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Quiz about Wines of the Pacific Northwest
Quiz about Wines of the Pacific Northwest

Wines of the Pacific Northwest Quiz

While California is considered to be the gold standard for US wines, the wines of the Pacific Northwest can hold their own. What do you know about the wines from this region?
This is a renovated/adopted version of an old quiz by author dicentra

A multiple-choice quiz by Lance_the_Red. Estimated time: 3 mins.
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Author
Lance_the_Red
Time
3 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
63,144
Updated
Oct 18 22
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
137
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Question 1 of 10
1. Oregon's first vineyards emerged in the 1850s. However, it was about a century later when this grape variety-- now the most popular in Oregon-- was planted. What grape was this? Hint


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Question 2 of 10
2. By law in the US, to label a wine as a particular varietal (e.g. Chardonnay, Merlot, etc.), it only has to be made up of 75% of that varietal. In 1977, Oregon topped this requirement and fully 100% of the wine had to be from the listed varietal. This changed in 2007 and, while still wanting to being its 'A game'-- and with some exceptions-- they required what percent of the juice to be from the listed varietal? Hint


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Question 3 of 10
3. Even though Germany is the home of Riesling, this Washington winery-- complete with French-style architecture on its campus-- is annually among the world's largest producers of the varietal. Which winery is it? Hint


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Question 4 of 10
4. By 2016-- not to be outdone by its coastal neighbors-- Idaho had its third AVA (American Viticultural Area, or appellation) named. Which one was the first to be named? (Evel Knievel would have been proud!) Hint


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Question 5 of 10
5. Since at least the 1970s, California has been the largest commercial wine producer in the US-- a position the state has held for decades. Other states have jockeyed for second place since then, but since the mid 2000s, wine production has been fairly consistent. By 2020, what state came in second in wine production? Hint


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Question 6 of 10
6. The "Father of Washington Wine" was a man named Walter Clore. He wasn't from Washington, however. In 1937, instead of going to California during the Dust Bowl, he went further north. Where was he from? Hint


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Question 7 of 10
7. This river valley is home to one of Washington's largest AVAs, and indeed, there are a number of smaller AVAs within it. Which river valley are we talking about? Hint


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Question 8 of 10
8. "Wine Spectator" is one of the most highly-regarded periodicals in the wine industry. In 2020, Oregon put seven wines on the magazine's 'Top 100' list for the first time. Of those seven, how many were Pinot Noir? Hint


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Question 9 of 10
9. This winery continually ranks among the best in Idaho. That's Idaho, not Texas. Which is it? Hint


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Question 10 of 10
10. By the early 2020s, the most-produced wine in Washington-- like its neighbor Oregon to the south-- was a red varietal. What grape was it? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Oregon's first vineyards emerged in the 1850s. However, it was about a century later when this grape variety-- now the most popular in Oregon-- was planted. What grape was this?

Answer: Pinot Noir

 In the 1960s, recent college grad David Lett set out to produce Pinot Noir outside of its traditional Burgundy, France locale-- against the advice of his professors. It was a success, and by the early 2020s nearly 60% of all grapes grown in Oregon are of this variety. The other three are all whites-- pinot gris is ca. 15% of Oregon grapes, and the other two are under 10%.
2. By law in the US, to label a wine as a particular varietal (e.g. Chardonnay, Merlot, etc.), it only has to be made up of 75% of that varietal. In 1977, Oregon topped this requirement and fully 100% of the wine had to be from the listed varietal. This changed in 2007 and, while still wanting to being its 'A game'-- and with some exceptions-- they required what percent of the juice to be from the listed varietal?

Answer: 90%

 The idea of blending is common throughout the world-- it allows a winemaker to play with flavors depending on the profile of a particular vintage. In Europe, this is common and they don't tend to mess with listing a varietal-- if it's from St. Émilion in Bordeaux, for example, you just know it's going to be a blend of mostly Merlot (ca. 60%) and Cabernet Franc (ca. 30%) with some other reds added in.

