Wine vocabulary quiz

1. Which wine term means: "The tart, refreshing component of wine, mainly from tartaric and malic acids in the grapes. Cool climates and early picking give higher …; it helps wines age and pair with food."

Options: Saignée · Must · Decanting · Acidity

Answer: Acidity. Acidity. More words in the wine glossary.

2. Which wine term means: "The percentage of a wine's volume that is ethanol, printed on every label. Most table wines fall between about 11 and 15%; fortified wines reach 15 to 22%."

Options: Sur lie · Cork taint · Terroir · Alcohol by volume (ABV)

Answer: Alcohol by volume (ABV). Alcohol by volume (ABV). More words in the wine glossary.

3. Which wine term means: "Appellation d'origine contrôlée, France's protected place-name system created in 1935, now officially … (appellation d'origine protégée) under EU law. Each appellation sets its area, grapes, yields and methods."

Options: Punt · Château · Carbonic maceration · AOC / AOP

Answer: AOC / AOP. AOC / AOP. More words in the wine glossary.

4. Which wine term means: "A legally defined and protected geographical name for a wine. In Europe it usually comes with production rules; in the New World it often defines only the area."

Options: Grand cru · Punt · Appellation · Cépage

Answer: Appellation. Appellation. More words in the wine glossary.

5. Which wine term means: "French for blending: combining wines from different grapes, plots or barrels into a final wine. Central to Bordeaux and Champagne."

Options: Disgorgement · Acidity · Assemblage · Vintage

Answer: Assemblage. Assemblage. More words in the wine glossary.

6. Which wine term means: "American Viticultural Area, a US grape-growing region defined by geography and administered by the TTB. A wine naming an … must contain at least 85% grapes from it."

Options: AVA · Riddling · Terroir · Barrique

Answer: AVA. AVA. More words in the wine glossary.

7. Which wine term means: "A 225-litre oak barrel of the Bordeaux type, the most widely used barrel size for ageing wine."

Options: Riddling · Cuvée · Residual sugar · Barrique

Answer: Barrique. Barrique. More words in the wine glossary.

8. Which wine term means: "Stirring the lees in a barrel or tank so that the spent yeast stays in suspension, adding texture and roundness, often to white wines such as Burgundy."

Options: Varietal · Millésime · Bâtonnage · Ice wine

Answer: Bâtonnage. Bâtonnage. More words in the wine glossary.

9. Which wine term means: "A white wine, usually sparkling, made only from white grapes. In Champagne this means 100% Chardonnay in most cases."

Options: Vin de France · Barrique · Blanc de blancs · Clos

Answer: Blanc de blancs. Blanc de blancs. More words in the wine glossary.

10. Which wine term means: "A white wine, usually sparkling, made from black grapes pressed gently so the skins do not colour the juice. In Champagne these are Pinot Noir and Meunier."

Options: Flor · Body · Méthode traditionnelle · Blanc de noirs

Answer: Blanc de noirs. Blanc de noirs. More words in the wine glossary.

11. Which wine term means: "The sense of weight and fullness of a wine in the mouth, driven mainly by alcohol, extract and sugar. Wines are described as light, medium or full-bodied."

Options: Body · Flor · DOCG · Vin de France

Answer: Body. Body. More words in the wine glossary.

12. Which wine term means: "… cinerea, a fungus that in the right humid-then-dry conditions becomes noble rot, shrivelling grapes and concentrating their sugar. It is behind Sauternes, Tokaji Aszú and Trockenbeerenauslese."

Options: Grand cru · Vin de France · Botrytis · Fortified wine

Answer: Botrytis. Botrytis. More words in the wine glossary.

13. Which wine term means: "A dry sparkling wine with under 12 grams of sugar per litre. It is the most common style of Champagne."

Options: Brut · Magnum · Botrytis · Blanc de blancs

Answer: Brut. Brut. More words in the wine glossary.

14. Which wine term means: "Fermenting whole, uncrushed bunches in a vat filled with carbon dioxide, so fermentation starts inside each berry. It gives soft, fruity reds and is typical of Beaujolais."

Options: Carbonic maceration · Flor · Tannin · Barrique

Answer: Carbonic maceration. Carbonic maceration. More words in the wine glossary.

