Test your wine knowledge and wish me luck!

Next Thursday I take my Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) exam up in Washington DC. Needless to say I am nervous, I have never been a good test taker, but I’m hoping since I LOVE the subject, it will help my test taking skills. I know I have said it before, but the more I learn about wine and wine making the more I realize what I don’t know. Studying for this test has really taken that thought to a whole new level, which has been fun and enlightening all in the same breath. Where much of the information I have known at a top-line level, having to dive deeper into topographical differences between regions of countries, why certain grapes are grown where and the countless governmental rules that impose the wine making process around the world has been a challenge. But as I said I do LOVE the topic so it has been fun, not like learning calculus!

Along the way I have learned quite a few new facts ,while others have been clarified and explored to a deeper level. I thought it would be fun to put a few of them up on the site, so YOU could test your knowledge. I have put the answers at the bottom of the post.

1. What grape is said to be the ancestor of all grape varieties?

2. Trocken, Classic and Select are all terms for “dry” in reference to German Riesling? True of False

3. What percentage of US wine does California produce?

4. Were grapes first planted in Napa or Sonoma?

5. Which has longer aging requirements, a Barolo or a Chianti Classico Riserva?

6. What is the second fermentation called in the traditional method of making Champagne?

This is a small list of questions, the tip of the iceberg from my 8 inch stack of notecards and pages of notes. After really cracking down for the past couple weeks I feel my wine knowledge has quadroupled and I am feeling confident about the test. Needless to say a little luck could never hurt so keep your fingers crossed for me. 🙂

Cheers!

1. Muscat, 2. True, 3. 90%, 4. Sonoma, 5. Barolo (3 yr. Min vs. 2 yrs and 3 months), 6. Prise de mousse