Wine Quiz! Test Your Smarts.

Test your wine smarts in 15 questions!

In the weeks I was studying for my WSET (Wine and Spirits Education Trust) tests I took a lot of quizzes provided by the institute. As you answered the questions correctly you would get to higher rounds. It really did help me learn.

I recently gave a wine tasting for some friends that incorporated a fun and simple 101 quiz. They liked it, so I thought I’d share it here! I’ll do this again if you all want.

Scroll to the bottom of the page for answers.

1. How does the United States rank as a wine-producing country?

A. 1st
B. 4th
C. 7th
D. 13th

2. What grape variety is known to many growers as the heartbreak grape?

A. Cabernet Sauvignon
B. Viognier
C. Pinot Noir
D. Zinfandel

3. In the famous 1976 Paris Tasting, the winning Chardonnay was made by:

A. Opus One
B. Chateau Montelena Winery
C. Maison Joseph Drouhin
D. Stag’s Leap Vineyard

4. Which of these grapes is not grown in Bordeaux?

A. Cabernet Sauvignon
B. Semillon
C. Gamay Noir
D. Sauvignon Blanc

5. Syrah and Petite Sirah relate to each other in this way:

A. The same grape, but Syrah is a larger version
B. Syrah and Petite Sirah come from different varieties and are therefore different wines altogether
C. They are both related to the grape Shiraz
D. They both have big tannins and are acidic

6. California produces more than what percentage of all wine made in the U.S.?

A. 20%
B. 50%
C. 70%
D. 90%

7. Which grape is the most planted in the world?

A. Chardonnay
B. White Zinfandel
C. Cabernet Sauvignon
D. Pinot Noir

8. Which grape is not successfully grown in Oregon?

A. Pinot Noir
B. Gamay
C. Merlot
D. Chardonnay

9. New York’s Finger Lakes are known for producing particularly strong:

A. Rieslings
B. Cabernet Sauvignons
C. Zinfandels
D. Merlots

10. What is the difference between red wine and white wine?

A. The skins of red wine grapes are darker in color
B. Red wine is harvested later
C. White wine is made from different grapes
D. When making red wine, the skins of the grapes are left in the wine during fermentation

11. Sangiovese is the type of grape used to make which wine?

A. Bordeaux style wine
B. White table wine
C. Chianti style wine
D. Rosé wine

12. Why is champagne bubbly?

A. The wine is aged less than still wine
B. The wine undergoes a secondary fermentation, and usually yeast and sugar is added
C. The wine is aged in steel and then again in bottles
D. The wine is shaken up until bubbles are created

13. What are the grapes in a Bordeaux style wine?

A. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Carmenere and Malbec
B. Merlot, Carmenere, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon
C. Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc
D. Merlot, Malbec and Pinot Noir

14. In organic wine…

A. Grapes are grown without synthetic fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides
B. The vast majority of it is consumed in Europe
C. Must have no added sulfites and can only contain them up to 10 parts per million
D. All of the above

15. If you drink a glass of wine a night every night of your adult life, you will drink an equivalent of:

A. 2,856 bottles of wine
B. 3,971 bottles of wine
C. 4,160 bottles of wine
D. 5,916 bottles of wine

(Finishing with a math question…That was mean of me!)

Cheers!
xx—BB

PS Answers below the photo!

Answers: 

1. B //  2. C // 3. B //  4. D // 5. B // 6. D // 7. C // 8. C // 9. A // 10. D // 11. C // 12. B // 13. A // 14. D // 15. C