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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. Cote Rotie
Red wines from Syrah with up to 20% Viognier allowed
Pays Nantais - Anjou -Saumur - Layon - Touraine - Central Vineyards
Dessert wine from passito grapes (Trebbiano & Malvasia) fermented slowly in small wooden barrels - Matured minimum 3 years and up to 6 years
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)

2. Vin Santo DOC
Tempranillo (Tinto Fino - etc.) - Carinena - Garnacha - Cabernet Sauvignon - Mencia - Monastrell
19th century style now illegal to produce - but still available on the market
Macon - Macon -Superieur - Macon -Villages - Saint -Veran - Pouilly -Loche - Pouilly -Vinzelles - Pouilly -Fuisse
Dessert wine from passito grapes (Trebbiano & Malvasia) fermented slowly in small wooden barrels - Matured minimum 3 years and up to 6 years

3. Highest average bottle price of any country
(Bordeaux)Mostly Cabernet Sauvignon (70%); Merlot - minor varietals (30%)
Chaume Premier Cru - Bonnezeaux - Quarts de Chaume - Coteaux du Layon -Chaume - Coteaux du Layon Villages
New Zealand
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

4. Sancerre
Condrieu - and Hermitage Steep slopes with granite soils
Limestone -based soils - Whites from Sauvignon Blanc - Reds and roses from Pinot Noir and Gamay (25% total productions)
Structure
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)

5. White Port Varietals
Tempranillo (Tinto Fino - etc.) - Carinena - Garnacha - Cabernet Sauvignon - Mencia - Monastrell
Cote Rotie - Condrieu - Chateau -Grillet - St. Joseph - Crozes -Hermitage - Hermitage - Cornas - Saint -Peray
Arinto - Codega - Malvasia Fino - Malvasia Corada - Rabigato - Vioshino
Riesling is king - Very steep vineyards with S/SW aspect - Slate soils - Delicacy - purity of fruit - racy acidity - terroir - low alcohol - ageworthy

6. Vendage Tardive (VT)
Sangiovese and Canaiolo with Trebbiano and Malvasia - Addition of white grapes no longer mandatory - Up to 20% CS - Merlot - and Syrah permitted
Alsatian late harvest wines - Rich - full -bodied in style - Not necessarily sweet
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
Xynomavro - Agiorgitiko - Mavrodaphne

7. Listrac & Moulis
Vernaccia - Trebbiano - Malvasia
Base Rhone appellation - 95% in the Southern Rhone
Dehydrated strawberries
Lesser appellations - Cabernet Sauvignon -based wines - No classified growths

8. Right Bank Grapes (Bordeaux)
Mediterranean climate with Mistral winds - Many vineyards planted on flat valley floor
Red wines with maximum with maximum 80% Grenache
70% Merlot - 25% Cabernet Franc - 5% minor varietals
Rose from Grenache and Cinsault

9. Vintage Port
Known for Poverty Bay - High yields and large quantities of Muller -Thurgau - Bulk wine and carafe wine
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
Sancerre - Pouilly Fume - Menetou Salon - Quincy - Reuilly
Chardonnay - Pinot Noir - Pinot Meunier

10. Western Australia
Young industry - Semi -continental desert climate requiring irrigation - Cascade Mountains rain shadow effect; long - dry growing season - Drastic diurnal shifts
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
Beaujolais AC - Beaujolais Nouveau AC - Beaujolais -Superieur AC - Beaujolais Villages AC - Beaujolais Cru AC
Gradual breakdown of yeasts

11. Southern Rhone Varietals (Red)
Columbia River - Walla Walla Valley - Columbia Gorge
12 months
Napa County - Sonoma County - Mendocino County - Lake County - Marin County - Solano County
Syrah - Grenache - Mourvedre - Cinsault - Counoise - Terret Noir - Vaccarese - Muscardin - etc.

