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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. New York State

2. Gamay (Beaujolais)
Bubblegum
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)
Home of Rome - Cesanese del Piglio Rosso/Reserva DOCG - Frascati (carafe wine blended from Trebbiano & Malvasia) - Est! Est! Est! di Montefiascone
Sancerre - Pouilly Fume - Menetou Salon - Quincy - Reuilly

3. Douro
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
Most important DO in Southern Spain
Red wines from 100% Syrah
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

4. Sherry Vinification
3 years
100% of grapes from named appellation - Vintage must be 85% of stated year - Varietal must be 85% of stated
Bottles are disgorged under pressure into large tank - filtered - and rebottled - Used for bottles smaller than half/larger than Jeroboam
Harvest in early September - Palomino grapes pressed immediately - Pedro Ximenez grapes sun dried (Soleo) for use in sweetening agents - Fortification with neutral grape spirit

5. SA's Primary White Cultivars
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
Bubblegum
eanut shell
Steen (Chenin Blanc) - Hanepoot (Muscat) - Chardonnay - SB - Semillon

6. Reuilly
Produces aromatic whites from Verdejo plus Sauvignon Blanc and Viura
Regulators of American Viticultural Areas
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
White - red - and rose from SB - PN - and Pinot Gris

7. Disgorging/Degorgement
Yeast remnant popped out
Assyrtiko - Moschofilero - Malagousia - Roditis - White Muscat - Chardonnay - SB
Red wines from minimum 90% Syrah and up to 10% Marsanne and/or Roussanne - Whites from Marsanne and Roussanne
Red wines are predominantly Grenache

8. Germany
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
Central Italy - The food center of Italy - Divided by 7 rivers
Burgenland - Niederosterreich - Steiermark (Styria) - Wien (Vienna)
Red grape grown in Sardinia similar to Grenache

9. 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
Whites: Viognier - Roussanne - Marsanne Reds: Syrah
Produced by adding distillate to a fermenting must (deliberately stuck fermentation) - Fortified wines typically 15 -16% - Muscat de Beaumes de Venise - Banyuls - etc.
Chateauneuf -de -Pape - Gigondas - Vacqueyras - Cotes -du -Rhone - Cotes -du -Rhone Villages - Tavel - Lirac - Beaumes -de -Venise - Vinsobres

10. Veneto
From Lake Garda in the west to the Adriatc - Venice and Verona
Roussanne - Clairette - Picpoul - Bourbolenc - Grenache Blanc - etc.
Dry with warm - sunny summers - Rain shadow effect - Tremendously diverse soils - Bound by Vosges Mountains and the Rhine
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

11. Sonoma County
Primary Whites Grown are Vernaccia and Vermentino - Primary Reds Grown are Cannonau - Carignano - and Nuragua
Alluvial clays
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
Southwest Sicily - Blend of Nero d'Avola (70%) and Frappatto (30%)

12. Soave
Whites from Sauvignon Blanc - Red and rose classified as Vin de Pays
Dry white made from Garganega (with some Trebbiano) - DOCG versions: Superiore - Superiore Classico - Recioto
AC for reds and whites - 13 grapes authorized - Minimum 12.5% alcohol content - Galets
Lesser appellations - Cabernet Sauvignon -based wines - No classified growths

13. Santa Barbera County
Young industry - Semi -continental desert climate requiring irrigation - Cascade Mountains rain shadow effect; long - dry growing season - Drastic diurnal shifts
Longest growing season in CA - Series of east -west valleys - Cool - dry coastal climate - Sauvignon Blanc - Chardonnay - Pinot Noir - Syrah - Merlot
Best wines are made from Riesling - Area around Schlossbockelheim and Bad Kreuznach - Donhoff is a notable producer
Red wines with maximum with maximum 80% Grenache

