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Master Sommelier Theory > California / Other USA > Flashcards

California / Other USA Flashcards

1
Q

What is California’s newest AVA?

A

2020 - Alisos Canyon (Santa Barbara - Los Alamos - Au Bon Climat)

2020 - Tehachapi Mountains - between Bakersfield and LA - north of Antelope Valley AVA

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2
Q

California Plate techtonics & geology

A

Franciscan formation : Farallon plate ‘subduction’ going under the North American Plate,

compression of Pacific and North American plates @ San Andreas Fault - Napa & Sonoma Volcanics!

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3
Q

What are California’s 5 overarching regional AVAs?

A 
North Coast
Sierra Foothills
San Francisco Bay
Central Coast
South Coast
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4
Q

South Coast AVA

A

5 counties

Riverside
San Diego
San Bernardino
Orange
Los Angeles
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5
Q 
Lytton Springs; 
Kronos; 
Bloom’s Field; 
Volcanic Hill; 
Los Alamos; 
Jensen, 
Marjory’s Vineyard, 
Raschen Ridge
A 
Ridge, Zinfandel, Dry Creek; 
Corison, CS, St. Helena; 
Dom de la Cote, PN, Sta. Rita Hills; 
Diamond Creek, CS, Diamond Mountain; 
Au Bon Climat; 
Calera; 
Cristom; 
Hirsch
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6
Q

Mendocino Ridge AVA

A

only non-contiguous AVA, 1200 ft. elevation requirement

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7
Q

State minimum % - California

A

100%

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8
Q

Lake County subs (6)

A 
Benmore Valley, 
High Valley, 
Kelsey Bench, 
Clear Lake, 
Guenoc, 
Red Hills
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9
Q

Lodi AVAs (7)

A 
Clements Hills, 
Borden Range, 
Sloughouse, 
Jahant, 
Mokulumne River, 
Clarksburg, 
Alta Mesa
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10
Q

Mendocino sub AVA monopoles

A

McDowell - McDowell Valley winery;

Cole Ranch - Esterlina

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11
Q

Which 2 rivers conjoin in Mendocino

A

Navarro and Russian

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12
Q

What 7 AVAs are nested entirely within Mendocino AVA

A 
McDowell Valley, 
Yorkville Highlands, 
Anderson Valley, 
Cole Ranch, 
Potter Valley, 
Redwood Valley,
Eagle Peak

Not nested-
Mendo Ridge
Dos Rios
Covelo

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13
Q

What were the most predominant grapes in Napa Valley pre-prohibition?

A

“Mixed Blacks” -

Alicante Bouschet
Petite Sirah
Zinfandel
Carignan

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14
Q

How big is Napa Valley compared to Bordeaux?

A

1/8th the size (45,000 acres vs. 290,000)

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15
Q

What is the current average price per ton of grapes in Napa?

A

$7,000/ton for Cabernet, about half as much for other grapes

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16
Q

Examples of wineries still practicing“old school” Napa winemaking

A 
Corison
Phillip Togni
Cain
Spring Mountain Vineyard
Dunn
Stony Hill
Heitz
Mayacamas
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17
Q

Pioneering producers of Carneros?

A

Saintsbury,
Etude
Carneros Creek
Bouchaine

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18
Q

Where does the elevation cut-off start for Howell Mountain AVA? Why?

A

1400 ft- above fog line

most between 1400 and 2200

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19
Q

100% merlot, 100% cabernet franc in Napa?

A 
Keenan merlot and cab franc, 
Duckhorn 3 Palms, 
Switchback Ridge, 
Arietta, 
La Jota CF, 
Gallica CF, 
Larkin, 
Palazzo, 
Ovid Hexameter (CF dominant)
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20
Q

Stags Leap Wine Cellars Estate vineyard Cabernet Bottlings

A

Fay, SLV, Cask 23

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21
Q

Top 3 reds in the Judgement of Paris

A

SLV 1973;
Chateau Mouton,
Chateau Montrose;

4th - Haut Brion

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22
Q

What rootstock proved faulty in the 1980s

A

AxR 1

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23
Q

California’s 1st commercial syrah vines?

