Time in a Bottle Trivia Quiz

Answer: Amontillado

Named after the Andalusian city of Jerez de la Frontera, sherry (the anglicization of the city's name) is one of the most popular fortified wines, made mostly from the white Palomino grapes that grow near the city. After fermentation, the base wine is fortified with the addition of a distilled grape spirit, and then stored in oak casks until it develops a film of yeast called "flor" (flower). Sherry is then aged in wine barrels, using a system called "solera", for a minimum of two years. Previously known in the English-speaking world as "sack", sherry comes in a variety of styles. Fino is the driest and palest-coloured, while Amontillado is darker, as it is exposed to oxygen after aging; Oloroso is the darkest and strongest variety. Amontillado is named after the town of Montilla, also in Andalusia; the literary reference is Edgar Allan Poe's story "The Cask of Amontillado", a chilling tale of revenge.

Aglianico and Amarone are both red wines from Italy (respectively from Campania/Basilicata and Veneto), while Alicante is the name of two French red grape varieties (Alicante Bouschet and Alicante Ganzin).

Answer: Rioja

Rioja wines are traditionally made from seven grape varieties (four red and three white ones) grown in the region, which takes its name from the autonomous community of La Rioja in northern Spain. Wine-making in the region dates at least from Roman times, though it did not fully develop until the 18th century, when the use of oak aging barrels was introduced in the local cellars (bodegas). Rioja wines are now exported all over the world, and are by far the best-known Spanish wines at the international level. White Rioja wines are aged for a minimum of six months, while the red ones need at least two years. Tempranillo is the main red grape variety used in the making of red Rioja wines.

While Romagna (in northeastern Italy) and Roussillon (in southern France) are both wine-producing regions, the Ruhr in western Germany is known as one of Europe's foremost industrial hubs.

Answer: red

Port wine ("vinho do Porto" in Portuguese) is produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in northern Portugal; it is named for the city of Porto, located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Douro River. Like sherry, port is fortified with a distilled grape spirit (aguardente), then stored and aged in barrels. Port comes in three main styles: white, tawny and ruby. Though mainly considered a dessert wine (especially in English-speaking countries), it also comes in dry and semi-dry varieties; the bright red variety of port, most commonly sweet, is called "ruby".

The highly sought-after vintage ports are made exclusively with the grapes of a given vintage year, and aged in the bottle for up to 40 years. Port became very popular in England the early 18th century, when it replaced French wines made unavailable by the wars between England and France - hence the prevalence of English brand names such as Sandeman, Taylor and Offley.

Answer: Sauternes

Sauternes is produced in the subregion of Graves, on the south bank of the Garonne River, southeast of the city of Bordeaux. This superior wine's unique flavour is due to "noble rot", a beneficial grey fungus that affects the grapes used to produce Sauternes, turning them partially into raisins. True Sauternes wines can be very expensive, especially their most prized variety, Chateau d'Yquem, which can command extremely high prices. Sauternes wines age extraordinarily well, and some vintages have been known to keep for more than 100 years. Generally sold in half-bottles rather than full-sized ones, Sauternes has a golden-yellow colour that turns almost copper-red with age. Interestingly, it is often paired with foie gras, though it can also be enjoyed as a dessert wine.

Eiswein (ice wine) is a sweet wine produced in Germany and other countries; Moscato is the name of various Italian dessert wines, while Vermouth is a fortified, aromatized wine, also originally from Italy.

Answer: Brunello

The northwestern region of Piedmont (Piemonte in Italian) is known for its outstanding wines, 17 of which have been awarded the prestigious DOCG (Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin) classification. Located between the Alps and the Po Valley, Piedmont does not have extensive vineyards, most of them being concentrated in the southern part of the region, around the towns of Alba, Asti and Alessandria. The predominant native grape variety, Nebbiolo (named after the fog, "nebbia", that sets over the vineyards in October), is used to make the highly regarded red wines Barolo and Barbaresco, both of which have excellent aging potential. Brachetto, on the other hand, is a semi-sweet, often sparkling red wine made from the grapes of the same name in the area around the town of Acqui Terme. Piedmont is also famous for its Asti Spumante, a sweet, white sparkling wine.

Brunello di Montalcino (whose name comes from "bruno", meaning "brown" or "dark-haired") is a renowned red wine produced in southern Tuscany from Sangiovese grapes.

