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Certified Sommelier Exam

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1. Tempranillo (Rioja Riserva/Gran Riserva)
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
GI originated in 1994 with EU agreement
Chardonnay - Riesling - Semillon - Muscat - Sauvignon Blanc - Chenin Blanc - Verdelho - Viognier
Stewed fruits

2. Regions of Southern Portugal
West of Rioja on the River Duero - Red wines from Tempranillo (Tinto del Pais) and Bordeaux varietals - Wines are richer and fuller than Rioja wines with good aging potential
Considered the epitome of "claret" - Wines balance power and finesse - 3 First Growths: Latour - Lafite Rothschild - Mouton Rothschild Saint - Julien - Smallest commune - but 11 classified growths - Styles combine elegance and sturdiness -
New Zealand
Lisboa (formerly Estramadura - Atlantic influenced climate) - Tejo (formerly Alentejo - Periquita grape - white wines from chalky soils) - Colares (Ramisco grape - ungrafted vines grown in sand) - Algarve (red and white - 4 DO districts

3. Gigondas
Galicia (Rias Biaxas) - Toro - Rueda - Ribera del Duero
Vernaccia - Trebbiano - Malvasia
Red wines with maximum with maximum 80% Grenache
Val do Salnes - O Rosal - Condado do Tea - Soutomaiort - Ribeira do Ulla

4. Selection de Grains Nobles (SGN)
Trajadura - Alvarinho - Loureiro - Gouveio - Encruzado - Maria Gomez - Fernao Pires - Arinto - Roupeiro
Alsatian dessert wines from botrytis fruit - Made in small quantities and only in exceptional vintages
Produced by adding distillate to a fermenting must (deliberately stuck fermentation) - Fortified wines typically 15 -16% - Muscat de Beaumes de Venise - Banyuls - etc.
Sparkling wines from Marsanne and Roussanne

5. Austria Major Regions
Considered the epitome of "claret" - Wines balance power and finesse - 3 First Growths: Latour - Lafite Rothschild - Mouton Rothschild Saint - Julien - Smallest commune - but 11 classified growths - Styles combine elegance and sturdiness -
Vernaccia - Trebbiano - Malvasia
Must be made from 100% of stated varietal - Must be aged for a minimum of 20 years in wood and 2 years in bottle before release
Burgenland - Niederosterreich - Steiermark (Styria) - Wien (Vienna)

6. Alsace
Pays Nantais - Anjou -Saumur - Layon - Touraine - Central Vineyards
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)
Alsatian dessert wines from botrytis fruit - Made in small quantities and only in exceptional vintages
Dry with warm - sunny summers - Rain shadow effect - Tremendously diverse soils - Bound by Vosges Mountains and the Rhine

7. Appellations shared between WA and OR
Xynomavro - Agiorgitiko - Mavrodaphne
Black plum
South of Paso Robles - Maritime influence - cool climate - Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
Columbia River - Walla Walla Valley - Columbia Gorge

8. Anjou
Lychee
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)
Blueberry
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

9. Primary Hungarian White Varietals
Chehalem Mountains - Ribbon Ridge - Yamhill -Carlton - Dundee Hills - McMinnville - Eola -Amity Hills
Furmint - Harslevelu - Muskatoly (Muscat Ottonel) - Oremus
Sweet pear
Assyrtiko - Moschofilero - Malagousia - Roditis - White Muscat - Chardonnay - SB

10. Vin de Liqueur
Borders Rioja - Known for Rosado wines - Five sub -districts - Reds based on Garnacha - Tempranillo - Cabernet - Merlot - Whites based on Viura with Malvasia and Chardonnay
Base Rhone appellation - 95% in the Southern Rhone
Orange Candy
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

11. Solera system
Rioja Alta - Rioja Alavesa - Rioja Baja
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
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
Vouvray - Montlouis - Chinon - Bourgueil & Saint -Nicolas -de -Bourgueil

12. Zinfandel
Fruit loops
Major Growing Region
Plum skin
Bruised red apple (Oxidative)

13. Colheita Madeiras
Minimum 7 years aging from a single vintage
Red grape grown in Sardinia similar to Grenache
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
Southwest Sicily - Blend of Nero d'Avola (70%) and Frappatto (30%)

14. Campania

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15. Crozes -Hermitage
Wachau: steep vineyards facing the Danube - Wagram - Kremstal - Kamptal
High acid
Red wines from Syrah with up to 15% Marsanne and Roussanne - Whites from Marsanne and Roussanne
Assyrtiko - Moschofilero - Malagousia - Roditis - White Muscat - Chardonnay - SB

