New World Wines Flashcards by Rachel Kim

Outline the major wine regions of California.

North Coast, Central Coast, South Coast, Central Valley, Sierra Foothills.

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What agency regulates the US wine industry?

Tax and Trade Bureau, Department of Treasury. Before that it was Alcohol, tobacco and firearms.

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Provide the USA required % for varietal and AVA labeling.

75% grape varietal (as opposed to the rest of the world where its 85%), 75% county, 75% state, 75% country, 85% AVA, 95% vineyard, 95% stated vintage.

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Name several AVAs in Napa Valley and two top producers of Sauvignon Blanc.

Napa in the North Coast: Howell Mountain, Rutherford, Oakville, Stag’s Leap, Los Carneros is shared with Sonoma. Producers: Matthiasson, Chappellet, Scholium Project.

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Name several AVAs in Sonoma County and two top producers of Chardonnay.

Sonoma in the North Coast: Russian River (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir), Dry Creek (Zinfandel), Chalk Hill, Los Carneros, Sonoma Coast. Producers: Flowers, Lioco, Hirsch.

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Name an AVA in Mendocino County and a top producer of Viognier.

North Coast: Anderson Valley, Mendocino Ridge, Cole Ranch (tiniest AVA.) Producers: Pride Viognier, Alban. Producers: Copain,

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Name 3 California sparkling wine producers and their wine.

Gloria Ferrer from Freixenet. Roederer Estate from Louis Roederer. Domaine Chandon from Moet et Chandon.

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Identify 2 AVAs each in Monterey.

Central Coast: Carmel Valley (especially for Chardonnay.) Chalone. Santa Lucia Highlands (for Pinot Noir.) San Antonio Valley (Rhone valley wines.) Arroyo Seco.

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Identify 2 AVAs in Santa Barbara.

Central Coast: Santa Ynez Valley. Sta. Rita Hills. Happy Canyon. Ballard Canyon.

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Identify 2 AVAs in San Luis Obispo and where it is.

Central Coast: Edna Valley (Burgundian.) Arroyo Grande. Pasa Robles, big compilation of AVAs.

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Define the term Meritage to a guest.

Formed in 1988, group of American Vintners who celebrate Bordeaux blends. Cannot be more than 75% of any one varietal. Only 25,000 cases a year.

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Recount the origins of the Zinfandel grape.

Croatian in origin, Crljenek Kastelanski, also known as Primitivo.

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Recommend 3 California Pinot Noir specialists to a guest.

Littorai, Calera, William Selyem.

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Recommend 3 top California Cab Sauvignon producers to a guest.

Ridge Monte Bello, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Randy Dunn, Screaming Eagle.

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Recommend 3 producers of Rhone style wines to a guest.

Bonny Doon (from Central Coast), Failla (from Sonoma.)

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AVA stands for what and means what.

American Viticultural Area, defined as delimited grape growing area. Created in 1978, no quality regulations or tasting panels, refers only to geographic location/ boundaries.

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State the minimum % of grape for Varietal Labeling in Australia.

85% and must be listed in descending order.

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Discuss Penfolds Grange.

Best known for Max Schubert, inspired upon return from Bordeaux, beginning his work on a dry red blended wine in Australia. After a bit of experimentation and aging, it went into mass production in 1953.

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State the GIs in Australia best known for riesling.

Western Australia: Clare Valley, Eden Valley, McLaren Vale.

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State the regions in Australia where Pinot Noir has taken hold.

Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley in Victoria. All of Tasmania.

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Discuss the traditional wine grape of the Upper Hunter Valley.

Upper Hunter Valley, in New South Wales, Semillon, tends to have tart fruit and citrus with some grassy/ herbal and more mineral driven expressions. Not as high octane, or aromatic, higher acidity.

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Identify a cool climate within each of the prominent states in South Eastern Australia.

New South Wales: doesn’t really have one. Tasmania is really all pretty cool due to its proximity to Antarctica. South Australia: Connewarra. Victoria: Yarra Valley. Western Australia: Margaret River, Frankland River.

Which state in Australia is producing the best/ most sparkling wine.

Tasmania due to its cooler climate. Also some chardonnays and pinot noirs.

Discuss the soil and popular grape of Coonewarra.

Coonewarra is in South Australia. Its soil is terra rosa and this makes especially good cabernet sauvignon.

Name the six major wine regions of Chile.

Atacama, Coquimbo, Aconcaqua, Vallee Central, Vallee Sur, newest is Austral.

Name the region in which Casablanca is located & what wines the area is known for.

