Test your basic knowledge |

Certified Sommelier Exam

Instructions:

Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
Match each statement with the correct term.
Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.

1. Brunello di Montalcino Aging
BdM: 4 years with minimum 2 years in oak - BdM Riserva: 5 years with minimum 2.5 years in oak
Arrested fermentation fortified wine - Vineyards planted on steep slopes (up to 60 degrees) with schist soils
Dry white made from Garganega (with some Trebbiano) - DOCG versions: Superiore - Superiore Classico - Recioto
Appellation for red and dry whites - No ranking; all designated Cru Classe - Pessac -Leognan AC in northern part

2. Pinot Gris (Alsace)
Sweet pear
Grenache Blanc - Clairette - Picpoul - Bourboulenc - Mauzac
Sparkling wines from Marsanne and Roussanne
New Zealand

3. Ruby Port & Styles

4. Cotes -du -Rhone Villages
Riesling - Gewurztraminer - Muscat - Pinot Gris (Tokay d'Alsace) - Sylvaner (Zotzenberg only)
Most important DO in Southern Spain
18 villages with elevated status - Red wines are predominantly Grenache
After harvest - grapes are dried for several weeks - Used to produce passito - recioto - and Amarone wines

5. GI Quality Categories
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
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)
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")
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

6. Apulia

7. German Wine Classifications
Kabinett - Spatlese - Auslese - Beerenauslese (BA) - Eiswein - Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA)
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
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
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

8. Cabernet Sauvignon
Tuscany's dry white DOCG - Up to 10% Chardonnay and Trebbiano allowed
Chehalem Mountains - Ribbon Ridge - Yamhill -Carlton - Dundee Hills - McMinnville - Eola -Amity Hills
Black plum
Adriatic Sea coast - Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOCG - Conero DOCG - Rosso Conero

9. Carricante
Chenin Blanc - Muscadet (Melon de Bourgogne) - Sauvignon Blanc - Chardonnay
Rioja Alta - Rioja Alavesa - Rioja Baja
Clone of Garganega grown in Sicily
Napa County - Sonoma County - Mendocino County - Lake County - Marin County - Solano County

10. Pipe
Traditional Port cask holding 500 liters (440L of wine added to 110L of aguardente)
Chaume Premier Cru - Bonnezeaux - Quarts de Chaume - Coteaux du Layon -Chaume - Coteaux du Layon Villages
Tartared raspberry
Syrah - Grenache - Mourvedre - Cinsault - Counoise - Terret Noir - Vaccarese - Muscardin - etc.

11. Menetou Salon
Cinsault - Grenache - Syrah - Mourvedre - Merlot - Cabernet Sauvignon - Cabernet Franc
Adjacent to Sancerre - White - red - and rose from SB - PN - and Gamay
As little as 90 from harvest to final bottling - Potential for lees contact - Eliminates need for riddling - More suitable for some grapes
Longest tenure of winemaking in the New World

12. VORS
Red wines from Syrah with up to 15% Marsanne and Roussanne - Whites from Marsanne and Roussanne
Semi -sparkling
Castilla: La Mancha - Whites from Airen (63%) - Reds from Cencibel (Tempranillo) - Large elevated central plateau - Arid climate with temperature extremes
Very Old Rare Sherry - Aged 30 years (average minimum age)

13. Pinot Noir
Cranberry
Reds from Cabernets and Pineau d'Aunis - Best will mature 6 -10 years
Longest growing season in CA - Series of east -west valleys - Cool - dry coastal climate - Sauvignon Blanc - Chardonnay - Pinot Noir - Syrah - Merlot
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

14. Grapes in Valpolicella and Amarone
Alsatian blended carafe wine (2 or more grapes)
Red wines from 100% Syrah
Arinto - Codega - Malvasia Fino - Malvasia Corada - Rabigato - Vioshino
Corvina - Rondinella - Molinara

15. Cannonau
Red grape grown in Sardinia similar to Grenache
Assyrtiko - Moschofilero - Malagousia - Roditis - White Muscat - Chardonnay - SB
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
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

16. Palo Cortado
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
A dry style of Sherry that has characteristics of both Fino/Amontillado and Oloroso - Develops limited flor
2009 Great 2008 Not so great
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

17. Trentino

18. 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
VOS (Very Old Sherry) - VORS (Very Old Rare Sherry) - Anada - Almacenistas
Very Old Rare Sherry - Aged 30 years (average minimum age)
Alsatian dessert wines from botrytis fruit - Made in small quantities and only in exceptional vintages

19. Liqueur d'Expedition
Vouvray - Montlouis - Chinon - Bourgueil & Saint -Nicolas -de -Bourgueil
Used in dosage phase to fill the space left after the yeast remnant pops out
Limestone (best whites) and Marl (best reds)
Well -known for quality rose wines - Includes Southern Rhone varietals and more - Bandol - Cassis

20. Southern Rhone Appellations
Plum
Chateauneuf -de -Pape - Gigondas - Vacqueyras - Cotes -du -Rhone - Cotes -du -Rhone Villages - Tavel - Lirac - Beaumes -de -Venise - Vinsobres
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
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