14. South Australia

15. VORS
Very Old Rare Sherry - Aged 30 years (average minimum age)
The Hamptons - North Fork Long Island - Long Island - Hudson Valley - Seneca Lake - Cayuga Lake - Finger Lakes
GI originated in 1994 with EU agreement
Grape Variety: Chenin Blanc - Limestone over tufa - Wide range of styles (Sec - demi -sec - moelleux - doux - still - petillant - mousseux)

16. Layon Valley AOCs
Black plum
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
Chaume Premier Cru - Bonnezeaux - Quarts de Chaume - Coteaux du Layon -Chaume - Coteaux du Layon Villages
Tawny Port: - Ruby Port

17. Port Styles
Tawny Port: - Ruby Port
Dry Madeiras served chilled as aperitifs - Alcohol is added after fermentation has been completed
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
18 villages with elevated status - Red wines are predominantly Grenache

18. Cava Varietals
Xarel -lo - Macabeo - Parellada - Chardonnay
Sweet pear
Chateauneuf -de -Pape - Gigondas - Vacqueyras - Cotes -du -Rhone - Cotes -du -Rhone Villages - Tavel - Lirac - Beaumes -de -Venise - Vinsobres
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

19. Canterbury
Largest AOC in Haut Medoc - Wines know for elegance and finesse - First Growth (Chateau Margaux) - Other notables: Chateau Palmer - Giscours - Brane - Cantenac
Xarel -lo - Macabeo - Parellada - Chardonnay
Quality Riesling and Pinot Noir - Warm summers - cool autumns - lower rainfall - Most vineyards in plains surrounding Christchurch
Tempranillo (Tinto Fino - etc.) - Carinena - Garnacha - Cabernet Sauvignon - Mencia - Monastrell

20. Loire Valley

21. Graves & Pessac -Leognan
Quality Riesling and Pinot Noir - Warm summers - cool autumns - lower rainfall - Most vineyards in plains surrounding Christchurch
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
Plum skin
Appellation for red and dry whites - No ranking; all designated Cru Classe - Pessac -Leognan AC in northern part

22. Appellations shared between WA and OR
Glassy -winged sharpshooter
Saumur AOC - Minimum 80% Chenin Blanc with Chardonnay and others
Columbia River - Walla Walla Valley - Columbia Gorge
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

23. Navarra
Aged 24 months in bottle or barrel
A form of slate with strata which allow the vine roots to penetrate and grow (common in Douro for grapes used in Port)
Sour red cherry
Borders Rioja - Known for Rosado wines - Five sub -districts - Reds based on Garnacha - Tempranillo - Cabernet - Merlot - Whites based on Viura with Malvasia and Chardonnay

24. Chinon
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
Red wines from Cabernet Franc and up to 10% Cabernet Sauvignon - Tufa soils
Burgenland - Niederosterreich - Steiermark (Styria) - Wien (Vienna)
Chaume Premier Cru - Bonnezeaux - Quarts de Chaume - Coteaux du Layon -Chaume - Coteaux du Layon Villages

25. Portugal White Varietals
Whites: Viognier - Roussanne - Marsanne Reds: Syrah
Trajadura - Alvarinho - Loureiro - Gouveio - Encruzado - Maria Gomez - Fernao Pires - Arinto - Roupeiro
Maritime climate - 90% Albarino planted
90km northeast of Paris

26. Chateau -Grillet
Cote Rotie - Condrieu - Chateau -Grillet - St. Joseph - Crozes -Hermitage - Hermitage - Cornas - Saint -Peray
White wines from Viognier from small single estate
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
Yeast remnant popped out

27. Riesling
South of Paso Robles - Maritime influence - cool climate - Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
Red wines are predominantly Grenache
Whites: Viognier - Roussanne - Marsanne Reds: Syrah
High acid

28. Syrah/Shiraz
Smoked meats/Bacon fat
Produced by adding distillate to a fermenting must (deliberately stuck fermentation) - Fortified wines typically 15 -16% - Muscat de Beaumes de Venise - Banyuls - etc.
Cotes du Roussillon - Cotes du Roussillon Villages - Collioure (southernmost AC in France other than Corsica) - Coteaux du Languedoc - Minervois - Fitou - Corbieres - St. Chinian
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