15. Which wine term means: "French for grape variety. On a label it lists the varieties used in the wine."

Options: Decanting · Assemblage · Cépage · Cru

Answer: Cépage. Cépage. More words in the wine glossary.

16. Which wine term means: "Adding sugar to grape must before or during fermentation to raise the final alcohol. It is regulated and banned in some regions and categories, such as German Prädikatswein."

Options: Terroir · Chaptalization · Varietal · Botrytis

Answer: Chaptalization. Chaptalization. More words in the wine glossary.

17. Which wine term means: "Making sparkling wine by running the second fermentation in a pressurised tank rather than in each bottle. Patented by Federico Martinotti in 1895 and used for most Prosecco."

Options: Charmat method · Sekt · Flor · Phylloxera

Answer: Charmat method. Charmat method. More words in the wine glossary.

18. Which wine term means: "A wine estate, used above all in Bordeaux, whether or not it has a castle. On a label it usually names the producer."

Options: Malolactic fermentation · Château · Sulfites · Fining

Answer: Château. Château. More words in the wine glossary.

19. Which wine term means: "In Burgundy, a precisely delimited, named vineyard plot with its own soil and exposure."

Options: Climat · Cuvée · Grosses Gewächs · Saignée

Answer: Climat. Climat. More words in the wine glossary.

20. Which wine term means: "A vineyard that was historically en…ed by a wall, common in Burgundy, as in … de Vougeot or … de Tart."

Options: Alcohol by volume (ABV) · Phylloxera · Sekt · Clos

Answer: Clos. Clos. More words in the wine glossary.

21. Which wine term means: "A musty, wet-cardboard fault, mainly caused by the compound TCA (2,4,6-trichloroanisole), which can come from contaminated corks. A tainted wine is described as corked."

Options: Blanc de noirs · Cork taint · Château · Must

Answer: Cork taint. Cork taint. More words in the wine glossary.

22. Which wine term means: "French traditional-method sparkling wine made outside Champagne, such as … d'Alsace, de Bourgogne or de Loire."

Options: Old vines · Crémant · Sommelier · Solera

Answer: Crémant. Crémant. More words in the wine glossary.

23. Which wine term means: "French for growth: a vineyard or estate recognised for its quality. Ranked as grand … or premier … in Burgundy and Champagne, and as classified growths in Bordeaux."

Options: Cru · Charmat method · Vigneron · Brut

Answer: Cru. Cru. More words in the wine glossary.

24. Which wine term means: "From the French for vat: a specific blend or batch of wine. In Champagne it also means the first and best juice from the press."

Options: Cuvée · Grosses Gewächs · Blanc de blancs · Rootstock

Answer: Cuvée. Cuvée. More words in the wine glossary.

25. Which wine term means: "Districtus Austriae Controllatus, Austria's appellation system created in 2001. A … name is reserved for wines in the region's typical style; Weinviertel became the first in 2003."

Options: Cru · Crémant · DAC · Cuvée

Answer: DAC. DAC. More words in the wine glossary.

26. Which wine term means: "Pouring wine from its bottle into another vessel, to separate it from sediment or to expose it to air before serving."

Options: Cru · Fortified wine · Magnum · Decanting

Answer: Decanting. Decanting. More words in the wine glossary.

27. Which wine term means: "In traditional-method sparkling wine, removing the plug of yeast sediment from the neck of the bottle, usually by freezing it, before the dosage is added."

Options: Solera · DOC · Disgorgement · Appellation

Answer: Disgorgement. Disgorgement. More words in the wine glossary.

28. Which wine term means: "Denominación de Origen, Spain's standard appellation, and Denominación de Origen Calificada, its top tier, held by Rioja (since 1991) and Priorat."

Options: DO / DOCa · Premier cru · Magnum · Residual sugar

Answer: DO / DOCa. DO / DOCa. More words in the wine glossary.

29. Which wine term means: "Denominazione di Origine Controllata, Italy's appellation tier introduced in 1963. Portugal uses the same abbreviation for its own top tier."

Options: Assemblage · Cork taint · DOC · Clos

Answer: DOC. DOC. More words in the wine glossary.

30. Which wine term means: "Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita, Italy's highest classification, created in 1980 for Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano."

Options: Carbonic maceration · DOCG · Disgorgement · DOC

Answer: DOCG. DOCG. More words in the wine glossary.

