - Carinena - Garnacha - Cabernet Sauvignon - Mencia - Monastrell
Northeast corner of Italy adjacent to Slovenia and Austria - Known for whites - but Merlot is most planted varietal
Cranberry

25. Lirac
Northeast corner of Italy adjacent to Slovenia and Austria - Known for whites - but Merlot is most planted varietal
Plum
Introduced in Australia in 1990 - Guarantees all claims made on label (variety - vintage - region - etc.) - 85% for vintage - variety - and origin
Red wines are predominantly Grenache

26. Vendage Tardive (VT)
Soils: volcanic - gravel alluvial with sandstone - Cool maritime climate (warmer north - cooler south) - mountain ranges create rain shadow effect
Alsatian late harvest wines - Rich - full -bodied in style - Not necessarily sweet
Auckland - Hawkes Bay - Gisborne - Wairarapa
Coastal (Stellenbosch - Paarl - Constantia - etc.) - Breede River Valley - Olifants River - Klein Karoo (Sweet Muscadelle and light whites) - Boberg (for fortified wines only)

27. NV Champagne Aging Requirements
12 months
Most southerly wine region in the world - Alluvial soils with outcroppings of chalk and limestone loams - Potential for Rieslings and sparkling wines
AVAs - Columbia Valley - Yakima Valley - Walla Walla Valley - Red Mountain - Horse Heaven Hills - Columbia Gorge - Wahluke Slope - Snipes Mountain - Lake Chelan - Puget Sound
Sweet pear

28. Vin Doux Naturel
Red wines from Grenache blends with Syrah - Mourvedre - Clairette - and Bourboulenc
Produced by adding distillate to a fermenting must (deliberately stuck fermentation) - Fortified wines typically 15 -16% - Muscat de Beaumes de Venise - Banyuls - etc.
Regions: Penedes and Priorat DOCa - Mediterranean - Home of Catalunya and Barcelona
Chehalem Mountains - Ribbon Ridge - Yamhill -Carlton - Dundee Hills - McMinnville - Eola -Amity Hills

29. Central Otago
NZ's original wine region - Home to Kumeu -Huapai and Waiheke Island - Very warm maritime climate with high humidity - Heavy clay soils (except for Waiheke Island) - Known for Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot
Limestone (best whites) and Marl (best reds)
Most southerly wine region in the world - Alluvial soils with outcroppings of chalk and limestone loams - Potential for Rieslings and sparkling wines
Viura - Malvasia - Garnacha Blanca - Chardonnay - Sauvignon Blanc - Verdejo

30. Beaujolais Cru ACs
Dry white made from Garganega (with some Trebbiano) - DOCG versions: Superiore - Superiore Classico - Recioto
Auckland - Hawkes Bay - Gisborne - Wairarapa
Saint Amour - Julienas - Chenas - Chiroubles - Moulin a Vent - Fleurie - Morgon - Regnie - Brouilly - Cote de Brouilly
Red wines from Grenache blends with Syrah - Mourvedre - Clairette - and Bourboulenc

31. Fino vs. Oloroso Sherry
Sercial - Verdelho - Bual - Malmsey
NZ's most important and fastest growing wine region - Alluvial gravel - Protected from Westerly winds by South Alps and Easterlies by Southern tip of North Island - Awatere Valley and Wairau Valley
Finos fortified to 15.5% (let the flor grow) - Oloroso fortified to 18% (NO intention to let the flor grow)
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

32. Pierce's Disease
Glassy -winged sharpshooter
Lentils
Cava (most in Catalonia)
90km northeast of Paris

33. Chablis
Heavier - clay -oriented soils
33 total - Important ones are Minho (Vinho Verde) - Dao - Bairrada - Porto & Douro - Borba - Alentejo - Madeira
(Bordeaux)Haut Medoc - Saint -Estephe - Pauillac - Saint -Julien - Listrac & Moulis - Margaux - Graves - Pessac - Leognan - Sauternes
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

34. Hermitage
ed wines from Syrah with up to 15% Marsanne and Roussanne - Whites from Marsanne and Roussanne
The Hamptons - North Fork Long Island - Long Island - Hudson Valley - Seneca Lake - Cayuga Lake - Finger Lakes
Chaume Premier Cru - Bonnezeaux - Quarts de Chaume - Coteaux du Layon -Chaume - Coteaux du Layon Villages
Mediterranean climate with Mistral winds - Many vineyards planted on flat valley floor

35. Listrac & Moulis
Blueberry
Lesser appellations - Cabernet Sauvignon -based wines - No classified growths
Saumur AOC - Minimum 80% Chenin Blanc with Chardonnay and others
Coastal (Stellenbosch - Paarl - Constantia - etc.) - Breede River Valley - Olifants River - Klein Karoo (Sweet Muscadelle and light whites) - Boberg (for fortified wines only)