21. Australian Wine Producing States
Longest growing season in CA - Series of east -west valleys - Cool - dry coastal climate - Sauvignon Blanc - Chardonnay - Pinot Noir - Syrah - Merlot
Pinotage - CS - CF - Merlot - Syrah - Grenache - PN
New South Wales - Victoria - Tasmania - South Australia - Western Australia - Northern Territory - Queensland
Chateauneuf -de -Pape - Gigondas - Vacqueyras - Cotes -du -Rhone - Cotes -du -Rhone Villages - Tavel - Lirac - Beaumes -de -Venise - Vinsobres

22. Pauillac
Adriatic Sea coast - Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOCG - Conero DOCG - Rosso Conero
Lesser appellations - Cabernet Sauvignon -based wines - No classified growths
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 -
Lychee

23. Northeast Spain
Regions: Penedes and Priorat DOCa - Mediterranean - Home of Catalunya and Barcelona
Home of Rome - Cesanese del Piglio Rosso/Reserva DOCG - Frascati (carafe wine blended from Trebbiano & Malvasia) - Est! Est! Est! di Montefiascone
Limestone -based soils - Whites from Sauvignon Blanc - Reds and roses from Pinot Noir and Gamay (25% total productions)
Trajadura - Alvarinho - Loureiro - Gouveio - Encruzado - Maria Gomez - Fernao Pires - Arinto - Roupeiro

24. Veneto
Sangiovese & clones (Prugnolo Gentile - Brunello - Morellino) - Canaiolo - Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot - Syrah
Fruit loops
'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
From Lake Garda in the west to the Adriatc - Venice and Verona

25. Gruner Veltliner
Red wines from minimum 90% Syrah and up to 10% Marsanne and/or Roussanne - Whites from Marsanne and Roussanne
Marlborough - Nelson - Canterbury - Otago
Lentils
Dry white made from Garganega (with some Trebbiano) - DOCG versions: Superiore - Superiore Classico - Recioto

26. New Zealand's North Island Regions
Tempranillo - Graciano - Mazuelo (Carinena)
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)
Palomino (95% of all plantings) - Pedro Ximenez - Moscatel: along with PX - used to sweeten blended wines and to add color
Auckland - Hawkes Bay - Gisborne - Wairarapa

27. Gigondas
Syrah - Grenache - Mourvedre - Cinsault - Counoise - Terret Noir - Vaccarese - Muscardin - etc.
Red wines with maximum with maximum 80% Grenache
Arrested fermentation fortified wine - Vineyards planted on steep slopes (up to 60 degrees) with schist soils
Red wines from Cabernet Franc and up to 10% Cabernet Sauvignon - Tufa soils

28. Grenache
Dehydrated strawberries
Medium sweet & sweet Madeiras served with dessert or cheese course - Fermentation is stopped by addition of spirit
Sancerre - Pouilly Fume - Menetou Salon - Quincy - Reuilly
Lentils

29. Cabernet Franc (Loire)
Tartared raspberry
Trajadura - Alvarinho - Loureiro - Gouveio - Encruzado - Maria Gomez - Fernao Pires - Arinto - Roupeiro
Soils: volcanic - gravel alluvial with sandstone - Cool maritime climate (warmer north - cooler south) - mountain ranges create rain shadow effect
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

30. Central Otago
Produced by adding distillate to a fermenting must (deliberately stuck fermentation) - Fortified wines typically 15 -16% - Muscat de Beaumes de Venise - Banyuls - etc.
Most southerly wine region in the world - Alluvial soils with outcroppings of chalk and limestone loams - Potential for Rieslings and sparkling wines
Fruit loops
Lentils

31. New Zealand's South Island
Soils: volcanic - gravel alluvial with sandstone - Cool maritime climate (warmer north - cooler south) - mountain ranges create rain shadow effect
Well -known for quality rose wines - Includes Southern Rhone varietals and more - Bandol - Cassis
Alsatian dessert wines from botrytis fruit - Made in small quantities and only in exceptional vintages
Vouvray - Montlouis - Chinon - Bourgueil & Saint -Nicolas -de -Bourgueil

32. South Africa's Wine of Origin System (WO)
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
Limestone (best whites) and Marl (best reds)
Touriga Nacional - Touriga Francesa - Tinta Cao - Tinta Roriz - Tinta Baroca - Mourisco Tinto - Sousao
100% of grapes from named appellation - Vintage must be 85% of stated year - Varietal must be 85% of stated

33. South Africa
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
Longest tenure of winemaking in the New World
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
A form of slate with strata which allow the vine roots to penetrate and grow (common in Douro for grapes used in Port)

34. Sancerre
AC for reds and whites - 13 grapes authorized - Minimum 12.5% alcohol content - Galets
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
Limestone -based soils - Whites from Sauvignon Blanc - Reds and roses from Pinot Noir and Gamay (25% total productions)
Viura - Malvasia - Garnacha Blanca - Chardonnay - Sauvignon Blanc - Verdejo

