Wine Whine Trivia Quiz

Answer: Georgia

Georgia is located in the Caucasus area of the world. The Black Sea is at its west, Russia at its north, Turkey and Armenia are at its south, and Azerbaijan is to its south-east. Archaeologists have now established that wine-making first began in this region. Pieces of pottery dated at 6,000 BC, showing clear evidence of wine storage, have been discovered here. By 5,000 BC this wine-making knowledge had been exported to Iran, to Greece and Macedonia by 4,500 BC, and to Armenia by 4,000 BC.

Answer: Grapes

Some doubts have been raised about this theory by historians however, as the common grape vine wasn't introduced to China for another 6,000 years. That doesn't eliminate the possibility that the Chinese used their indigenous wild grapes instead. It is thought that the hawthorn fruit may have also been used there for wine production as well. Whichever fruit went into the mix, rice wine was definitely being consumed in China by 6,000 BC.

Answer: Phoenicians

The Phoenicians were an ancient people whose civilisation was centred in Lebanon and Syria, but with many other larger cities dotted elsewhere on the Mediterranean. They were noted far and wide for their knowledge of the sea, and their excellence and skill at sailing. Via their maritime trading routes which covered the entire region, the Phoenicians took the secrets of wine-making right throughout the Mediterranean, including far away Egypt itself.

They protected their wine exports from spoiling on their many voyages by introducing a top layer of olive oil into each container, and sealing it with pinewood.

Answer: India

India by the turn of the 21st century was the second most populated country in the world, but the largest democracy. This wasn't always the case however, and for a vast amount of its history, it was ruled by various leaders from different civilisations, such as the Islamic Sultanates, the Gupta, Vijayanagara, Mughal and Vijayanagara Empires, and even, at a later stage, by the United Kingdom.

It wouldn't be until 1947 that it became an independent democracy in its own right. This lovely land is noted for its mountains, its rainforests and deserts, its incredible biodiversity, its exotic and brilliantly colourful culture, and the vast difference between its wealthy and its poor.

This would seem to have still been the case as far back as the 4th century BC, for while the poor and non-royal of its people were being condemned by the Minister of the regal courts for their consumption of wine and other alcohol, those same court chronicles often mention the hearty, over-indulgence of same by the members of the court themselves.

Answer: Planted vineyards where garrisons were stationed

Though the mighty Roman Republic and Empire eventually fell, it had a long and glorious history while it lasted, spanning the time period 409-27 BC and 27 BC to 476 AD respectively in its western half, and lasting until 1453 in its eastern equivalent.

It covered a huge area of the known world at its height, from the Mediterranean through to Europe, Africa and parts of Asia, and maintained this empire by efficient local centres, overlords, and the ever looming threat of its highly trained and deadly army. An army needs to eat and drink, however, and wine, the drink of the day, was kept up to its members by the sensible decision to plant vineyards at the major centres where the various garrisons were permanently based. Even today, all these centuries later, some of these vineyards are still renowned for the production of their fine wines.

They came, they saw, they got stonkered.

Answer: Burning sulfur candles inside the empty containers

How clever was that? Such an easy solution for what was becoming an annoying problem. Unless that stale vinegar smell in old empty wine containers could be eliminated, those containers were of no further use. Sulfur had many uses in the ancient world. Apart from its effectiveness in the treatment of scabies, ringworm, psoriasis and acne, it was also used as a fumigant to remove unpleasant odours from various structures. It was the Romans however who took this knowledge one step further and used sulphur candles to freshen up the smell of used wine containers.

Answer: By the grape from which they're produced

Because regulations govern the sale of wine throughout much of the world, those regulations state this distinction must be followed. European wines, then, are easily identified by name such as Bordeaux (France) and Chianti (Italy). Other wines, such as those from North or South America, Australia and New Zealand, are usually named after the grape from which they are produced. Examples of these include Pinot Noir or Merlot. Both grapes of course grow beautifully in France as well. The difference in name classification is simply a little bit of wine snobbery at work, and an acknowledgement of the historical influence of European wines.

Answer: At the bottom

And there you all were thinking you were sipping from the very best on offer. Take heart from the fact that it may be the best on offer in the particular restaurant at which you dine. This classification system ranges from the table wines (Vin de table) at the bottom, right up to the controlled designation of origin (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) at the top. How many of us would know the difference, I wonder? I certainly don't.

Answer: Yes

That's cheating, one would think. If paying for a particular vintage wine, the very least a diner should expect is for all that bottle's contents to have come from the same harvesting year marked on the bottle. However, it is true that some countries do allow this to occur. In the United States, for example, vintage wine must be at least 95% of any particular year's harvest. Some other countries lower that standard to 85%. Dionysus, the Greek god of the harvest, manufacture and drinking of wine, must be turning over in his vat in horror.

Answer: By the amount of sugar left after fermentation

The sweetness level of a wine is determined by the residual sugar left after the fermentation process, compared against the acidity content of the wine. Sounds very mathematical to be sure. A dry wine, for example, is described as such, not because it leaves a dry taste on the palate after sipping, but because it only contains small amounts of residual sugar. Expert wine tasters would be able to tell all this sort of information after one or two sips of a new wine. They can also describe the taste as resembling various compounds, fruits, or spices for any particular vintage.

Answer: Tertiary

The primary level of the aroma forming process takes place with the grapes that are used to make the wine. At the secondary level, that aroma heightens during the pre-fermentation or fermentation stage. The final level, that of the tertiary, takes place when the wine begins to age in its barrel or bottle.

The longer this takes place the better, as the various ingredients contained within the wine begin to melt and merge with one another. That's really rather romantic. When an expert talks of a wine's bouquet then, he or she is referring (or should be) to the tertiary level of the aroma process.