12. Champagne Regions (North to South)
Semi -continental (four seasons; climate issues like frost - rain at harvest - hail)
Montagne de Reims (known for PN) - Vallee de la Marne - Cote de Blancs (lots of Chardonnay) - Cote de Sezanne - Aube
AC for reds and whites - 13 grapes authorized - Minimum 12.5% alcohol content - Galets
Lentils

13. Tax and Trade Bureau
Base Rhone appellation - 95% in the Southern Rhone
Regulators of American Viticultural Areas
Xarel -lo - Macabeo - Parellada - Chardonnay
Furmint - Harslevelu - Muskatoly (Muscat Ottonel) - Oremus

14. Cotes de Nuits Appellations
Traditional Port cask holding 500 liters (440L of wine added to 110L of aguardente)
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
AVAs - Columbia Valley - Yakima Valley - Walla Walla Valley - Red Mountain - Horse Heaven Hills - Columbia Gorge - Wahluke Slope - Snipes Mountain - Lake Chelan - Puget Sound
Terroir

15. Fino vs. Oloroso Sherry
Finos fortified to 15.5% (let the flor grow) - Oloroso fortified to 18% (NO intention to let the flor grow)
Airen - Viura (Macabeo) - Chardonnay - Verdejo - Albarino
Very Old Rare Sherry - Aged 30 years (average minimum age)
Vaudesir - Valmur - Les Preuses - Grenouilles - Bougros - Les Clos - Blanchot - Highest minimum alcohol of Chablis ACs

16. Oregon AVAs
Juicyfruit Gum
Trajadura - Alvarinho - Loureiro - Gouveio - Encruzado - Maria Gomez - Fernao Pires - Arinto - Roupeiro
Southern OR - Rogue Valley - Applegate Valley - Umqua - Douglas Red Hills - Snake River - Columbia River - Walla Walla Valley - Columbia Gorge - Willamette Valley
ed wines from Syrah with up to 15% Marsanne and Roussanne - Whites from Marsanne and Roussanne

17. Noble
Aged 12 months in bottle or barrel
Columbia River - Walla Walla Valley - Columbia Gorge
Alsatian blended carafe wine (2 or more grapes)
Cote Rotie - Condrieu - Chateau -Grillet - St. Joseph - Crozes -Hermitage - Hermitage - Cornas - Saint -Peray

18. Grapes in Valpolicella and Amarone
Fruit loops
AC for reds and whites - 13 grapes authorized - Minimum 12.5% alcohol content - Galets
Corvina - Rondinella - Molinara
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

19. Languedoc -Roussillon AOCs
Castilla: La Mancha - Whites from Airen (63%) - Reds from Cencibel (Tempranillo) - Large elevated central plateau - Arid climate with temperature extremes
America's oldest wine industry
Cotes du Roussillon - Cotes du Roussillon Villages - Collioure (southernmost AC in France other than Corsica) - Coteaux du Languedoc - Minervois - Fitou - Corbieres - St. Chinian
Whites: Viognier - Roussanne - Marsanne Reds: Syrah

20. Cultivars
Baix Penedes - Medio Penedes - Alta Penedes
What varietals are called in South Africa
Minimum 7 years aging from a single vintage
Tartared raspberry

21. Northeast Spain
Sercial - Verdelho - Bual - Malmsey
Cote Rotie - Condrieu - Chateau -Grillet - St. Joseph - Crozes -Hermitage - Hermitage - Cornas - Saint -Peray
Red wines from Syrah with up to 15% Marsanne and Roussanne - Whites from Marsanne and Roussanne
Regions: Penedes and Priorat DOCa - Mediterranean - Home of Catalunya and Barcelona

22. Soils in Cote Rotie
Sparkling wines from Marsanne and Roussanne
Condrieu - and Hermitage Steep slopes with granite soils
Lafite -Rothschild - Latour - Mouton -Rothschild - Margaux - Haut -Brion
Dehydrated strawberries

23. South Africa
Longest tenure of winemaking in the New World
Sangiovese and Canaiolo with Trebbiano and Malvasia - Addition of white grapes no longer mandatory - Up to 20% CS - Merlot - and Syrah permitted
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

