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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. Almacenistas
Dry with warm - sunny summers - Rain shadow effect - Tremendously diverse soils - Bound by Vosges Mountains and the Rhine
VOS (Very Old Sherry) - VORS (Very Old Rare Sherry) - Anada - Almacenistas
19th century style now illegal to produce - but still available on the market
A single Solera sherry bottled unblended and produced in small quantities

2. Appellations shared between WA and OR
Fruit loops
Longest tenure of winemaking in the New World
Bordered by the Vosges Mountains on the west and Germany's Rhein river to the east - 51 Grand Cru vineyards - Purity of fruit and terroir - New oak rarely used - Wines labeled by varietal - not by terroir - Concentrated - full -bodied dry white win
Columbia River - Walla Walla Valley - Columbia Gorge

3. Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG

4. Pinot Gris (Alsace)
Sweet pear
Young industry - Semi -continental desert climate requiring irrigation - Cascade Mountains rain shadow effect; long - dry growing season - Drastic diurnal shifts
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
Maritime climate - 90% Albarino planted

5. Condrieu
Sweet botrytis wines from Chenin Blanc made only in exceptional years
hite wines from Viognier
Bubblegum
ed wines from Syrah with up to 15% Marsanne and Roussanne - Whites from Marsanne and Roussanne

6. Medoc First Growths
Lafite -Rothschild - Latour - Mouton -Rothschild - Margaux - Haut -Brion
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
Base Rhone appellation - 95% in the Southern Rhone
Central Italy - The food center of Italy - Divided by 7 rivers

7. Western Australia
Vineyards established in 1829 - Gravels and sands over clay - Warm maritime climate - ocean breezes - Chardonnay - Riesling Bordeaux grapes - Shiraz - Margaret River (AUS first appellation system in 1978 - known for elegance and finesse) - Great
100% of grapes from named appellation - Vintage must be 85% of stated year - Varietal must be 85% of stated
Castilla: La Mancha - Whites from Airen (63%) - Reds from Cencibel (Tempranillo) - Large elevated central plateau - Arid climate with temperature extremes
Appellation for red and dry whites - No ranking; all designated Cru Classe - Pessac -Leognan AC in northern part

8. Advantages to Transfer Method
Whites from Sauvignon Blanc - Red and rose classified as Vin de Pays
Most important DO in Southern Spain
As little as 90 from harvest to final bottling - Potential for lees contact - Eliminates need for riddling - More suitable for some grapes
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

9. Grosslage
Collection of vineyards
Reds from Cabernets and Pineau d'Aunis - Best will mature 6 -10 years
Heavier - clay -oriented soils
Dried sour red cherry

10. Appassimento Process
Steinfeder (11% alcohol) - Federspiel (Kabinett level) - Smaragd (Spatlese level)
Red wines from 100% Syrah
After harvest - grapes are dried for several weeks - Used to produce passito - recioto - and Amarone wines
America's oldest wine industry

11. Touraine AOCs
Vouvray - Montlouis - Chinon - Bourgueil & Saint -Nicolas -de -Bourgueil
Heavier - clay -oriented soils
Single Vineyard
Young industry - Semi -continental desert climate requiring irrigation - Cascade Mountains rain shadow effect; long - dry growing season - Drastic diurnal shifts

12. Sherry Grape Varietals
Siciliy - Fortified wine in both dry and sweet styles made from a blend including Catarratto - Inzolia - Grillo - etc.
Reds from Cabernets and Pineau d'Aunis - Best will mature 6 -10 years
Palomino (95% of all plantings) - Pedro Ximenez - Moscatel: along with PX - used to sweeten blended wines and to add color
Sparkling wines made from Chenin Blanc with up to 20% Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc - Best wines made by Methode Traditionelle

13. Mendocino County
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
Traditional Port cask holding 500 liters (440L of wine added to 110L of aguardente)
Cabernet Franc - Cabernet Sauvignon - Pinot Noir - Gamay - Groslot
Syrah - Grenache - Mourvedre - Cinsault - Counoise - Terret Noir - Vaccarese - Muscardin - etc.

14. Margaux
Neutral grape spirit at 77% alcohol added to port wine
Continental with LeMistral winds
Largest AOC in Haut Medoc - Wines know for elegance and finesse - First Growth (Chateau Margaux) - Other notables: Chateau Palmer - Giscours - Brane - Cantenac
Center of Cava production - Traditional Whites: Parellada - Xarel -lo - Macabeo - Traditional Reds: Garnacha - Monstrell - Ull de Liebre

15. Saint -Peray
Sparkling wines from Marsanne and Roussanne
Longest tenure of winemaking in the New World
Red grape grown in Sardinia similar to Grenache
Chehalem Mountains - Ribbon Ridge - Yamhill -Carlton - Dundee Hills - McMinnville - Eola -Amity Hills