29. North Central Spain: Primary Red Varietals
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
Minimum 7 years aging from a single vintage
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
Tempranillo - Graciano - Mazuelo (Carinena)

30. Provence
America's oldest wine industry
Minimum 7 years aging from a single vintage
Well -known for quality rose wines - Includes Southern Rhone varietals and more - Bandol - Cassis
Cabernet Franc - Cabernet Sauvignon - Pinot Noir - Gamay - Groslot

31. Washington State
Young industry - Semi -continental desert climate requiring irrigation - Cascade Mountains rain shadow effect; long - dry growing season - Drastic diurnal shifts
Orange Candy
Fruits sourced from BEST quintas - Usually produced in non -declared vintages - Ageworthy - excellent values
Single Vineyard

32. VOS
Grape Variety: Chenin Blanc - Limestone over tufa - Wide range of styles (Sec - demi -sec - moelleux - doux - still - petillant - mousseux)
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
On the Rhine - Muller -Thurgau - Silvaner - Reisling - Scheurebe - Quality extremes: Liebfraumilch (low quality) to Nackenheimer Rothenberg (one of Germany's great vineyards)
Very Old Sherry - Aged 20 years (average minimum age)

33. Primary Spanish Red Varietals
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
Red wines from Syrah with up to 15% Marsanne and Roussanne - Whites from Marsanne and Roussanne
Tempranillo (Tinto Fino - etc.) - Carinena - Garnacha - Cabernet Sauvignon - Mencia - Monastrell
Dominio de Valdepusa - Finca Elez - Pago Guijoso - Dehesa del Carrizal (Toledo) - Senorio de Arinzano (Navarra) - Bodegas Otazu (Navarra)

34. Marsala DOC
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)
Grape Variety: Chenin Blanc - Limestone over tufa - Wide range of styles (Sec - demi -sec - moelleux - doux - still - petillant - mousseux)
Siciliy - Fortified wine in both dry and sweet styles made from a blend including Catarratto - Inzolia - Grillo - etc.
White - red - and rose from SB - PN - and Pinot Gris

35. Produces more sparkling wine than any other country
Cava (most in Catalonia)
Terroir
Dominio de Valdepusa - Finca Elez - Pago Guijoso - Dehesa del Carrizal (Toledo) - Senorio de Arinzano (Navarra) - Bodegas Otazu (Navarra)
Steinfeder (11% alcohol) - Federspiel (Kabinett level) - Smaragd (Spatlese level)

36. Apulia

37. GI Quality Categories
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)
Red wines from Syrah with up to 20% Viognier allowed
NZ's 2nd fastest growing region (to Marlborough) - Stony - well -drained soils - Quality SB - Chardonnay - Riesling - and PN
Major Growing Region

38. Northwest Spain: Notable Regions
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
Shiraz - Cabernet Sauvignon - Grenache - Pinot Noir - Merlot
Chenin Blanc - Muscadet (Melon de Bourgogne) - Sauvignon Blanc - Chardonnay
Galicia (Rias Biaxas) - Toro - Rueda - Ribera del Duero

39. SA's Primary Red Cultivars
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
Regions: Penedes and Priorat DOCa - Mediterranean - Home of Catalunya and Barcelona
Pinotage - CS - CF - Merlot - Syrah - Grenache - PN
New South Wales - Victoria - Tasmania - South Australia - Western Australia - Northern Territory - Queensland

40. Prosecco
Lafite -Rothschild - Latour - Mouton -Rothschild - Margaux - Haut -Brion
Riesling is king - Very steep vineyards with S/SW aspect - Slate soils - Delicacy - purity of fruit - racy acidity - terroir - low alcohol - ageworthy
Sparkling wine made from Glera (Prosecco) grape - Superiore DOCG: Conegliano - Valdobiaddene - Colli Asolani
Longest growing season in CA - Series of east -west valleys - Cool - dry coastal climate - Sauvignon Blanc - Chardonnay - Pinot Noir - Syrah - Merlot