In the US it's different, but with the 75% rule, a winemaker still has room to add other varietals. Oregon wanted to be a bit more strict with what's in the bottle, hence their original 100% rule.

After some protest, they dropped it to 90% and added exceptions. Some vintners continue to protest the rules, however.
3. Even though Germany is the home of Riesling, this Washington winery-- complete with French-style architecture on its campus-- is annually among the world's largest producers of the varietal. Which winery is it?

Answer: Chateau Ste. Michelle

 Chateau Ste. Michelle has a long and complicated history, but it is considered to be the oldest still-running winery in the state. Columbia Crest, Ancient Lake, and Hogue Cellars are also among the state's largest wine producers.
4. By 2016-- not to be outdone by its coastal neighbors-- Idaho had its third AVA (American Viticultural Area, or appellation) named. Which one was the first to be named? (Evel Knievel would have been proud!)

Answer: Snake River Valley

 Snake River Valley was approved as an AVA in 2007. In tangentially-related trivia, famed motorcycle stuntman Evel Knievel tried but failed to jump the river canyon in 1974. By coincidence, he passed away in 2007. Eagle Foothills and Lewis-Clark Valley are the state's other two AVAs. Willamette Valley is in Oregon.
5. Since at least the 1970s, California has been the largest commercial wine producer in the US-- a position the state has held for decades. Other states have jockeyed for second place since then, but since the mid 2000s, wine production has been fairly consistent. By 2020, what state came in second in wine production?

Answer: Washington

 California produced about 85% of US wine that year. Washington was next at around 5%. New York-- mostly its Finger Lakes region-- was next at ca. 3.5%. Oregon came in fifth at 1.5%. Idaho was a bit down the list at 0.06% of US production.
6. The "Father of Washington Wine" was a man named Walter Clore. He wasn't from Washington, however. In 1937, instead of going to California during the Dust Bowl, he went further north. Where was he from?

Answer: Oklahoma

 Clore studied horticulture at Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State), and was offered a research fellowship at Washington State where he began to plant different grapes, leading to a revival of the viticulture industry in the state.

And of course, in Steinbeck's award-winning-- and for our purposes, fittingly-titled-- "Grapes of Wrath," the protagonists leave Oklahoma in the 30's for California (not Washington), as did many "Okies" trying to escape the effects of the Dust Bowl.
7. This river valley is home to one of Washington's largest AVAs, and indeed, there are a number of smaller AVAs within it. Which river valley are we talking about?

Answer: Columbia River

 The Columbia River is the largest in the Pacific Northwest, and as it flows west to the Pacific, it delineates most of the border between Washington and Oregon. Snake, Spokane, and Wilamette are all tributaries of the Columbia.
8. "Wine Spectator" is one of the most highly-regarded periodicals in the wine industry. In 2020, Oregon put seven wines on the magazine's 'Top 100' list for the first time. Of those seven, how many were Pinot Noir?

Answer: Seven

 It's Oregon, so OF COURSE Pinot Noir is going to dominate the list-- their wines came in at nos. 9, 19, 29, 33, 37, 64, and 79.
9. This winery continually ranks among the best in Idaho. That's Idaho, not Texas. Which is it?

Answer: Huston Vineyards

 Huston Vinyards has had very positive reviews from the likes of Robert Parker and "Wine Enthusiast" among others. The other wineries are from Upstate New York's Finger Lakes region.
10. By the early 2020s, the most-produced wine in Washington-- like its neighbor Oregon to the south-- was a red varietal. What grape was it?

Answer: Cabernet Sauvignon

 Cab Sav came in first at 29% of the state's total production. Chardonnay (ca. 15%) and Riesling (ca. 14%) are both whites and were second and third on the list. Unlike in Oregon, Pinot Noir barely registers in Washington, and made up less than 0.1% of production.
Source: Author Lance_the_Red

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Bruyere before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
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