General Knowledge

Question 1

What type of control does blending of the base wine offer for sparkling wine producers?

Answer 1

The amount of fruit flavor (from the varieties involved) and the level of acidity in the wine can be controlled without other adjustments.

Question 2

What is RCGM?

Answer 2

Rectified Concentrated Grape Must, an odorless, colorless, and tasteless liquid with neutral acidity and near-zero SO2 that results from the removal of all non-sugar components of grape must.

Question 3

What are the EU labelling terms for sweetness in sparkling wines?

Answer 3

Brut Nature/Bruto Naturel/Naturherb/Zéro Dosage

Extra Brut/Extra Bruto/Extra Herb

Brut/Bruto/Herb

Extra-Sec/Extra-Dry/Extra Trocken

Sec/Secco/Seco/Dry/Trocken

Demi-Sec/Semi-Seco/Medium Dry/Abboccato/Halbtrocken

Doux/Dulce/Sweet/Mild

Question 4

What is the level of residual sugar permitted in Brut Nature sparkling wines?

Answer 4

0-3 g/L

Question 5

What is the level of residual sugar permitted in Extra Brut sparkling wines?

Answer 5

0-6 g/L

Question 6

What is the level of residual sugar permitted in Brut sparkling wines?

Answer 6

0-12 g/L

Question 7

What is the level of residual sugar permitted in Extra-Sec sparkling wines?

Answer 7

12-17 g/L

Question 8

What is the level of residual sugar permitted in Sec sparkling wines?

Answer 8

17-32 g/L

Question 9

What is the level of residual sugar permitted in Demi-Sec sparkling wines?

Answer 9

32-50 g/L

Question 10

What is the level of residual sugar permitted in Doux sparkling wines?

Answer 10

50+ g/L

Question 11

What is the advantage to using the tank method?

Answer 11

Large volumes of sparkling wine can be produced and released quickly, lowering costs and prices

Question 12

What are the major sparkling wines of Italy?

Answer 12

Prosecco, Franciacorta, Lambrusco, Asti, and Trentodoc

Question 13

What factor has made Italy a major producer of sparkling wine?

Answer 13

Worldwide demand for Prosecco

Question 14

What country is the largest exporter of sparkling wine by value?

Answer 14

France

Question 15

What country is the largest exporter of sparkling wine by volume?

Answer 15

Italy

Question 16

What are the two methods of sparkling wine that comprise the vast majority of production? What percentages of production do they comprise?

Answer 16

Tank method: 96%

Bottle ferment: 4%

Question 17

What percentage of sparkling wine in Italy is made by the tank method? How much of that is Prosecco?

Answer 17

96% of all Italian sparkling wine is tank method

Half of that is Prosecco

Question 18

What are the two principle DOCs that produce bottle fermented sparkling wine in Italy?

Answer 18

Franciacorta and Trentodoc

Question 19

How much bottle fermented sparkling wine is produced in Italy (Franciacorta and Prosecco, especially) compared to Champagne?

Answer 19

Roughly .1%, or one-tenth of Champagne’s volume

Question 20

What type of soil is considered to be beneficial for producing high quality Chardonnay?

Answer 20

Chalk

Question 21

Fromenteau is a synonym for which grape(s)? Where is this synonym most likely to be used?

Answer 21

Pinot Gris and Roussanne, though it is often used in Champagne for Pinot Gris

Question 22

What are the eight regions permitted to create wines labelled Crémant?

Answer 22

Alsace
Bourgogne
Bordeaux
Die
Jura
Limoux
Loire
Savoie

Question 23

What is Crémant?

Answer 23

A traditional method wine made from one of eight French regions not named Champagne

Question 24

What was the historical style of Crémant? Is it the same today?

Answer 24

Crémant was formerly a semi-sparkling style within Champagne. This was changed when the EU banned the term ‘methode champenoise’ as a labeling term in 1985.

Question 25

What are the requirements for Crémant?

Answer 25

Whole bunch pressing Maximum press yield of 100 liters per 150 kg of grapes Minimum 12 months maturation between tirage and release with minimum 9 months lees aging in the bottle Maximum 13% ABV Minimum 4 atm pressure

Question 26

What are the two largest and most important French regions for Crémant? How do they each compare in production to Champagne?

Answer 26

Alsace and the Loire. Each are only 10% of Champagne's output.

Question 27

Why do Crémant producers declare which vines will be used for sparkling wine production every summer?

Answer 27

As a quality control method from the appellation to ensure that bad crops aren't put toward sparkling wine production in in poor vintages.

Question 28

What is a gluconic acid value? How does this affect sparkling winemaking?

Answer 28

It is an indicator of Botrytis infection in grapes. Botrytis can affect the second fermentation in wines by impairing the yeast and adding off aromas.