24. Frizzante
Semi -sparkling
Alsatian dessert wines from botrytis fruit - Made in small quantities and only in exceptional vintages
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)
A single Solera sherry bottled unblended and produced in small quantities

25. Lombardy
Lugana (Trebbiano) - Nebbiolo (Chiavennasca) - Franciacorta DOCG - Lugana di San Benedetto DOC - Valtellina Superiore DOCG
Best wines are made from Riesling - Area around Schlossbockelheim and Bad Kreuznach - Donhoff is a notable producer
Vintage dated sherries
Saumur AOC - Minimum 80% Chenin Blanc with Chardonnay and others

26. Marsala DOC
Castilla: La Mancha - Whites from Airen (63%) - Reds from Cencibel (Tempranillo) - Large elevated central plateau - Arid climate with temperature extremes
Whites: Viognier - Roussanne - Marsanne Reds: Syrah
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)
Siciliy - Fortified wine in both dry and sweet styles made from a blend including Catarratto - Inzolia - Grillo - etc.

27. Cornas
Chardonnay - Pinot Noir - Pinot Meunier
After harvest - grapes are dried for several weeks - Used to produce passito - recioto - and Amarone wines
Red wines from 100% Syrah
Most important DO in Southern Spain

28. Left Bank Communes
All DOCG - Classico - Rufina - Colli Fiorentini (Florence) - Colli Senesi (Siena) - Colline Pisane (Pisa) - Colli Aretini (Arezzo) - Montalbano - Montespertoli
Lychee
Palomino (95% of all plantings) - Pedro Ximenez - Moscatel: along with PX - used to sweeten blended wines and to add color
(Bordeaux)Haut Medoc - Saint -Estephe - Pauillac - Saint -Julien - Listrac & Moulis - Margaux - Graves - Pessac - Leognan - Sauternes

29. Sangiovese (Tuscany)
Same styles as Chinon - Sandy soils
Soils: volcanic - gravel alluvial with sandstone - Cool maritime climate (warmer north - cooler south) - mountain ranges create rain shadow effect
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
Sour red cherry

30. Viognier
(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 loops
A vintage tawny with a minimum of seven years cask aging

31. Gigondas Soil
Alluvial clays
2009 Great 2008 Not so great
Chenin Blanc - Muscadet (Melon de Bourgogne) - Sauvignon Blanc - Chardonnay
Red wines from 100% Syrah

32. New Zealand's North Island
American Viticultural Area - Refers only to geographic region - Guidelines finalized in 1978 - became mandatory in 1983
Red wines from Cabernet Franc and up to 10% Cabernet Sauvignon - Tufa soils
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
Bottles are disgorged under pressure into large tank - filtered - and rebottled - Used for bottles smaller than half/larger than Jeroboam

33. Nelso

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34. Sherry Vinification
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
Sour red cherry
Harvest in early September - Palomino grapes pressed immediately - Pedro Ximenez grapes sun dried (Soleo) for use in sweetening agents - Fortification with neutral grape spirit
Regulators of American Viticultural Areas

35. Marches
Saumur Mousseux - Cremant de la Loire - Saumur Champigny
Adriatic Sea coast - Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOCG - Conero DOCG - Rosso Conero
Southwest Sicily - Blend of Nero d'Avola (70%) and Frappatto (30%)
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

36. Red Rioja Quality Levels & Requirements
Single Vineyard
Same styles as Chinon - Sandy soils
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
Orange Candy

37. SA's Primary White Cultivars
Known for Poverty Bay - High yields and large quantities of Muller -Thurgau - Bulk wine and carafe wine
The Hamptons - North Fork Long Island - Long Island - Hudson Valley - Seneca Lake - Cayuga Lake - Finger Lakes
Steen (Chenin Blanc) - Hanepoot (Muscat) - Chardonnay - SB - Semillon
Clone of Garganega grown in Sicily