16. Colheita Madeiras
Minimum 7 years aging from a single vintage
(Bordeaux)Mostly Cabernet Sauvignon (70%); Merlot - minor varietals (30%)
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
Fruit character

17. Brunello di Montalcino Aging
Santa Lucia Highlands - Chalone - San Bernabe
BdM: 4 years with minimum 2 years in oak - BdM Riserva: 5 years with minimum 2.5 years in oak
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
Albariza - Barros - Arenas

18. Galets
Sparkling wines made from Chenin Blanc with up to 20% Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc - Best wines made by Methode Traditionelle
Quality Riesling and Pinot Noir - Warm summers - cool autumns - lower rainfall - Most vineyards in plains surrounding Christchurch
Terroir
The "pudding stones" found in Chateauneuf -de -Pape responsible for terroir

19. TTB Label Laws I

20. Paso Robles

21. Pinot Meunier's Role in Champagne
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)
Fruit character
America's oldest wine industry
Appellation for red and dry whites - No ranking; all designated Cru Classe - Pessac -Leognan AC in northern part

22. Languedoc -Roussillon AOCs
Cotes du Roussillon - Cotes du Roussillon Villages - Collioure (southernmost AC in France other than Corsica) - Coteaux du Languedoc - Minervois - Fitou - Corbieres - St. Chinian
White wines from Viognier from small single estate
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
Most southerly wine region in the world - Alluvial soils with outcroppings of chalk and limestone loams - Potential for Rieslings and sparkling wines

23. Australian Wine Producing States
BdM: 4 years with minimum 2 years in oak - BdM Riserva: 5 years with minimum 2.5 years in oak
Most southerly wine region in the world - Alluvial soils with outcroppings of chalk and limestone loams - Potential for Rieslings and sparkling wines
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)
New South Wales - Victoria - Tasmania - South Australia - Western Australia - Northern Territory - Queensland

24. Tasmania

25. Gruner Veltliner
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
Red wines from Cabernet Franc and up to 10% Cabernet Sauvignon - Tufa soils
hite wines from Viognier
Lentils

26. Northeast Spain
Regions: Penedes and Priorat DOCa - Mediterranean - Home of Catalunya and Barcelona
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)
Produces aromatic whites from Verdejo plus Sauvignon Blanc and Viura
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

27. Reuilly
Tawny Port: - Ruby Port
White - red - and rose from SB - PN - and Pinot Gris
3 years
Terroir

28. Layon Valley Wines
Chenin Blanc wines in the same styles as Vouvray
A single Solera sherry bottled unblended and produced in small quantities
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
Sweet botrytis wines from Chenin Blanc made only in exceptional years

29. Austria Major Regions
Fruits sourced from BEST quintas - Usually produced in non -declared vintages - Ageworthy - excellent values
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
Burgenland - Niederosterreich - Steiermark (Styria) - Wien (Vienna)
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

30. Cote Rotie
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 from Syrah with up to 20% Viognier allowed
Grenache Blanc - Clairette - Picpoul - Bourboulenc - Mauzac
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

31. Syrah/Shiraz
Smoked meats/Bacon fat
Northeast corner of Italy adjacent to Slovenia and Austria - Known for whites - but Merlot is most planted varietal
A dry style of Sherry that has characteristics of both Fino/Amontillado and Oloroso - Develops limited flor
Structure

32. Chateauneuf -de -Pape Soils
As little as 90 from harvest to final bottling - Potential for lees contact - Eliminates need for riddling - More suitable for some grapes
On the Rhine - Muller -Thurgau - Silvaner - Reisling - Scheurebe - Quality extremes: Liebfraumilch (low quality) to Nackenheimer Rothenberg (one of Germany's great vineyards)
Alluvial deposits and "pudding stones"
Chardonnay - Pinot Noir - Pinot Meunier

33. Biologically -aged Sherry Styles & Descriptions
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
3 years
Traditional Port cask holding 500 liters (440L of wine added to 110L of aguardente)

34. Chardonnay's Role in Champagne
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
Glassy -winged sharpshooter
Finesse

35. German Wine Classifications
hite wines from Viognier
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
District of villages & vineyards
Cranberry

36. Gigondas
Marlborough - Nelson - Canterbury - Otago
Northeast corner of Italy adjacent to Slovenia and Austria - Known for whites - but Merlot is most planted varietal
Red wines with maximum with maximum 80% Grenache
Single Vineyard

37. Bourgueil & Saint -Nicolas -de -Bourgueil
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)
AKA Palatinate - Warm climate - Trocken wines important (Grosses Gerwachs) - Riesling - Scheurebe - Grauburgunder - Muller -Thurgau - Spatburgunder
Same styles as Chinon - Sandy soils
Reds from Cabernets and Pineau d'Aunis - Best will mature 6 -10 years

