Wine Wednesday Quick Quiz Answers
Here are the correct answers for the Quick Quiz:
TOP 21 of 52 LEADERBOARD FOR MAY
Well done Karen!!


QUESTION 1 ANSWER
All genuine Champagnes must spend at least 15 months on the lees (a statutory timeframe). In practice how long is it for non-vintage Champagnes?
- 18 months
- 2-3 years
- 6 years
- 10 years
All genuine Champagnes must spend at least 15 months maturing in the winemaker’s cellars before release. In practice, this statutory timeframe – already significant compared to other sparkling wines – is nearly always longer in Champagne: 2-3 years for non-vintage wines and 4-10 years for vintage Champagne.

QUESTION 2 ANSWER
The art of Champagne-making has always been about blending. What kind of blend are authorized in Champagne?
- One or more grape varieties
- One or more crus (regions)
- A blend of wines from the same year
- All of the above

QUESTION 3 ANSWER
The Champagne subsoil is predominantly limestone, for the most part chalk. Champagne chalk is made up of the fossil skeletons of marine microorganisms?
- True
- False
The personality of Champagne, in terms of characteristics and quality, is due to the fact that terroir exerts its influence in natural conditions found only in Champagne.
That is why there is the saying: It is not Champagne if it is not from Champagne. If Champagne benefits from a unique terroir in the world, it is mainly thanks to 3 elements:
– Climate
– Relief
– Soil and subsoil
which create a specific combination, a mosaic of micro-terroirs with unique characteristics.
Geology influences the production of grapes but most of all the quality of wines. The essential characteristic of Champagne vineyards is to be located in soils mainly made of limestone, which make up the eastern part of Bassin Parisien. The Bassin Parisien is an ancient depression of the secondary and tertiary era, once occupied by shallow seas and lakes.
The history of gypsum (craie) in Champagne dates back to the period between the Jurassic (200 to 100 million years ago), when the sea covered the entire region, and the Cretaceous. An impressive array of marine fossils was formed during these geological periods.
Chalk, ‘craie’, clay in Latin, is a sedimentary rock of marine origin formed by an accumulation of shells and calcareous microorganisms in a shallow sea (50 to 100 m), where sea urchins, oysters and belemnites (fossilized squid-like cephalopods) lived. It gave its name to this geological period, the Cretaceous (60 to 80 million years).
When the sea receded, this chalky mud solidified to form gypsum, the main component of the subsoil and thus the terroir of Champagne.
We often talk about how the Champagne terroir is unique in the world.
Chalk is its main element and gives wine its inimitable mineral qualities and much more.

QUESTION 4 ANSWER
In which year was the first time an international rule was proclaimed that only wine produced in the Champagne appellation could bear the name?
- 1812
- 1891
- 1908
- 1941
In 1891 the Treaty of Madrid established the rule that only wine produced in the Champagne appellation could bear the name. This was then reiterated in the Treaty of Versailles after World War I and the region then obtained official AOC recognition (appellation d’origine controlee) in 1936.
The CIVC has embarked on several legal cases, challenging other countries and international producers of illegally using the term ‘Champagne’ and now over 70 countries world-wide have adopted the legal recognition of this term.

QUESTION 5 ANSWER
One of the most prominent tasks of the CIVC (Comité Interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne) is to:
- To safeguard the name of Champagne
- Promote the Champagne brands
- Manage the Champagne distribution network
- To ensure the Champagne is blended correctly, around the world
The Comité Interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne was established in April 1941, in reaction to the German occupation of France. Monsieur Robert-Jean Vogüe, who at the time was heading Moët & Chandon, took the initiative to negotiate with the Germans concerning the requisition and strict control of the Champagne trade under the occupational power and Vichy regime. Nowadays, the committee still embodies the same philosophy, however has further developed it, endeavouring to protect and represent the Champagne community and its economic interests at home and abroad.
The CIVC is influential in many aspects of the Champagne industry,Champagne Bottles- Alexandre Penet including setting prices, regulating harvests and providing education to consumers. However, one of its most prominent activities is to safeguard the name of Champagne.
A wine can only be called Champagne if it is produced in the Champagne appellation and made in accordance with regulations set by the CIVC (Comité Interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne).
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WEDNESDAY WINE CLUB
LEADERBOARD
NOTE: Click on the GREEN + sign on your row to see all the data for you
Rank | Name | Total | 2 Aug | 9 Aug | 16 Aug | 23 Aug | 30 Aug |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Chris H | 14 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
2 | Mario | 14 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
3 | Navin | 13 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
4 | Pieta | 13 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
5 | Karen | 12 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
6 | Ashleigh | 11 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
7 | Jean | 11 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
8 | Sue | 11 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
9 | Hanspeter | 10 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
10 | Linda | 10 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
11 | Melissa | 10 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
12 | Michelle | 9 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
13 | Charmaine | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
14 | Trevor | 7 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
15 | Barrie | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
16 | Lanser | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
17 | Bruno | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
18 | Charles | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
19 | Kudzai | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
20 | Gaale | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
21 | Lizelle | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
22 | Shane | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
23 | Eugene | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
24 | Lucas | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
25 | Petrus | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
26 | Urbanus | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
27 | Andrew | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
28 | Bongani Ndlovu | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
29 | Dillon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
30 | Gary | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
31 | Jackie | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
32 | Johan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
33 | Johannes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
34 | Njabulo | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
35 | Odette | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
36 | Paula | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
37 | Phindi | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
38 | Pranav | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
39 | Roxy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
40 | Shelton | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
41 | Sinisa | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
42 | Tertius | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
43 | Tobie | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
44 | Wikus | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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The Team at The Wednesday Wine Club