36. Gamay (Beaujolais)
Largest AOC in Haut Medoc - Wines know for elegance and finesse - First Growth (Chateau Margaux) - Other notables: Chateau Palmer - Giscours - Brane - Cantenac
Roussanne - Clairette - Picpoul - Bourbolenc - Grenache Blanc - etc.
Pays Nantais - Anjou -Saumur - Layon - Touraine - Central Vineyards
Bubblegum

37. Zinfandel
90km northeast of Paris
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)
AC for reds and whites - 13 grapes authorized - Minimum 12.5% alcohol content - Galets
Plum skin

38. Chinon
Red wines from Cabernet Franc and up to 10% Cabernet Sauvignon - Tufa soils
Central Italy - The food center of Italy - Divided by 7 rivers
Sparkling wines made from Chenin Blanc with up to 20% Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc - Best wines made by Methode Traditionelle
A form of slate with strata which allow the vine roots to penetrate and grow (common in Douro for grapes used in Port)

39. North Coast Super AVAs
Napa County - Sonoma County - Mendocino County - Lake County - Marin County - Solano County
Riesling - Gewurztraminer - Muscat - Pinot Gris (Tokay d'Alsace) - Sylvaner (Zotzenberg only)
eanut shell
Alluvial clays

40. Prosecco
Sparkling wine made from Glera (Prosecco) grape - Superiore DOCG: Conegliano - Valdobiaddene - Colli Asolani
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
Plum skin
Central Italy - The food center of Italy - Divided by 7 rivers

41. Languedoc -Roussillon Primary White Varietals
Red wines with maximum with maximum 80% Grenache
From Lake Garda in the west to the Adriatc - Venice and Verona
Columbia River - Walla Walla Valley - Columbia Gorge
Grenache Blanc - Clairette - Picpoul - Bourboulenc - Mauzac

42. Appassimento Process
2009 Great 2008 Not so great
Steinfeder (11% alcohol) - Federspiel (Kabinett level) - Smaragd (Spatlese level)
70% Merlot - 25% Cabernet Franc - 5% minor varietals
After harvest - grapes are dried for several weeks - Used to produce passito - recioto - and Amarone wines

43. Vintage Champagne Aging Requirements
Fruit loops
3 years
Viura - Malvasia - Garnacha Blanca - Chardonnay - Sauvignon Blanc - Verdejo
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)

44. Galets
Cabernet Franc - Cabernet Sauvignon - Pinot Noir - Gamay - Groslot
From Lake Garda in the west to the Adriatc - Venice and Verona
Hazelnut
The "pudding stones" found in Chateauneuf -de -Pape responsible for terroir

45. New Zealand's South Island
Adjacent to Sancerre - White - red - and rose from SB - PN - and Gamay
Soils: volcanic - gravel alluvial with sandstone - Cool maritime climate (warmer north - cooler south) - mountain ranges create rain shadow effect
Limestone -based soils - Whites from Sauvignon Blanc - Reds and roses from Pinot Noir and Gamay (25% total productions)
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

46. Chateau -Grillet
White wines from Viognier from small single estate
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
Very Old Rare Sherry - Aged 30 years (average minimum age)
Known for Poverty Bay - High yields and large quantities of Muller -Thurgau - Bulk wine and carafe wine

47. Tasmania

48. Pays Nantais
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
All DOCG - Classico - Rufina - Colli Fiorentini (Florence) - Colli Senesi (Siena) - Colline Pisane (Pisa) - Colli Aretini (Arezzo) - Montalbano - Montespertoli
'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
Red wines from minimum 90% Syrah and up to 10% Marsanne and/or Roussanne - Whites from Marsanne and Roussanne

49. Penedes
Harvest in early September - Palomino grapes pressed immediately - Pedro Ximenez grapes sun dried (Soleo) for use in sweetening agents - Fortification with neutral grape spirit
Center of Cava production - Traditional Whites: Parellada - Xarel -lo - Macabeo - Traditional Reds: Garnacha - Monstrell - Ull de Liebre
Alluvial & volcanic soils - granite - clay - sand - Cool coastal regions vs. hot inland area - Chardonnay - Riesling - Muscat - Pinot Noir - Shiraz - Bordeaux varietals (sparkling - still - fortified) - Yarra Valley - Rutherglen - Heathco
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

50. Vinho Verde
All DOCG - Classico - Rufina - Colli Fiorentini (Florence) - Colli Senesi (Siena) - Colline Pisane (Pisa) - Colli Aretini (Arezzo) - Montalbano - Montespertoli
South of Paso Robles - Maritime influence - cool climate - Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
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
2009 Great 2008 Not so great