38. Grapes in Valpolicella and Amarone
Larger area than Napa Valley with a great range of micro -climates - Maritime influence an important factor - Notables include Dry Creek - Rockpile - Alexander Valley - Los Carneros - Russian River
Lesser appellations - Cabernet Sauvignon -based wines - No classified growths
Wachau: steep vineyards facing the Danube - Wagram - Kremstal - Kamptal
Corvina - Rondinella - Molinara

39. Sercial & Verdelho Vinification Styles
Tuscany's dry white DOCG - Up to 10% Chardonnay and Trebbiano allowed
Dry Madeiras served chilled as aperitifs - Alcohol is added after fermentation has been completed
Vernaccia - Trebbiano - Malvasia
Assyrtiko - Moschofilero - Malagousia - Roditis - White Muscat - Chardonnay - SB

40. Emilia Romagna
Central Italy - The food center of Italy - Divided by 7 rivers
Chenin Blanc - Muscadet (Melon de Bourgogne) - Sauvignon Blanc - Chardonnay
Quality Riesling and Pinot Noir - Warm summers - cool autumns - lower rainfall - Most vineyards in plains surrounding Christchurch
Moderate climate - Tradition - influence - innovation - research - Maremma - Morellino di Scansano - etc.

41. Spumante
Red wines are predominantly Grenache - Home of a famous Vin Doux Naturel
Generic term for sparkling
Dry with warm - sunny summers - Rain shadow effect - Tremendously diverse soils - Bound by Vosges Mountains and the Rhine
A form of slate with strata which allow the vine roots to penetrate and grow (common in Douro for grapes used in Port)

42. Northern Rhone Appellations
Cote Rotie - Condrieu - Chateau -Grillet - St. Joseph - Crozes -Hermitage - Hermitage - Cornas - Saint -Peray
Tartared raspberry
hite wines from Viognier
Condrieu - and Hermitage Steep slopes with granite soils

43. Campania

44. Cote Challonaise ACs
Whites: Viognier - Roussanne - Marsanne Reds: Syrah
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 Hamptons - North Fork Long Island - Long Island - Hudson Valley - Seneca Lake - Cayuga Lake - Finger Lakes
Napa County - Sonoma County - Mendocino County - Lake County - Marin County - Solano County

45. Primary Spanish White Varietals
Saumur Mousseux - Cremant de la Loire - Saumur Champigny
Airen - Viura (Macabeo) - Chardonnay - Verdejo - Albarino
AC for reds and whites - 13 grapes authorized - Minimum 12.5% alcohol content - Galets
Produces aromatic whites from Verdejo plus Sauvignon Blanc and Viura

46. Red Port Varietals
High acid
Touriga Nacional - Touriga Francesa - Tinta Cao - Tinta Roriz - Tinta Baroca - Mourisco Tinto - Sousao
Napa County - Sonoma County - Mendocino County - Lake County - Marin County - Solano County
Burgenland - Niederosterreich - Steiermark (Styria) - Wien (Vienna)

47. Anbaugebiete
Major Growing Region
Whites from Sauvignon Blanc - Red and rose classified as Vin de Pays
Chaume Premier Cru - Bonnezeaux - Quarts de Chaume - Coteaux du Layon -Chaume - Coteaux du Layon Villages
All DOCG - Classico - Rufina - Colli Fiorentini (Florence) - Colli Senesi (Siena) - Colline Pisane (Pisa) - Colli Aretini (Arezzo) - Montalbano - Montespertoli

48. Rias Biaxas Sub -Zones
33 total - Important ones are Minho (Vinho Verde) - Dao - Bairrada - Porto & Douro - Borba - Alentejo - Madeira
Rose from Grenache and Cinsault
Montagne de Reims (known for PN) - Vallee de la Marne - Cote de Blancs (lots of Chardonnay) - Cote de Sezanne - Aube
Val do Salnes - O Rosal - Condado do Tea - Soutomaiort - Ribeira do Ulla

49. Saint -Joseph
Wines traditionally bottled in bocksbeutel - Wines from Silvaner - Riesling - and Muller -Thurgau
Red wines from minimum 90% Syrah and up to 10% Marsanne and/or Roussanne - Whites from Marsanne and Roussanne
Touriga Nacional - Touriga Francesa - Tinta Cao - Tinta Roriz - Tinta Baroca - Mourisco Tinto - Sousao
Whites: Viognier - Roussanne - Marsanne Reds: Syrah

50. Loire Valley Primary Red Varietals
White wines from Viognier from small single estate
Cabernet Franc - Cabernet Sauvignon - Pinot Noir - Gamay - Groslot
Beaujolais AC - Beaujolais Nouveau AC - Beaujolais -Superieur AC - Beaujolais Villages AC - Beaujolais Cru AC
Adriatic Sea coast - Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOCG - Conero DOCG - Rosso Conero