31. Which wine term means: "A wine estate that grows its own grapes, the usual term in Burgundy and other French regions."

Options: Must · Body · Domaine · Barrique

Answer: Domaine. Domaine. More words in the wine glossary.

32. Which wine term means: "The small dose of wine and sugar (liqueur d'expédition) added to sparkling wine after disgorgement. It sets the final sweetness, from Brut Nature to Doux."

Options: DAC · Old vines · Disgorgement · Dosage

Answer: Dosage. Dosage. More words in the wine glossary.

33. Which wine term means: "French for raising: everything that happens to a wine between fermentation and bottling, such as ageing in barrel or tank, racking and blending."

Options: Phylloxera · Charmat method · Élevage · Disgorgement

Answer: Élevage. Élevage. More words in the wine glossary.

34. Which wine term means: "Selling wine as futures, before it is bottled. Bordeaux châteaux release young wines this way in the spring after the harvest."

Options: Fining · En primeur · Grosses Gewächs · Sur lie

Answer: En primeur. En primeur. More words in the wine glossary.

35. Which wine term means: "Adding an agent such as bentonite clay or egg white to wine to remove proteins or harsh tannins that would cause haze or bitterness."

Options: Fining · Premier cru · Méthode traditionnelle · Appellation

Answer: Fining. Fining. More words in the wine glossary.

36. Which wine term means: "A layer of yeast that forms on the surface of some Sherries in barrel, protecting them from oxygen and giving fino and manzanilla their tangy, bready taste."

Options: Flor · Négociant · Terroir · Grand cru

Answer: Flor. Flor. More words in the wine glossary.

37. Which wine term means: "Wine to which distilled spirit, usually grape brandy, is added, raising alcohol to 15 to 22%. Port, Sherry, Madeira and vins doux naturels are examples."

Options: Old vines · Fortified wine · Méthode traditionnelle · DOC

Answer: Fortified wine. Fortified wine. More words in the wine glossary.

38. Which wine term means: "Great growth: the top vineyard ranking in Burgundy, Alsace and Champagne. In Bordeaux's Saint-Émilion it is a separate classification of estates."

Options: Grand cru · DO / DOCa · DOC · Vin doux naturel

Answer: Grand cru. Grand cru. More words in the wine glossary.

39. Which wine term means: "A dry wine from a VDP Grosse Lage, the top vineyard class of Germany's VDP association of leading estates. Often abbreviated GG."

Options: Grosses Gewächs · Premier cru · Sulfites · IGP

Answer: Grosses Gewächs. Grosses Gewächs. More words in the wine glossary.

40. Which wine term means: "Indication géographique protégée, the French tier between AOP and Vin de France, which replaced Vin de Pays. Rules are looser than for AOP."

Options: IGP · Crémant · Blanc de noirs · Charmat method

Answer: IGP. IGP. More words in the wine glossary.

41. Which wine term means: "Sweet wine made from grapes frozen on the vine and pressed while frozen, concentrating sugar and acid. Called Eiswein in Germany and Austria; Icewine is a trademark in Canada."

Options: Oak · Acidity · Ice wine · Cru

Answer: Ice wine. Ice wine. More words in the wine glossary.

42. Which wine term means: "The sediment of dead yeast and grape particles left after fermentation. Ageing on the … adds texture and bready or nutty flavours."

Options: Crémant · Lees · Terroir · Domaine

Answer: Lees. Lees. More words in the wine glossary.

43. Which wine term means: "A 1.5-litre bottle, equal to two standard 75 cl bottles. Wine often ages more slowly in …."

Options: Élevage · Riddling · DOCG · Magnum

Answer: Magnum. Magnum. More words in the wine glossary.

44. Which wine term means: "A bacterial conversion, mainly by Oenococcus oeni, of sharp malic acid into softer lactic acid. Nearly all reds and some whites, such as many Chardonnays, go through it."

Options: Saignée · DOCG · Must · Malolactic fermentation

Answer: Malolactic fermentation. Malolactic fermentation. More words in the wine glossary.

45. Which wine term means: "The traditional method of sparkling winemaking, with a second fermentation in each bottle, followed by lees ageing, riddling and disgorgement. Used for Champagne, Cava and Crémant."