A

Gary Eberle, Paso Robles

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24
Q

Paso Robles Producers

A 
Saxum, 
Tablas, 
Daou, 
Linne Calodo, 
Austin, 
Justin, 
Eberle
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25
Which California sub-AVAs are located in Amador County?
California Shenandoah Valley | Fiddletown
26
Which California sub-AVAs are in El Dorado County?
El Dorado | Fairplay
27
Where is Marcassin vineyard located?
Fort-Ross Seaview
28
What are the sub-AVAs of RRV?
Green Valley & Chalk Hill (PN, CH, Zin - above fog line)
29
Green Valley AVA is distinguished by…
uniform Goldridge sandy loam, much foggier and cooler
30
Northern Sonoma AVA (blending AVA for estate bottlings) does not contain…
Carneros | Sonoma Valley
31
Green Valley producers
Freeman, Kosta Browne, Iron horse, Small Vines
32
Country, State, County minimum %
75%
33
AVA minimum %
85%
34
Vintage date minimum % from an AVA
95%
35
Vintage date minimum % from a State or County
85%
36
Variety minimum %
75%
37
Vitis Labrusca Variety minimum % (Concord, Catawba)
51%
38
“Estate bottled”
100% vineyard land owned or controlled by winery and all in the same AVA
39
Which organization regulates Wine Law in the USA?
TTB - tax and trade bureau
40
A wine may be labelled ‘Table Wine’ or ‘Light Wine’ if it is
7-14% alcohol
41
When did Prohibition occur in the USA?
From 1920-1933
42
Largest contiguous vineyard in the USA?
San Bernabe vineyard 5,000 acres - Central Valley, Mckinley Springs in HHH, Columbia Valley - 2800acres (1130ha) Largest vineyard in Europe is in Romania on Transylvanian Plateau
43
Who was the first producer in the USA to label a varietal chardonnay?
Martin Ray & Frank Schoonmaker, the Wentes (NYC distributor promoting varietal labelling), Mt. Eden (then Paul Masson) - cuttings from Louis Latour; Wente selection came from a Montpellier clone and from a Meursault clone brought over by Charles Wetmore to Livermore in 1882; Stony Hill - no batonnage, no malo, (McCreas) in 1946 took cuttings of Wente selection, Louis Martini took those, they were heat treated at UC Davis became known as clone 4 & 5 (high yields, high natural acidity), eventually made its way to Willamette known as clone 108 Hanzell - barrels from France - James Zellerbach 1953
44
Largest demarcated wine region in the world?
Upper Mississippi River Valley
45
Prohibition amendments
18th amendment prohibition, 21st amendment to end it
46
Arizona AVA?
Willcox Sonoita Verde Valley
47
Most important Colorado AVA?
Grand Valley (also West Elks, )
48
What is the oldest winery of the Americas?
Casa Madero - est. 1597 (Jesuit Mission in Coahuila) or the Urdinola Winery in 1593
49
Juan Ugarte
first to plant vines in Baja in 1701
50
Main wine city in Baja
Ensenada
51
Production areas in Baja
``` Valle de Guadalupe, Ojos Negros, Santo Tomas, San Vicente, Valle de la Grulla, Tecate ```
52
Coahuila
Parras de la Fuente, Casa Madero
53
Mexico’s largest winery
LA Cetto
54
Michigan AVAs
``` Fenville, Lake Michigan Shore, Old Mission Peninsula, Leelenau Peninsula, Tip of the Mitt ```
55
What grape is the pride of Missouri?
Norton, aestivalis, riedel makes a glass for it
56
What American is credited for understanding American rootstock?
Charles Valentine Riley - Berlandieri rootstocks adapted to limestone soils
57
1st AVA
Augusta, MO
58
What are the AVA's of New Mexico
Mesilla, Middle Rio Grande Valley, Mimbres Valley
59
Pennsylvania AVA
Lake Erie - Concord Grape belt
60
Where is the Sanford and Benedict vineyard located?
Sta. Rita Hills
61
Point Conception, Santa Barbara
Coastline bends and trends E-W
62
What is the most important AVA for grape growing in Texas?
High Plains - 75% percent of production is shipped to wineries in the Hill Country (subs - Bell Mountain; Fredericksburg) west of Austin - wide, flat, windy, calcareous soil
63
TX & NM shared AVA
Messiyah Valley
64
What is ‘Octagon?’
Octagon - Bordeaux Blend made by Barboursville Vineyards in Shenandoah Foothills, merlot dominant
65
White Rhone grape growing in popularity in Virginia?
Viognier, resistant to heat and humidity (loose bunches, thick skins)
66
Virginia & West Virginia shared AVA
Shenandoah Valley
67
What is the minimum elevation of Fort Ross Seaview?
920 feet
68
Vintage and Single Vineyard % for ALL states ?
95%
69
What are the AVAs of Monterey County?
``` Monterey Carmel Valley Santa Lucia Highlands Chalone Arroyo Seco Santa Cruz Mountains ```
70
What are the AVAs of San Benito County?
Chalone Mt. Harlan Lime Kiln Valley
71
What are the AVAs of San Luis Obispo County?
Paso Robles Edna Valley Arroya Grande York Mountain
72
What are the E-W mountain ranges that frame Santa Barbara AVA?
San Rafael Mountains Santa Ynez Mountains
73
Which Central Coast AVA contains "Greenfield Potatoes" (palm sized stones)
Arroyo Seco in Monterey County

Master Sommelier Theory (68 decks)

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