38. Vintage Champagne Aging Requirements
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
Northeast corner of Italy adjacent to Slovenia and Austria - Known for whites - but Merlot is most planted varietal
3 years
Alsatian late harvest wines - Rich - full -bodied in style - Not necessarily sweet

39. Bairrada
Regions: Penedes and Priorat DOCa - Mediterranean - Home of Catalunya and Barcelona
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
Pinotage - CS - CF - Merlot - Syrah - Grenache - PN
Aged 24 months in bottle or barrel

40. Mendocino County
GI originated in 1994 with EU agreement
Alluvial clays
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
Collection of vineyards

41. Australia Primary White Varietals
Most important DO in Southern Spain
Chardonnay - Riesling - Semillon - Muscat - Sauvignon Blanc - Chenin Blanc - Verdelho - Viognier
Riesling & Spatburgunder - Wines are richer than Mosel - great aging potential - trocken wines are important - Erstes Gewachs (First Growths)
On the Rhine - Muller -Thurgau - Silvaner - Reisling - Scheurebe - Quality extremes: Liebfraumilch (low quality) to Nackenheimer Rothenberg (one of Germany's great vineyards)

42. Chateauneuf -de -Pape Soils
Southwest Sicily - Blend of Nero d'Avola (70%) and Frappatto (30%)
Marlborough - Nelson - Canterbury - Otago
Alluvial deposits and "pudding stones"
Known for Poverty Bay - High yields and large quantities of Muller -Thurgau - Bulk wine and carafe wine

43. Loire Valley

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44. Burgundy (Climate)
White wines from Viognier from small single estate
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)
Beaujolais AC - Beaujolais Nouveau AC - Beaujolais -Superieur AC - Beaujolais Villages AC - Beaujolais Cru AC
Semi -continental (four seasons; climate issues like frost - rain at harvest - hail)

45. Canterbury
Red wines with a minimum of 50% Grenache
Produced by adding distillate to a fermenting must (deliberately stuck fermentation) - Fortified wines typically 15 -16% - Muscat de Beaumes de Venise - Banyuls - etc.
Plum skin
Quality Riesling and Pinot Noir - Warm summers - cool autumns - lower rainfall - Most vineyards in plains surrounding Christchurch

46. Chablis Grand Crus
Vaudesir - Valmur - Les Preuses - Grenouilles - Bougros - Les Clos - Blanchot - Highest minimum alcohol of Chablis ACs
Dehydrated strawberries
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
South end of North Island - Includes Marlborough - Quality Pinot Noir (up and coming region)

47. Cabernet Sauvignon
South end of North Island - Includes Marlborough - Quality Pinot Noir (up and coming region)
Black plum
Neutral grape spirit at 77% alcohol added to port wine
Syrah - Grenache - Mourvedre - Cinsault - Counoise - Terret Noir - Vaccarese - Muscardin - etc.

48. Hermitage
Appellation for red and dry whites - No ranking; all designated Cru Classe - Pessac -Leognan AC in northern part
Steinfeder (11% alcohol) - Federspiel (Kabinett level) - Smaragd (Spatlese level)
ed wines from Syrah with up to 15% Marsanne and Roussanne - Whites from Marsanne and Roussanne
Best wines are made from Riesling - Area around Schlossbockelheim and Bad Kreuznach - Donhoff is a notable producer

49. Vin de Liqueur
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
Saint Amour - Julienas - Chenas - Chiroubles - Moulin a Vent - Fleurie - Morgon - Regnie - Brouilly - Cote de Brouilly
ed wines from Syrah with up to 15% Marsanne and Roussanne - Whites from Marsanne and Roussanne

50. Rainwater
Well -known for quality rose wines - Includes Southern Rhone varietals and more - Bandol - Cassis
(Bordeaux)Mostly Cabernet Sauvignon (70%); Merlot - minor varietals (30%)
Blueberry
Soft Verdelho -style wine created in the 18th century