Options: Méthode traditionnelle · Tannin · Acidity · Premier cru

Answer: Méthode traditionnelle. Méthode traditionnelle. More words in the wine glossary.

46. Which wine term means: "French for vintage year. A millésimé Champagne is made from a single year's harvest."

Options: Assemblage · Millésime · Élevage · Decanting

Answer: Millésime. Millésime. More words in the wine glossary.

47. Which wine term means: "Freshly pressed grape juice, with or without skins, seeds and stems, before or during fermentation."

Options: Varietal · Vin de France · Alcohol by volume (ABV) · Must

Answer: Must. Must. More words in the wine glossary.

48. Which wine term means: "A merchant who buys grapes, must or finished wine from growers and sells it under its own name. Important in Burgundy, Bordeaux and Champagne."

Options: Négociant · Acidity · Dosage · Fining

Answer: Négociant. Négociant. More words in the wine glossary.

49. Which wine term means: "The wood used for most wine barrels. New … adds vanilla, spice and toast; older barrels mainly allow slow oxygen exchange."

Options: DOCG · Oak · AVA · En primeur

Answer: Oak. Oak. More words in the wine glossary.

50. Which wine term means: "The science and study of wine and winemaking. An oenologist is a trained winemaking specialist."

Options: Ice wine · Oenology · Cépage · Reductive

Answer: Oenology. Oenology. More words in the wine glossary.

51. Which wine term means: "Vines of advanced age, often several decades, which usually give lower yields of concentrated fruit. In most countries the term, vieilles vignes in French, has no legal definition."

Options: Old vines · Solera · Riddling · Reductive

Answer: Old vines. Old vines. More words in the wine glossary.

52. Which wine term means: "Describes wine made or aged with deliberate exposure to oxygen, giving nutty, bruised-apple or caramel notes, as in oloroso Sherry, tawny Port or vin jaune."

Options: DO / DOCa · Oxidative · Riddling · Grosses Gewächs

Answer: Oxidative. Oxidative. More words in the wine glossary.

53. Which wine term means: "Italian wine made from grapes dried after harvest to concentrate sugar, such as … di Pantelleria. The drying process is called appassimento and is also used for Amarone."

Options: Passito · Carbonic maceration · AOC / AOP · Appellation

Answer: Passito. Passito. More words in the wine glossary.

54. Which wine term means: "A tiny North American aphid-like insect that attacks vine roots. It destroyed over 40% of French vineyards from the 1860s and is controlled by grafting vines onto resistant American rootstocks."

Options: Vigneron · Phylloxera · Terroir · Oak

Answer: Phylloxera. Phylloxera. More words in the wine glossary.

55. Which wine term means: "Germany's top official quality category, labelled with a ripeness level from Kabinett to Trockenbeerenauslese. Chaptalization is not allowed."

Options: AVA · Château · Prädikatswein · Vigneron

Answer: Prädikatswein. Prädikatswein. More words in the wine glossary.

56. Which wine term means: "First growth. In Burgundy it ranks vineyards just below grand cru; in Bordeaux's 1855 classification, … (first growth) is the top rank."

Options: Premier cru · Ice wine · Oxidative · DO / DOCa

Answer: Premier cru. Premier cru. More words in the wine glossary.

57. Which wine term means: "The indentation in the base of a wine bottle, found especially on sparkling wine bottles."

Options: Flor · Punt · Sulfites · Blanc de noirs

Answer: Punt. Punt. More words in the wine glossary.

58. Which wine term means: "Describes wine made with minimal oxygen exposure, preserving fresh fruit. Excess reduction can cause sulfur smells such as struck match."

Options: Bâtonnage · En primeur · Reductive · Barrique

Answer: Reductive. Reductive. More words in the wine glossary.

59. Which wine term means: "The grape sugar left unfermented in a finished wine, measured in grams per litre. EU rules call a still wine dry up to 4 g/L in most cases."

Options: IGP · Tannin · Grand cru · Residual sugar

Answer: Residual sugar. Residual sugar. More words in the wine glossary.

60. Which wine term means: "Remuage in French: gradually turning and tilting sparkling wine bottles until the sediment collects in the neck. Now usually done by machines called gyropalettes."

Options: Riddling · Chaptalization · Vin doux naturel · Solera

Answer: Riddling. Riddling. More words in the wine glossary.