Its a sub region of Aconcagua, similar climate to Los Carneros, pacific with maritime influence. Area is great for Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

Name the region in which Maipo is located & what wines the area is known for.

Maipo is just outside on Santiago in the Valle Central, great for Cabernet Sauvignon and other bordeaux varietals.

Name the 4 sub-regions of Valle Central.

Maipo, Repel Valley, Curico, Maule Valley.

State what is unique about the vines in Chile.

They are ungrafted due to no presence of phylloxera.

Name the obscure Bordeaux variety that is important in Chile.

Carmenere, that for a long time, people mistook for merlot.

State the minimum % for varietal labeling in Chile.

75% of Varietal, almost all 75% (region and vintage) in terms of rules, some do 85% vintage to comply by EU regulations.

Name the most important region & grape of Argentina.

Mendoza and malbec.

Name the unique white wine variety from Argentina and where it is commonly grown.

Torrontes, an aromatic and phenolically ripe grape, popularly grown in Salta.

Name two sub-regions in Argentina’s largest wine-growing region.

Valle de Uco, Maipu, Lujan de Cuyo.

Name the most important grape of Uruguay.

Tannat, also grown in Madiran in the Languedoc Roussillon.

Distinguish Riserva, Riserva Especial, Riserva Privada, Gran Riserva.

Wines in general must be at least 11.5%. Riserva and Riserva Especial, minimum 12%, Riserva Privada and Gran Riserva, 12.5%. Riserva Especial and Gran Riserva have mandatory time in oak.

Identify 3 AVAs in Washington state and one top producer.

Columbia Valley (Columbia Gorge, Walla Walla Valley, all overlapping with Oregon.) Horse Heaven Hills, Puget Sound. Producers: Chateau Ste. Michelle, Gramercy Cellars, Quilceda Creek.

Identify 3 AVAs of Oregon and one top producer.

Columbia Valley (Columbia Gorge, Walla Walla Valley, all overlapping with Washington.) Willamette Valley (Dundee Hills, Ribbon Ridge, Chehalem.) Southern Oregon (Umpqua Valley, Red Hill Douglas.) Producers: Eyrie, Domaine Drouhin, Chehalem Winery.

For Oregon Pinot Noir, state the % requirements for varietal labeling.

90% as opposed the rest of the AVAs, and 95% of specified AVA.

Name 1 AVA of New York.

Finger Lakes, largest and fastest growing. North Fork of LI, Cayuga Lake, Seneca Lake.

Note the state where winemaking started in USA.

French planted in Florida in NY in 1564 but it wasn't the US. In New York, Dr. Konstantin Frank and the Geneva station planted in the Finger Lakes.

Name the first and second AVA approved in the United States.

Augusta, Missouri 1980 and Napa, California 1981.

List 2 important wine regions of Canada.

Niagara Peninsula, and Okanogan.

Name where the country where winemaking began on the American continent.

In Mexico, Casa Madera 1597 in Coahuila region. They are still in production.

Identify a few of the key wine regions on New Zealand’s North Island and describe their climate and principal grape varieties respectively.

Hawkes Bay, Rhone style wines/ Syrah, Bordeaux Varietals. Martinborough for Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.

Identify a few of the key wine regions on New Zealand’s South Island and describe their climate and principal grape varieties respectively.

Marlborough for Sauvignon Blanc and sparkling wine. Central Otago for Pinot Noir.

Discuss the best region for Pinot Noir (and why it’s successful here) in New Zealand.

Central Otago, south island, due to its cooler climate. Martinborough, north island, is up and coming.

Note the optimal region for Bordeaux and Rhône varieties in New Zealand, and describe why these varieties are successful here.

Hawkes Bay, north island, Rhone style wines/ Syrah, Bordeaux Varietals.

Describe the wine known as Vin de Constance.

Made in Cape Peninsula District: unfortified, dessert wine from dried Muscat grapes.

Identify the principal WO’s in South Africa’s Coastal Region

Swartland, Stellenbosch, Paarl, and a ward is Constantia.

Recommend a WO suitable for sparkling wine production

Stellenbosch, or Breede RIver Valley.

Identify a few key NZ producers and where they make wine.

Kim Crawford or Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc. Felton Road Pinot Noir from Central Otago.

Identify a few key AUS producers and where they make wine.

Bishop Shiraz from Barossa, South Australia. Penfolds Grange from South Australia. Campbell's Rutherglen Muscat from Victoria. Pikes Riesling from Clare Valley.

Identify a few key SA producers and where they make wine.

Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc in Stellenbosch, Coastal Region. Kanonkop Pinotage in Stellenbosch. Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir in Hemmel- and- Aarde Valley, Cape South Coast.