Passport To Wine Trivia Quiz

Answer: United States

The Screaming Eagle Winery is a small vineyard in Oakville, California. It released its first wines in 1992. Because of high quality, very limited production, and glowing reviews from wine critics, Screaming Eagle quickly became a "cult wine." Its 1992 wine was released at what was then considered the scandalous price of $50 a bottle. Today, a bottle of even a mediocre vintage sells for thousands of dollars.

Answer: Lebanon

Chateau Musar is a world famous vineyard in, of all places, Lebanon. The estate was founded in 1930, and has produced wine every year since, except in 1976 and 1984, when Lebanon's civil war made it impossible to harvest the grapes. In 1992, the wine was judged to be substandard, and was not released.

At 371 acres, Chateau Musar is a large property, and many types of wine are produced, but by far the most famous is the red Chateau Musar, which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, and Carignan. Only about 600 cases of the flagship wine are produced each year, and high demand makes it quite expensive. Chateau Musar is known for its ability to age for decades; many vintages drink well at fifty years of age or more.

Answer: Hungary

Eger is a small city in northeastern Hungary. It has long been famous for its wines, especially one known as Egri Bikaver, which means "bull's blood of Eger."
Egri Bikaver is a robust blended red wine, and can contain any of up to thirteen grape varieties. Legend says that the wine's name comes from the 1552 siege of Eger Castle by 40,000 troops of the Ottoman Empire. Unable to capture the castle, which was defended by only a handful of soldiers, the Turks said the Hungarians' wine must have been mixed with bull's blood to make them so formidable.

Answer: Chile

Don Melchor, produced by the firm of Concha y Toro, is the wine that put Chile on the map in the wine world. It is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.1% Cabernet Franc, 1.9% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot, similar to many of the great Bordeaux wines of France.

It was first produced in 1987, and has consistently garnered high scores from critics. The wine is named after Melchor de Concha y Toro, the firm's founder.

Answer: Australia

Penfolds Grange (no apostrophe) is known as the "first growth" of Australia. It is made primarily from Shiraz, Australia's dominant grape varietal. It was first produced in 1951. Penfolds Grange is a big, powerful wine that requires long aging before it is ready to drink. Penfolds Grange has won innumerable international awards.

The 1990 vintage was named "Wine of the Year" by "Wine Spectator" in 1995, and the 2008 vintage received a perfect score of 100 from both the "Wine Spectator" and the "Wine Advocate."

Answer: Italy

Lacryma Christi means "the tears of Christ." According to legend, when Lucifer was cast out of Heaven, Jesus wept, and his tears fell on the vineyards of Mount Vesuvius. Yes, the grapes used to make Lacryma Christi are actually grown on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius, the volcano that destroyed the ancient city of Pompeii.

It is a very old wine, having been produced for centuries. In fact, scientists have determined that Lacryma Christi is the modern wine that is most similar to the wines that the ancient Romans drank.

It is produced in both red and white varieties; both are blends of several local grape varieties.

Answer: Germany

Sekt is a German sparkling wine. It can be made using Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, and a number of other grape varieties. It can vary greatly in quality. The better examples are often called Winzersekt. Most Sekt is consumed in Germany, but some is exported. Sekt is also produced in Austria.

Answer: France

Chateau Haut-Brion is one of the most famous wines in the world. It is located in the Graves region of Bordeaux. The present estate dates to 1525. When the wines of Bordeaux were officially classified in 1855, Haut-Brion was the only wine outside the Medoc region to be included.

It was not only included, it was one of only four wines classified as a "first growth," along with Margaux, Latour, and Lafite-Rothschild. Chateau Haut-Brion was mentioned in Samuel Pepys' diary, and is said to have been the favorite wine of Thomas Jefferson.

Answer: New Zealand

Although not as famous as some other wine producing countries, in 2016 New Zealand produced 3.1 million hectolitres of wine, making it the world's 14th largest wine producer. Although wine has been produced in New Zealand since the early 19th century, it was not until the 1970s that its wines began to be exported in quantity.

Many grape varieties are cultivated in New Zealand, but two-thirds of its production is white wine, and Sauvignon Blanc is by far the most widely planted varietal. Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc comes the Marlborough region on South Island.

It is an inexpensive and widely available wine, with millions of cases produced annually. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc tends to be very crisp and fruity.

Answer: Spain

Vega Sicilia is one of Spain's most famous - and most expensive - wines. It comes from the Ribera del Duero region of northern Spain. Although the name may sound Italian, it has no connections with Italy; it roughly translates as "the meadow of Cecilia," and is named after Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of musicians.

The winery was founded in 1864, and the flagship wine, Unico, is a blend of several grape varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon. Vega Sicilia requires long aging, and some wines are not released until 10 or 15 years after the vintage.