41. Single Quinta Port
Fruits sourced from BEST quintas - Usually produced in non -declared vintages - Ageworthy - excellent values
3yr - 5yr Reserve - 10yr Special Reserve - 15yr Extra Reserve
75% minimum varietal composition (except OR) - 95% from year stated on bottle (85% if appellation is state or county) - 85% from stated AVA (except super AVA) - Every wine must be labeled with a brand name with the bottler's name and location
19th century style now illegal to produce - but still available on the market

42. Solera system
High acid
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
Sercial - Verdelho - Bual - Malmsey
The Hamptons - North Fork Long Island - Long Island - Hudson Valley - Seneca Lake - Cayuga Lake - Finger Lakes

43. Sherry Classifications
Borders Rioja - Known for Rosado wines - Five sub -districts - Reds based on Garnacha - Tempranillo - Cabernet - Merlot - Whites based on Viura with Malvasia and Chardonnay
VOS (Very Old Sherry) - VORS (Very Old Rare Sherry) - Anada - Almacenistas
Traditional Port cask holding 500 liters (440L of wine added to 110L of aguardente)
Corvina - Rondinella - Molinara

44. Chateauneuf -de -Pape Soils
Albariza - Barros - Arenas
Alluvial deposits and "pudding stones"
90km northeast of Paris
Largest AOC in Haut Medoc - Wines know for elegance and finesse - First Growth (Chateau Margaux) - Other notables: Chateau Palmer - Giscours - Brane - Cantenac

45. Monterey County
eanut shell
Santa Lucia Highlands - Chalone - San Bernabe
Syrah - Grenache - Mourvedre - Cinsault - Counoise - Terret Noir - Vaccarese - Muscardin - etc.
France's largest wine producing region (750K acres) - Cinsault -Grenache blends dominant - Also dry whites and Vin Doux Naturels - Mediterranean climate

46. New Zealand's South Island
Sangiovese and Canaiolo with Trebbiano and Malvasia - Addition of white grapes no longer mandatory - Up to 20% CS - Merlot - and Syrah permitted
Moderate climate - Tradition - influence - innovation - research - Maremma - Morellino di Scansano - etc.
Burgenland - Niederosterreich - Steiermark (Styria) - Wien (Vienna)
Soils: volcanic - gravel alluvial with sandstone - Cool maritime climate (warmer north - cooler south) - mountain ranges create rain shadow effect

47. Aged Tawny Port
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
Dry with warm - sunny summers - Rain shadow effect - Tremendously diverse soils - Bound by Vosges Mountains and the Rhine
Cabernet Franc - Cabernet Sauvignon - Pinot Noir - Gamay - Groslot
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")

48. Montlouis
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
Quality Riesling and Pinot Noir - Warm summers - cool autumns - lower rainfall - Most vineyards in plains surrounding Christchurch
Chenin Blanc wines in the same styles as Vouvray
VOS (Very Old Sherry) - VORS (Very Old Rare Sherry) - Anada - Almacenistas

49. Galets
Grape Variety: Chenin Blanc - Limestone over tufa - Wide range of styles (Sec - demi -sec - moelleux - doux - still - petillant - mousseux)
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
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)
The "pudding stones" found in Chateauneuf -de -Pape responsible for terroir

50. Hermitage
Traditional Port cask holding 500 liters (440L of wine added to 110L of aguardente)
ed wines from Syrah with up to 15% Marsanne and Roussanne - Whites from Marsanne and Roussanne
Napa County - Sonoma County - Mendocino County - Lake County - Marin County - Solano County
Most southerly wine region in the world - Alluvial soils with outcroppings of chalk and limestone loams - Potential for Rieslings and sparkling wines