It’s Thanksgiving week and despite all the hustle and bustle around the house, it’s time to take a break. So sit down in a favorite chair, pour a glass of bubbly, and take this wine “IQ” quiz whose sole purpose is to educate and amuse. (Each correct answer is worth 10 points. Award yourself a passing grade if you can get to 70 points in less time than it takes to casually drink two glasses of wine. )
1. Match the quote to its wine-loving author (2 points for each correct match):
1. “Too much of anything is bad, but too much Champagne is just right.”
2. “Men are like wine – some turn to vinegar but the best improve with age.”
3. “Age is just a number. It’s totally irrelevant unless, of course, you happen to be a bottle of wine.”
4. “I cook with wine. Sometimes I even add it to food.”
5. “No nation is drunken where wine is cheap.”
a. Thomas Jefferson; b. Joan Collins; C. Pope John XIII; D. W.C. Fields; E. F. Scott Fitzgerald
2. The world’s total number of vineyard acres devoted to wine production is:
a. 10 million; b. 16 million; c. 100 million; d. 160 million; e. More than 160 million
3. Cabernet Sauvignon is the world’s most widely planted grape (840,000 acres of vines). Which comes next?
a. Chardonnay; b. Merlot; c. Syrah; d. Tempranillo; e. Pinot Noir
4. True or False: The most widely planted wine grape in the United States is Chardonnay.
5. Fearing a glut of wine, the ruling Italian consortium has enacted a three-year ban on new vine plantings in this prestigious wine region for three years (2020-2023). Name the wine affected?
a. Chianti Classico; b. Brunello di Montalcino; c. Barolo; d. Prosecco; e. Super Tuscans.
6. Last month, the U.S. imposed a 25-percent tariff on all European Union imported wines (Champagne excluded) yet exempted one nation. Which one?
a. France; b. Spain; c. England; d. Germany; e. Italy
7. Which one of these is not a major trend in the global wine industry?
a. screwcaps; b. lower prices; c. canned/boxed wines; d. increased rose` production
8. Name the grape that is not found in a Bordeaux-style red blend from France.
a. Petit Verdot; b. Cabernet Sauvignon; c. Merlot; d. Syrah; e. Cabernet Franc
9. According to Wine-Search.com, Screaming Eagle’s rare Sauvignon Blanc of Napa Valley is the most expensive American wine trading on the global market today. How much does it cost per bottle?
a. $7,500; b. $6,737; c. $5,899; d. $4,229; e. $3,000
10. What is the top selling table wine brand in the U.S. so far in 2019?
a. Woodbridge; b. Barefoot; c. Sutter Home; d. Yellow Tail; e. Chateau Ste. Michelle
ANSWERS:
1. Matches are as follows: 1-E; 2-C; 3-B; 4-D; 5-A.
2. B. The answer is 16 million according to the International Organisation of Vine & Wine. By comparison, the U.S. has 800,000 total acres under vine.
3. B. Merlot accounts for 657,300 planted acres. Rounding out the top 10 are: Tempranillo, 570,800; Aireu, used in the production of Spanish Sherry, 538,900; Chardonnay, 518,900; Syrah, 470,000; Grenache Noir, 402,780; Sauvignon Blanc, 299,000; Pinot Noir, 285,000; and Trebbiano Toscano/Ugni Blanc, 274,300.
4. True. While Chardonnay plantings are decreasing, the grape still holds a slight edge over Cabernet Sauvignon – 106,000 acres under vine to 101,300, respectively. Pinot Noir is third (61,800), followed by Merlot (51,900) and Zinfandel (47,000).
5. C-Barolo. Fourteen million bottles are produced annually from the Nebbiolo grape on 5,187 acres, with 20 percent of Barolo imported to the U.S.
6. E-Italy. The tariff dispute centers on EU government subsidies given to Airbus, which Italy does not fund.
7. B-Lower prices.
8. D-Syrah. The varietal is a major component of Rhone Valley blends.
9. B-$6,737.
10. B-Barefoot. The E&J Gallo Winery-owned band has racked up $668 million in sales, far ahead of Sutter Homes’ second-best $366 million total.
Read more on wine on Jim Campanini’s blog site at www.grapefullyyours.live
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