Wine Categories

Question 1

Chardonnay

Answer 1

White. Big flavors of vanilla, butter, butterscotch, buttered toast, custard, green apple, tropical fruit, lemon, pineapple with creamy, lush, and full-bodied textures.

Question 2

Chenin Blanc

Answer 2

White. Variety of degrees of sweetness from bone-dry to quite sweet. Can be very different depending on the region.

Question 3

Riesling

Answer 3

White. Low in alcohol, light in body. Delicate flavors of fresh ripe peach, apricots, melons, and sometimes minerality. Considered to be the most noble and unique white grape variety in the world.

Question 4

Sauvignon Blanc

Answer 4

White. Intense wine of straw, hay, grass, meadow, smoke green tea, green herbs with intensity and acidity through the center.

Question 5

Semillon

Answer 5

White. Generally used to blend with Sauvignon Blancs because it is the complete mirrored-opposite. On its own, it can make a great dry wine and as it gets older, it can develop to rich, honeyed, and lush flavors.

Question 6

Cabernet Sauvignon

Answer 6

Red. Has vast ranges of quality, of structure, and of maturity. It can be completely different when it’s young, and can grow into a satiny, rich, and complex wine. Think blackberry, black currant, cassis, mint, eucalyptus, cedarwood, leather, and plum.

Question 7

Merlot

Answer 7

Red. Merlot means “little black bird” and it is very similar in flavor profile as Cab Sauv. Merlot is often said to be more soft, flesh, and plump than a Cab Sauv.

Question 8

Pinot Noir

Answer 8

Red. The most difficult to make in a wine, this sensual grape is supple with silky textures and earthy aromas. It exudes flavors of baked cherries, plums, damp earth, mushrooms, cedar, cigars, chocolate, worn leather, and dry leaves.

Question 9

Syrah

Answer 9

Red. Rustic, manly, yet elegant. Can taste different, depending on which region it comes from but overall, it has a kinetic mouthfeel with leather, damp earth, wild blackberries, smoke, roasted meats, pepper, and spice. It can have a syrupy boysenberry-spice character.

Question 10

Shiraz

Answer 10

Red. Syrah because in France, but when brought to S. Africa and Australia, it became known as Shiraz. No one knows why.

Question 11

Petite Sirah

Answer 11

Red. Cult-like wine with unknown origins. DNA fingerprinting shows that it is a blend of several wines, including syrah, an ancient Rhone grape, or a cross of Syrah and Peloursin.