Part 2 — Answer key

Compare your answers after you have finished Part 1.

1. You are handed a glass of bubbly labeled “Champagne.” Which location must it come from for that name to be legally used?
   Champagne, France
2. Chablis is made from Chardonnay.
   True
3. Which of these is a grape variety, not a place name?
   Cabernet Sauvignon
4. Rosé is usually made by blending red and white still wines together.
   False
5. A crisp white labeled “Sancerre” is overwhelmingly likely to be made from which grape?
   Sauvignon Blanc
6. On a sparkling wine label, “Extra Dry” is typically drier than “Brut.”
   False
7. On a U.S. wine label, “AVA” refers to what?
   An American wine region designation
8. On sparkling wine labels, “Brut” generally signals a dry style with relatively low residual sugar.
   True
9. All wines contain some sulfites, even if none are added during winemaking.
   True
10. Which grape is most closely associated with classic red Rioja?
    Tempranillo
11. DOCG is a top-tier appellation category from which country?
    Italy
12. AOC on a French label usually points to a legally defined geographic origin with production rules.
    True
13. You want a full-bodied red to smell as expressive as possible. Which glass shape helps most?
    Large-bowl stemmed glass
14. On a still French wine label, “Sec” generally means dry.
    True
15. You taste a white wine that is razor-high in acidity with lemon, green apple, and a chalky, stony feel. The producer emphasizes little to no new oak. Which label would best fit that profile?
    Chablis
16. In Champagne sweetness terms, “Demi-Sec” is sweeter than “Sec.”
    True
17. A bottle says “Cava” and tastes dry with bready notes and fine bubbles. Which production method is most likely?
    Traditional method
18. You’re deciding between four bottles based on a friend’s description: “ripe black fruit, 14.8% ABV, obvious vanilla and toast from oak.” Which option is the best match?
    Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
19. Bordeaux is a grape variety commonly blended with Merlot.
    False
20. You pick up a red labeled “Rioja Reserva.” What does “Reserva” most strongly signal in this context?
    Longer minimum aging is required
21. You want the driest likely Riesling from Germany. Which word on the label is the best clue?
    Trocken
22. In the U.S., the word “Reserve” has a single federally defined aging requirement.
    False
23. You want a white wine for oysters and you’re chasing “lemony, briny, and super crisp.” Which bottle most reliably hits that target?
    Muscadet
24. In Spain, “Garnacha” is the same grape known in much of France as what?
    Grenache
25. Malolactic fermentation generally makes a wine taste more acidic and sharper.
    False
26. A label reads “Barossa Shiraz.” In that phrase, what is “Barossa”?
    A wine region
27. Two Sauvignon Blancs are poured blind. Glass A is herbaceous with high acidity and lower alcohol. Glass B is punchy passionfruit with higher alcohol and very ripe fruit. Which description points more strongly to a cooler, more traditional Loire Valley style?
    Herbaceous, high-acid, lower-alcohol
28. In many classic European regions, the place name on the label is intended to tell you the grape variety indirectly.
    True
29. Which wine is typically made by adding grape spirit to stop fermentation, leaving natural sweetness behind?
    Port
30. A sparkling wine says “Blanc de Noirs.” What does that phrase mean?
    A white wine from dark-skinned grapes
31. A Chardonnay smells like melted butter and tastes rounder, not razor-sharp. Which winemaking choice most directly creates that buttery aroma?
    Malolactic fermentation
32. Decanting an older red wine is mainly done to add lots of oxygen and make it taste younger.
    False
33. An Italian Chianti Classico labeled “Riserva” most commonly indicates what compared with the standard bottling?
    Longer minimum aging
34. A U.S. wine label says “Cabernet Sauvignon.” Under federal labeling rules, what is the minimum percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon required in the bottle (in most cases)?
    75%
35. You’re deciding between two Rioja bottles and want the one that has, by definition, seen the longest regulated aging. Which statement about “Gran Reserva” is most accurate?
    Longer regulated aging, often reserved for top vintages
36. Which pairing is mismatched (the place name does not typically imply that grape)?
    Sancerre and Chardonnay