16. Northeast Spain
Wines traditionally bottled in bocksbeutel - Wines from Silvaner - Riesling - and Muller -Thurgau
Generic term for sparkling
Same styles as Chinon - Sandy soils
Regions: Penedes and Priorat DOCa - Mediterranean - Home of Catalunya and Barcelona

17. Champagne Grapes
Chardonnay - Pinot Noir - Pinot Meunier
Glassy -winged sharpshooter
Dessert wine from passito grapes (Trebbiano & Malvasia) fermented slowly in small wooden barrels - Matured minimum 3 years and up to 6 years
Maritime climate - 90% Albarino planted

18. Saint -Peray
eanut shell
Marlborough - Nelson - Canterbury - Otago
A single Solera sherry bottled unblended and produced in small quantities
Sparkling wines from Marsanne and Roussanne

19. Menetou Salon
Adjacent to Sancerre - White - red - and rose from SB - PN - and Gamay
Vintage dated sherries
America's oldest wine industry
Red wines from 100% Syrah

20. Noble
Aged 12 months in bottle or barrel
Borders Rioja - Known for Rosado wines - Five sub -districts - Reds based on Garnacha - Tempranillo - Cabernet - Merlot - Whites based on Viura with Malvasia and Chardonnay
Adriatic Sea coast - Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOCG - Conero DOCG - Rosso Conero
Very Old Sherry - Aged 20 years (average minimum age)

21. Central Vineyards AOCs
Sancerre - Pouilly Fume - Menetou Salon - Quincy - Reuilly
Plum
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
The "pudding stones" found in Chateauneuf -de -Pape responsible for terroir

22. Southern Rhone Varietals (Red)
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)
Syrah - Grenache - Mourvedre - Cinsault - Counoise - Terret Noir - Vaccarese - Muscardin - etc.
Montagne de Reims (known for PN) - Vallee de la Marne - Cote de Blancs (lots of Chardonnay) - Cote de Sezanne - Aube
Arrested fermentation fortified wine - Vineyards planted on steep slopes (up to 60 degrees) with schist soils

23. Rueda
2009 Great 2008 Not so great
Produces aromatic whites from Verdejo plus Sauvignon Blanc and Viura
From Lake Garda in the west to the Adriatc - Venice and Verona
'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

24. Sicily

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25. Sherry Soil Types
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
Albariza - Barros - Arenas
Lugana (Trebbiano) - Nebbiolo (Chiavennasca) - Franciacorta DOCG - Lugana di San Benedetto DOC - Valtellina Superiore DOCG
Produces aromatic whites from Verdejo plus Sauvignon Blanc and Viura

26. New Zealand's North Island
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
Base Rhone appellation - 95% in the Southern Rhone
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)
All DOCG - Classico - Rufina - Colli Fiorentini (Florence) - Colli Senesi (Siena) - Colline Pisane (Pisa) - Colli Aretini (Arezzo) - Montalbano - Montespertoli

27. Cultivars
Red wines are predominantly Grenache - Home of a famous Vin Doux Naturel
Roussanne - Clairette - Picpoul - Bourbolenc - Grenache Blanc - etc.
Regions: Penedes and Priorat DOCa - Mediterranean - Home of Catalunya and Barcelona
What varietals are called in South Africa

28. Liqueur d'Expedition
Produced by adding distillate to a fermenting must (deliberately stuck fermentation) - Fortified wines typically 15 -16% - Muscat de Beaumes de Venise - Banyuls - etc.
Known for Poverty Bay - High yields and large quantities of Muller -Thurgau - Bulk wine and carafe wine
Saumur AOC - Minimum 80% Chenin Blanc with Chardonnay and others
Used in dosage phase to fill the space left after the yeast remnant pops out

29. Auckland

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30. Regions of Alsace
Bas Rhin (North) - Haut Rhin (South)
Baix Penedes - Medio Penedes - Alta Penedes
Very Old Rare Sherry - Aged 30 years (average minimum age)
As little as 90 from harvest to final bottling - Potential for lees contact - Eliminates need for riddling - More suitable for some grapes

31. QmP Pradikate Levels (Dry to Sweet)
Primary Whites Grown are Vernaccia and Vermentino - Primary Reds Grown are Cannonau - Carignano - and Nuragua
Grass
Bubblegum
Kabinett - Spatlese - Auslese - Beerenauslese (BA) - Eiswein - Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA)

32. Anejo
Aged 24 months in bottle or barrel
Pinot Noir
Southern OR - Rogue Valley - Applegate Valley - Umqua - Douglas Red Hills - Snake River - Columbia River - Walla Walla Valley - Columbia Gorge - Willamette Valley
Sweet pear

33. Chardonnay's Role in Champagne
Bubblegum
Pinotage - CS - CF - Merlot - Syrah - Grenache - PN
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
Finesse