Answer: Sardinia

The island of Sardinia is one of Italy's major wine-producing regions, with a very ancient tradition of wine-making that may go back to the Bronze Age. Many of the grape varieties grown in Sardinia are native to the island; the best-known of them is the red grape Cannonau (also known as Garnacha or Grenache), used to produce red and rosé wines, dry or sweet. Monica is also a red wine that comes in dry and sweet varieties, while Anghelu Ruju ("red angel", named after an archaeological site) is a heady dessert wine produced in small quantities in the northwestern town of Alghero. Sardinia also produces highly rated white wines such as Vermentino and Vernaccia di Oristano.

Mallorca (Spain) and Elba (Italy) are also Mediterranean islands, while Madeira (Portugal) lies in the Atlantic Ocean; they are all well-known wine-producing areas.

Answer: Riesling

Most German wine is produced in the western part of the country, along the Rhine and its tributaries (especially the Moselle River), where the climate is mild enough for viticulture; the most important wine-producing state is Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz). Though German vineyards are in no way as extensive as those of France, Italy or Spain, Germany is one of the world's top 10 wine-producing countries. Germany is primarily known for its white wines, though red and rosé ones are also produced. Riesling, a white grape native to the Rhine region, is by far the most common variety grown in Germany; wines made from it can withstand longer aging than most white wines, and some bottles have remained perfectly good to drink after over 100 years. Riesling wines come in a variety of styles, from dry to very sweet (as in the late-harvest Beerenauslese wines); the sparkling wine called Sekt is also made from Riesling grapes.

Chardonnay is also a white grape variety; Pinot can be either white (Pinot blanc/gris) or red (Pinot noir), while Zinfandel is red.

Answer: Hungary

Hungary was introduced to wine and viticulture by the Romans. The country's most important wine-growing regions are concentrated in its central-southern part, around Lake Balaton, and in the northeast, near the historic city of Eger. Egri Bikavér (bull's blood of Eger) is a full-bodied, dry red blend produced in three levels of quality (grand superior being the highest). The famed Tokaji wines, on the other hand, hail from a region close to the Slovakian border, in the far north of the country. The topaz-yellow Tokaij aszú ("dried"), the wine's highest-rated variety, is made from grapes affected by "noble rot", like the Sauternes wines mentioned in Question 4. The best Tokaij aszú, called "eszencia" or "nectar", has an extremely high sugar concentration and unique flavour, and has been known to keep for over 200 years without losing any of its quality.

All the other central European countries mentioned as incorrect choices produce wines, though in no way as renowned as those from Hungary.

Answer: Mavrodaphne

Anyone familiar with Ancient Greek culture will know that Greece has been producing and trading wine for thousands of years. Many different grape varieties are grown both on the mainland and on the islands. Mavrodaphne (or Mavrodafni) black grapes are native to the Peloponnese, but are also grown in small quantities on the Ionian Islands; their name comes from their appearance, resembling laurel berries. Mavrodaphne wines are fortified dessert wines, very dark, almost purple in colour; like sherry, they are matured following the "solera" method, in which younger wines are blended with older ones. Greek mythology buffs will remember the story of the nymph Daphne, who was pursued by Apollo against her wishes, and turned into a laurel tree before the god could catch her.

Marzemino (from Italy) and Malbec (from Argentina) are both red grape varieties, while Mateus is a rosé wine from Portugal.

Answer: Georgia

Located in the region of Transcaucasia (which also includes Armenia and Azerbaijan), south of the Caucasus mountains, at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Georgia enjoys a temperate climate that is particularly suited to the cultivation of grapes. The Georgian wine-making tradition goes back to over 8,000 years ago: the ancient method of using large earthenware vessels (called Qvevri jars) for fermentation, aging and storage was added to the UNESCO Intagible Cultural Heritage Lists in 2013. Many different grape varieties are grown in Georgia, some of them very old. Khikhvi is a vintage, amber-coloured dessert wine, while Saperavi (meaning "dye" in Georgian) is a dark red wine that can be dry, semi-sweet or sweet; both wines have received several awards at international wine competitions.

None of the other countries listed as incorrect answers are part of Transcaucasia, though both Bulgaria and Ukraine are also wine-producing countries.