Wine 101 Quiz

What is Wine?

• Wine is made from grapes, which contain sugar, acid, and tannin.
• The winemaking process involves converting sugar into alcohol through fermentation.

Grapes

• There are between 5,000 to 10,000 grape varieties, but only about 150 are commercially significant.
• Grape varieties can come from natural mutations, intentional crosses, or a combination of both.

Terroir

• Terroir refers to the natural environment in which a particular wine is produced, including climate, soil, and topography.
• Climate factors include precipitation, temperature, humidity, sunlight, and frost, which affect the acidity and flavor profile of the wine.
• Soil factors include the direction or orientation of the soil, drainage, and irrigation, which impact the flavor and acidity of the wine.
• Topography refers to the three-dimensional aspect of a site, including slopes, valleys, and mountains, which affect the growth of the grapes.

Understanding Terroir

• Old World wines (e.g., from Europe) tend to be more earth and mineral-driven, while New World wines (e.g., from the Americas) tend to be fruit-driven with higher alcohol levels.
• The same variety of grape can express itself differently depending on the region it's grown in.

Wine Making Process

• The winemaking process involves several stages: ripening, harvesting, crushing and pressing, fermentation, racking, filtering and fining, and maturation/aging.
• The ripening process involves the change of color of grape berries, known as veraison, and the increase in sugar and decrease in acidity.
• Harvesting involves picking grapes at the optimal time to balance sugar, acidity, and tannin levels.
• Crushing and pressing involves sorting, crushing, and pressing grapes to extract the juice.
• Fermentation involves converting sugar into alcohol through the action of yeast.
• Racking, filtering, and fining involve clarifying and stabilizing the wine.
• Maturation and aging involve allowing the wine to develop its flavor and character over time.

The Impact of Oak

• Oak can affect the color, flavor, tannin profile, and texture of wine.
• Oak can come into contact with wine in the form of a barrel during fermentation or aging periods.
• New oak imparts more flavor and tannin than old oak.

How to Taste Wine

• The tasting process involves looking, swirling, smelling, tasting, and concluding.
• Looking involves visually inspecting the wine to assess its age, oxidation, rim variation, transparency, and color density.
• Swirling involves aerating the wine to release its aromas.
• Smelling involves identifying the aromas and flavors of the wine.
• Tasting involves assessing the flavors, body, acid, tannin, and sugar levels of the wine.
• Concluding involves assessing the overall balance and enjoyment of the wine.

Test your knowledge of wine basics, from terroir and winemaking to tasting and the impact of oak. Learn about the key components of wine, including grapes, alcohol, acid, and tannin.