35. Northwest Spain: Notable Regions
Galicia (Rias Biaxas) - Toro - Rueda - Ribera del Duero
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
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
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

36. Graves & Pessac -Leognan
All DOCG - Classico - Rufina - Colli Fiorentini (Florence) - Colli Senesi (Siena) - Colline Pisane (Pisa) - Colli Aretini (Arezzo) - Montalbano - Montespertoli
Dry white made from Garganega (with some Trebbiano) - DOCG versions: Superiore - Superiore Classico - Recioto
District of villages & vineyards
Appellation for red and dry whites - No ranking; all designated Cru Classe - Pessac -Leognan AC in northern part

37. Southern Rhone Varietals (White)
Roussanne - Clairette - Picpoul - Bourbolenc - Grenache Blanc - etc.
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
Dry Madeiras served chilled as aperitifs - Alcohol is added after fermentation has been completed
Xynomavro - Agiorgitiko - Mavrodaphne

38. Quincy
A dry style of Sherry that has characteristics of both Fino/Amontillado and Oloroso - Develops limited flor
Northeast corner of Italy adjacent to Slovenia and Austria - Known for whites - but Merlot is most planted varietal
Whites from Sauvignon Blanc - Red and rose classified as Vin de Pays
Regulators of American Viticultural Areas

39. Beaujolais ACs
From Lake Garda in the west to the Adriatc - Venice and Verona
Beaujolais AC - Beaujolais Nouveau AC - Beaujolais -Superieur AC - Beaujolais Villages AC - Beaujolais Cru AC
Limestone (best whites) and Marl (best reds)
Alsatian late harvest wines - Rich - full -bodied in style - Not necessarily sweet

40. Noble
Young industry - Semi -continental desert climate requiring irrigation - Cascade Mountains rain shadow effect; long - dry growing season - Drastic diurnal shifts
Aged 12 months in bottle or barrel
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)
Limestone (best whites) and Marl (best reds)

41. Soils in Cote Rotie
Produced by adding distillate to a fermenting must (deliberately stuck fermentation) - Fortified wines typically 15 -16% - Muscat de Beaumes de Venise - Banyuls - etc.
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
Condrieu - and Hermitage Steep slopes with granite soils
Napa County - Sonoma County - Mendocino County - Lake County - Marin County - Solano County

42. Saint -Peray
NZ's 2nd fastest growing region (to Marlborough) - Stony - well -drained soils - Quality SB - Chardonnay - Riesling - and PN
Regions: Penedes and Priorat DOCa - Mediterranean - Home of Catalunya and Barcelona
Sparkling wines from Marsanne and Roussanne
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

43. TTB Estate Bottled Requirements
Minimum 7 years aging from a single vintage
Winery and vineyards must be located in the same AVA - Winery must own or control the vineyards where the grapes are grown
Juicyfruit Gum
Red grape grown in Sardinia similar to Grenache

44. Airen
Most widely planted grape in the world
Baix Penedes - Medio Penedes - Alta Penedes
Albariza - Barros - Arenas
Furmint - Harslevelu - Muskatoly (Muscat Ottonel) - Oremus

45. Prosecco
Sparkling wine made from Glera (Prosecco) grape - Superiore DOCG: Conegliano - Valdobiaddene - Colli Asolani
Rose from Grenache and Cinsault
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
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

46. Mendocino County
From Lake Garda in the west to the Adriatc - Venice and Verona
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)
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
Red wines are predominantly Grenache - Home of a famous Vin Doux Naturel

47. Zinfandel
Siciliy - Fortified wine in both dry and sweet styles made from a blend including Catarratto - Inzolia - Grillo - etc.
Riesling is king - Very steep vineyards with S/SW aspect - Slate soils - Delicacy - purity of fruit - racy acidity - terroir - low alcohol - ageworthy
South end of North Island - Includes Marlborough - Quality Pinot Noir (up and coming region)
Plum skin

48. Solera system
Chenin Blanc wines in the same styles as Vouvray
On the Rhine - Muller -Thurgau - Silvaner - Reisling - Scheurebe - Quality extremes: Liebfraumilch (low quality) to Nackenheimer Rothenberg (one of Germany's great vineyards)
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
White - red - and rose from SB - PN - and Pinot Gris

49. Burgundy (Climate)
Terroir
Semi -continental (four seasons; climate issues like frost - rain at harvest - hail)
Saint -Emillion (PGCC's are Ausone and Cheval Blanc) - Pomerol (Petrus - Le Pin - La Fleur Petrus - La Conseillante - Vieux -Chateau -Certan - Trotanoy)
Most widely planted grape in the world

50. Riesling
High acid
Saint Amour - Julienas - Chenas - Chiroubles - Moulin a Vent - Fleurie - Morgon - Regnie - Brouilly - Cote de Brouilly
Mosel Valley - Rheingau - Rheinhessen - Pfalz - Ahr Valley - Nahe - Franken
Baix Penedes - Medio Penedes - Alta Penedes