Wine Wednesday Quick Quiz Answers

Here are the correct answers for the Quick Quiz:

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QUESTION 1 ANSWER

New Zealand is best known for which one of the following grape varietals?

• Sauvignon Blanc
• Chenin Blanc
• Pinotage
• Syrah

Sauvignon blanc originates from the Loire Valley in France where it appears in such names as Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. It was first planted in New Zealand in the 1970s and it is now by far the country’s most famous wine style and also accounts for the vast majority of the country’s wine exports.

Eighty percent of New Zealand’s sauvignon blanc is grown in Marlborough, the country’s largest wine region. Small amounts are also grown in Hawkes Bay, Canterbury, and Central Otago.

New Zealand sauvignon blanc is a very distinctive wine. Its flavours range from capsicum and fresh cut grass to passionfruit, melon, and limes. It has a fresh acidity that makes it best drunk within four years of vintage.

QUESTION 2 ANSWER

South Africa is best known for which one of the following red grape varietals?

• Pinotage
• Merlot
• Malbec
• Chennin Blanc

Pinotage is a red wine grape that is South Africa’s signature variety. The grape is a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault (Hermitage) and was created in 1925 by Professor Abraham Perold. The variety combines the noble characteristics of the former with the reliability of the latter.

Unique to South Africa, it can produce complex and fruity wines with age but is also often very drinkable when young. It typically produces deep red wines with smoky, bramble, and earthy flavors, sometimes with notes of tropical fruits.

QUESTION 3 ANSWER

Chile is best known for which one of the following grape varietals?

• Carmenère
• Cabernet Franc
• Sangiovese
• Gamay

The Carmenère grape has become a national symbol of Chilean wines. Originally coming from the French region Médoc, it was almost wiped out by the vine pest in the 19th century in Europe. Long mistaken for Merlot, its true identity was revealed by a French oenologist who found remainders of the primary Carmenère-vine. Since that time, Carmenère is produced in the wineries near and south of Santiago on a large scale. Red, of fruity spicy flavour. Its tannin levels are not as high as those of Cabernet Sauvignon, turning the Carmenère into a light, compatible wine. This wine should be consumed while young.

QUESTION 4 ANSWER

Italy is best known for which one of the following grape varietals?

• Sangiovese
• Pinot Noir
• Babera
• Grenache

As the basis for Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino wines, dark and savory Sangiovese is perhaps Italy’s most famous red wine grape and the country’s most widely planted variety. The wines range widely in both quality and price, offering myriad options across the spectrum. The top Sangiovese wines include Antinori Tenuta Tignanello Toscana, Banfi Brunello di Montalcino, Monte Antico Toscano, Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino, and Bolla Chianti.

QUESTION 5 ANSWER

Spain is best known for which one of the following grape varietals?

• Tempranillo
• Nebbiolo
• Mataro
• Cinsault

Tempranillo is the best-known quality Red Wine Grape in Spain. ‘Temprano’ means early in Spanish, and the name Tempranillo refers to the early time the grape has been traditionally harvested. Tempranillo is also known as Tinto Fino or Tinta del País in Ribera del Duero and old Castilla, Cencibel in La Mancha and Ull de Llebre in Catalonia. The grape is also cultivated in the Duoro region in Portugal where it receives the name of Tinta Roriz.

Its ‘home’ is however La Rioja wine region. Tempranillo produces fresh and fruit young red wines but it shows its best when oak-aged.

When Tempranillo is vinified on its own it produces wines with aromas of strawberries and raspberries. Tempranillo gained its reputation thanks to the fine work of wineries in Rioja. Tempranillo is blended with other grapes in Rioja with a proportion of 70% tempranillo. The other grapes in this mixture are Garnacha, Marzuelo and Graciano.