61. Which wine term means: "The root system onto which a fruiting vine variety is grafted. American or hybrid …s protect European vines against phylloxera."

Options: Magnum · Élevage · Rootstock · Dosage

Answer: Rootstock. Rootstock. More words in the wine glossary.

62. Which wine term means: "Bleeding off some pink juice from a tank of red grapes early in maceration, to make rosé and concentrate the remaining red wine."

Options: Solera · Saignée · Yield · Reductive

Answer: Saignée. Saignée. More words in the wine glossary.

63. Which wine term means: "German or Austrian sparkling wine. Quality … can be made by the tank or the traditional method."

Options: Sommelier · Sulfites · Sekt · Acidity

Answer: Sekt. Sekt. More words in the wine glossary.

64. Which wine term means: "A system of fractional blending used for Sherry, in which wine is drawn from the oldest barrels and topped up with younger wine, so each bottling contains a mix of ages."

Options: Carbonic maceration · Varietal · Solera · Barrique

Answer: Solera. Solera. More words in the wine glossary.

65. Which wine term means: "A trained wine professional, usually working in a restaurant, who selects wines, advises guests and serves wine."

Options: AVA · Sommelier · Cork taint · DO / DOCa

Answer: Sommelier. Sommelier. More words in the wine glossary.

66. Which wine term means: "Sulfur dioxide and related compounds used as a preservative and antioxidant in winemaking. Labels in the EU and US must state that the wine contains …."

Options: Sulfites · Vin doux naturel · Fortified wine · Brut

Answer: Sulfites. Sulfites. More words in the wine glossary.

67. Which wine term means: "French for on the lees: a wine aged on its spent yeast before bottling, as in Muscadet Sèvre et Maine …."

Options: Lees · Ice wine · Sur lie · AOC / AOP

Answer: Sur lie. Sur lie. More words in the wine glossary.

68. Which wine term means: "Polyphenols from grape skins, seeds and stems, and from oak, that create a drying, grippy feel in the mouth. … is much higher in red wine and helps it age."

Options: DAC · Méthode traditionnelle · AOC / AOP · Tannin

Answer: Tannin. Tannin. More words in the wine glossary.

69. Which wine term means: "The combined influence of a site's soil, climate, topography and local tradition on the character of a wine. The founding idea behind European appellations."

Options: Assemblage · Terroir · Bâtonnage · Barrique

Answer: Terroir. Terroir. More words in the wine glossary.

70. Which wine term means: "The air space between the wine and the closure in a bottle or barrel. High … in an old bottle can signal leakage or oxidation."

Options: Alcohol by volume (ABV) · Ullage · AVA · Clos

Answer: Ullage. Ullage. More words in the wine glossary.

71. Which wine term means: "A wine named after and made mainly from a single grape variety. In the EU, a single named variety must make up at least 85% of the wine."

Options: Vin de France · Decanting · Body · Varietal

Answer: Varietal. Varietal. More words in the wine glossary.

72. Which wine term means: "France's basic wine category, which replaced table wine. It may show grape and vintage but no region smaller than France."

Options: Vin de France · Oak · Sekt · Bâtonnage

Answer: Vin de France. Vin de France. More words in the wine glossary.

73. Which wine term means: "French fortified sweet wine whose fermentation is stopped by adding grape spirit, such as Banyuls or Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise."

Options: Ullage · Vin doux naturel · En primeur · Varietal

Answer: Vin doux naturel. Vin doux naturel. More words in the wine glossary.

74. Which wine term means: "French for a vine grower, often one who also makes wine from their own grapes."

Options: DOC · Assemblage · Vigneron · Alcohol by volume (ABV)

Answer: Vigneron. Vigneron. More words in the wine glossary.

75. Which wine term means: "The year the grapes were harvested. A … wine comes wholly or mainly from that single year; a non-… wine blends several years."

Options: Vintage · DOC · Tannin · Charmat method

Answer: Vintage. Vintage. More words in the wine glossary.

76. Which wine term means: "The amount of grapes or wine a vineyard produces, measured in hectolitres per hectare in Europe or tons per acre in the US. Appellation rules often set a maximum."

Options: Saignée · Cru · Yield · Cuvée

Answer: Yield. Yield. More words in the wine glossary.