Wine Characteristics

Question 1

Chard (cool-mod)

Answer 1

Early budding and ripening
Body: light-med
Acidity: high
Fruits: citrus, green apple, pear, green plum
(mod) fruits: citrus, peach

Question 2

Chard (warm-hot)

Answer 2

Early budding and ripening
Body: full
Alcohol: high
Acid: low
Fruits: tropical and exotic fruits

Question 3

Pinot Gris

Answer 3

Early budding and ripening
Sugar: dry-off dry
Body: oily full body texture
Deep colour (gold)
Fruit: ripe tropical, ginger, honey

Question 4

Pinot Grigio

Answer 4

Early budding and ripening
Picked earlier than gris
Body: lighter than gris
Acid: more acid than gris
Fruit: more pure fruit than gris

Question 5

Riesling

Answer 5

Late budder mid-late ripener, tolerant to cold
Can accumulate sugar without losing acid
Fruit: green floral -> citrus and stone fruit
Ages to honey and toast, petrol
Claire and eden: dry lime
Fruity off dry in NZ and finger lakes

Question 6

Sauvignon Blanc

Answer 6

Late budder, early ripening
Acid: high
Fruit (France loire esp): apple, asparagus, wet pebble
Fruit (NZ)(both cool climate, but nz long intense sunny days): gooseberry, grapefruit, passionfruit
Fume blanc Cali & pessac-leognan: oak, lees, mlf

Question 7

Merlot - international style

Answer 7

Early budding, mid ripening
Harvested late for max colour & fruit flav
Tannins: soft
Fruit: blackberry and plum
Done in pomerol
Oak is common

Question 8

Merlot - old style

Answer 8

Early budding and mid ripening
Body: med
Alcohol: med
Acid: higher than international
Fruit: fresh red and vegetal leafy
Oak is common

Question 9

Cab Sauv

Answer 9

Late budder and ripener (so can struggle in cooler places)
Thick skin -> colour, flav, tannin
Tannins: grippy
Fruit: blackcurrant and green pepper
Fruit (hot): blackcurrant and black cherry with smoother tannins and fuller body
Oak is common

Question 10

Pinot Noir

Answer 10

Early budding and ripening
Spatbergunder in germany
Thin skin -> low in colour and tannins
Typically pre-ferm maceración 
Fruit: light and red cherry (berry) -> complex earthy and spicy
Often oaked (but old oak)

Question 11

Syrah

Answer 11

Late budding and mid ripening
Thick skins
Med body with pepper and fresh black fruit -> full body with ripe black fruit and licorice

Aus: hot hunter and barossa make soft earthy spicy with concentrated fruit // cooler great southern or heathcote make leaner peppery styles

Question 12

Grenache

Answer 12

Early budder and late ripener
High tolerance from drought
Thin skin, accumulates sugar
Body: full
Tannins: soft
Fruit: red
Usually blended
Usually old oak
Best outside EU is barossa and mcclaren

Question 13

Gamay

Answer 13

Early budding and ripening
High yield (peasent grape), best pruned gobelet
Body: med
Tannins: med
Fruit: raspberry and cherry
South East of beujolais often does carb mac (kirsch, banana, cinnamon)
Beujolais nouveau specific for early drinking

Question 14

Semillion

Answer 14

Mid budding and ripening
Thin skin so susceptible to botrys
Fruit: lemon, apple, stone, beeswax
Botrys: apricot and citrus Peel with toast and vanilla from oak
Hunter valley: light, neutral, low alcohol, high acid, aged to honey nuts and toast

Question 15

Malbec

Answer 15

Early budder and late ripener
Thick skins
Colour: deep (black grape) 
Tannins: high 
Fruit: black fruit, pepper, licorice

Question 16

Gewurtztraminer

Answer 16

Acid: low-med
Alcohol: high
Body: full (oily) 
Colour: golder (from pink skin) 
Fruit: lychee, rose, sweet baking spice

Question 17

Muscat

Answer 17

Blanc a petits has more floral aromas
Ottonel used more for reliance
Body: light-med
Acid: med

Question 18

Melon Blanc

Answer 18

Early ripener and frost resistant
Acid: high
Body: light
Fruit: subtle green fruit
Muscadet Sur lie -> on lees, delicate specialty

Question 19

Chenin Blanc

Answer 19

Acid: high
Non aromatic
Ripens unevenly
Can be dry-sweet/green-tropical depending on harvest time (can also be sparkling or pastillarage/noble)

Question 20

Cab Franc

Answer 20

Similar to cab sauv but with less body and tannin
Early budder and ripening
Light and fruity -> full body and tannic
Fruit: vibrant fruit and floral

Question 21

Viogner

Answer 21

Body: full (careful not oily)
Acid: low
Alcohol: high
Fruit: perfumed blossom, apricots, stone fruit
Develops aromas late in season, so sugar tends to be high when harvested

Question 22

Nebbiolo

Answer 22

Acid: high
Body: full
Tannins: high (but little colour)
Fruit: Sour cherries, herbs, dried flowers
Usually oaked (barolo NEEDS 18 months)

Question 23

Sangiovese

Answer 23

Late ripener (so needs warm) 
Acid: high
Tannins: high
Fruit: red cherries, plums, dried herbs
Usually oaked for softer Tannins and spice

Question 24

Tempranillo

Answer 24

Early budding and ripening
Acid: med
Thicker skin than garnacha 
High diurnal is best for ripening warmth + develop acid at night
Fruit: strawberry

Question 25

Zinfandel

Answer 25

Ripens uneavenly
Raisoning can lead to full body with some residual sugar
Fruit: red and black, dried berries, licorice
Rose (white zin): fruity, pale, med sweet, low alcohol)

Question 26

Oily full bodied

Answer 26

Pinot gris, gewurstraminer, viognier can be

Question 27

Pink skin - gold wine

Answer 27

Pinot gris and gewurstraminer

Question 28

Noble rot areas?

Answer 28

Semillion and some sauv blanc/muscadelle in sauternes
Chenin blanc in loire (coteaux du layon)
Riesling in germany
Welschriesling in austria

Question 29

Thick skin

Answer 29

Malbec, Syrah, cab sauv

Question 30

Thin skin

Answer 30

Grenache, Pinot noir

Semillion - botrys