34. Disgorging/Degorgement
Yeast remnant popped out
(Bordeaux)Mostly Cabernet Sauvignon (70%); Merlot - minor varietals (30%)
Stewed fruits
Most widely planted grape in the world

35. North Central Spain: Notable Regions
Rioja DOCa (sub -zones are Rioja Alta - Rioja Alavesa - Rioja Baja) - Navarra
19th century style now illegal to produce - but still available on the market
Red grape grown in Sardinia similar to Grenache
Palo Cortado: only partially oxidative - develops limited flor - Oloroso: rich style fortified to 18% and usually long -aged; start dry but almost all are sweetened and sold as Cream Sherries

36. Primary Tuscan White Varietals
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
Vernaccia - Trebbiano - Malvasia
Grass
Quality Riesling and Pinot Noir - Warm summers - cool autumns - lower rainfall - Most vineyards in plains surrounding Christchurch

37. Medoc First Growths
Lafite -Rothschild - Latour - Mouton -Rothschild - Margaux - Haut -Brion
19th century style now illegal to produce - but still available on the market
Most important DO in Southern Spain
ed wines from Syrah with up to 15% Marsanne and Roussanne - Whites from Marsanne and Roussanne

38. Biologically -aged Sherry Styles & Descriptions
19th century style now illegal to produce - but still available on the market
Cranberry
Borders Rioja - Known for Rosado wines - Five sub -districts - Reds based on Garnacha - Tempranillo - Cabernet - Merlot - Whites based on Viura with Malvasia and Chardonnay
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. Dao
Mosel Valley - Rheingau - Rheinhessen - Pfalz - Ahr Valley - Nahe - Franken
Marlborough - Nelson - Canterbury - Otago
Soils: volcanic - gravel alluvial with sandstone - Cool maritime climate (warmer north - cooler south) - mountain ranges create rain shadow effect
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

40. 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
Whites: Viognier - Roussanne - Marsanne Reds: 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
Introduced in Australia in 1990 - Guarantees all claims made on label (variety - vintage - region - etc.) - 85% for vintage - variety - and origin

41. Northern Rhone Appellations
Dry with warm - sunny summers - Rain shadow effect - Tremendously diverse soils - Bound by Vosges Mountains and the Rhine
Sercial - Verdelho - Bual - Malmsey
Sweet botrytis wines from Chenin Blanc made only in exceptional years
Cote Rotie - Condrieu - Chateau -Grillet - St. Joseph - Crozes -Hermitage - Hermitage - Cornas - Saint -Peray

42. Cabernet Sauvignon
Black plum
33 total - Important ones are Minho (Vinho Verde) - Dao - Bairrada - Porto & Douro - Borba - Alentejo - Madeira
Rugged mountainous region - Dry temperate climate - Stony schistous soild - Varietals: Garnacha - Carinena - Cabernet
Major Growing Region

43. Mosel Valley
Limestone (best whites) and Marl (best reds)
From Lake Garda in the west to the Adriatc - Venice and Verona
Neutral grape spirit at 77% alcohol added to port wine
Riesling is king - Very steep vineyards with S/SW aspect - Slate soils - Delicacy - purity of fruit - racy acidity - terroir - low alcohol - ageworthy

44. Australian Wine Producing States
New South Wales - Victoria - Tasmania - South Australia - Western Australia - Northern Territory - Queensland
Condrieu - and Hermitage Steep slopes with granite soils
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
Chardonnay - Riesling - Semillon - Muscat - Sauvignon Blanc - Chenin Blanc - Verdelho - Viognier

45. Etna DOC
Terroir
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)
Semi -sparkling
Bottles are disgorged under pressure into large tank - filtered - and rebottled - Used for bottles smaller than half/larger than Jeroboam

46. New Zealand's South Island Regions
'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
Marlborough - Nelson - Canterbury - Otago
Steinfeder (11% alcohol) - Federspiel (Kabinett level) - Smaragd (Spatlese level)
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

47. Gigondas Soil
Alluvial clays
The "pudding stones" found in Chateauneuf -de -Pape responsible for terroir
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
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

48. Mendocino County
(Bordeaux)Mostly Cabernet Sauvignon (70%); Merlot - minor varietals (30%)
Grape Variety: Chenin Blanc - Limestone over tufa - Wide range of styles (Sec - demi -sec - moelleux - doux - still - petillant - mousseux)
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
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

49. Paso Robles

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50. Albarino (Rias Baixas)
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
Produces aromatic whites from Verdejo plus Sauvignon Blanc and Viura
Finos fortified to 15.5% (let the flor grow) - Oloroso fortified to 18% (NO intention to let the flor grow)
Juicyfruit Gum

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