Answer: To allow the wine to breathe

Some wines are consumed immediately the bottle is opened, but wine that is allowed to breathe is usually poured into a special container for a couple of hours before serving. Not all wine specialists agree with this however. Those who do say that the purpose for this is that it allows any bitter sediments in the bottle to be removed, and the wine to relax - whatever that means.

The older the wine, the more likely it is that it will have this sediment, but over-aeration poses the danger of lost flavour.

A specialist in the art of wine drinking knows precisely when this breathing process should conclude. They do this by the simple process of tasting a small sample.

Answer: Yes

Those individual delicate hints of taste and aroma in wines come not only from the definite flavour of their grapes, and the ground in which they were grown, but, amazingly so, also from the oak casks in which the wines have been maturing. These subtle ingredients can include mushroom, leather, lavender, chocolate, vanilla or coffee and so on. Experienced wine sippers can tell which grape went into the manufacture of a particular wine as a matter of course, but to be able to pick those extra individual subtle flavours, now that takes real skill.

Answer: By twirling the wine glass

Perhaps you've seen this for yourself. How some people will swirl the content of their wine glasses around before sipping at same? This is said to accelerate the release of the wine's aroma. Serving that wine at room temperature is another way to increase its heady perfume. Red wine that has been chilled is already highly aromatic, but think how impressive you'll look if your give your glass that elegant swirl as well.

Answer: Cellar temperature

Cellar temperature is approximately 13 degrees Celsius or 55 degrees Fahrenheit. This is also ideal for very light, young, red wines. Red wines proper though should be served at room temperature. That means a temperature that is just slightly cooler than the dining room itself. In that room, it will quickly warm up. Pinot Noir is an example of this. This red wine should be brought to the table when it is at a temperature of 16 or 61 degrees in the two scales. Once there, and within a short time, it will quickly rise to its recommended serving temperature of 18 or 63 degrees respectively.

Answer: Investment wines

This is contrary to many other products that, when the prices rise, the demand for those products decreases until the price does likewise. With those very best of investment wines, however, both side of the equation keep going up instead. This is because a fine wine never spoils. Kept as an investment, it will always increase in value. Unless of course the bottles are stolen or broken. Perish the thought!

Answer: Iran

Under Islamic law, or how it is commonly understood by most, the consumption of any alcohol is forbidden, except for very, very small portions that may be used medicinally. The country of Persia, now known as Iran, once had a strong and thriving wine-making industry, with wines of such quality that they were even celebrated in the works of their famous poets.

This was the case for several thousand years, but it appears that, since the Ayatollah Khomeini led Islamic Revolution of 1979, this is no longer the case.

The legend behind the creation of those fine Persian wines was said to be brought about by a girl whose love was rejected by the king. Deciding to kill herself, she drank the juice left by rotten table grapes, believing this would poison her.

Instead she passed out, only to wake the following day feeling distinctly chirpy. When she told the king what had transpired, and the production of wine was the subsequent result, she was honoured and rewarded for passing out from that rather impressive snootful.

Answer: Corkscrew

The sommelier's knife/corkscrew is also known as the Waiter's Friend. Basically it's just a corkscrew that folds up like a penknife. This very practical device was invented in 1882 by a German man called Karl Wienke. The sommelier's knife can also be used as a bottle opener, as well as coming with a small blade attached to its other end with which to cut the metal foil on the top of the bottles.

Answer: Passover

Passover Seder is carried out on the 15th day of Nisan, which is the first month of the Hebrew ecclesiastical calendar. This is the equivalent of the Gregorian calendar's March-April months. Passover itself commemorates the Israelites escape from a life of slavery in ancient Egypt more than 3,000 years ago. During this feast it is considered an obligatory practice for adults present to drink four cups of wine.

Answer: Brandy

Fortified wine is grape based of course, but a distilled drink has been added to it. This is normally brandy, a fermented alcoholic beverage made from wine. Brandy is usually consumed at room temperature in a glass (called a snifter) that has been warmed. Wine was originally fortified to help it keep longer. Now, however, fortified wine is a drink in its own right.

Answer: The heart

The grape seeds contained in the wines of these two areas of the world are high in compound called Procyanidins. These are flavonoids that are considered, for a change, to be healthy for us, and some health workers accordingly recommend one glass of red wine a day for this reason.

Interestingly, the populace from both Sardinia and the south of France, when compared against the figures from other parts of the world, have a significantly reduced risk of heart disease. They also tend to have longer life spans. Just be aware though, before rushing out to purchase a bottle of plonk, that not all medical authorities agree with this.

Answer: Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's Disease is the most prevalent form of dementia when it occurs in an aged person. As yet there is no cure for this terrible neurological condition that steals the lives and memories of loved ones. Alcoholism is an uncontrollable need to consume alcohol, to such an extent that chronic brain damage can also be its ultimate dreadful outcome. Both illnesses are heartbreaking in the extreme when they take hold. In 2006, it was concluded, in one set of findings carried out after extensive research, that a glass of a particular red wine per day had significantly positive effects on the brains of those suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. Another follow up study on those with alcoholism, though, revealed that wine in fact was worse than beer for damaging the memory related areas of their brains.

Answer: No

It really is quite fascinating watching wine professionals carry out this testing. They examine colours, hold glasses up to the light, sniff, swirl, sip, roll it around their mouths - and then spit the wine into containers specially designed for that purpose. If enough samples of wine have been tested in this way, however, its intoxicating power will start to be experienced, no matter how often the professionals spit. This is because the alcohol, apart from resorption in the stomach and intestine, is also absorbed through the skin of the mouth.

Answer: A wine scientist or chemist

An oenologist is a scientists who studies most aspects of the wine trade except for the harvesting and vine-growing itself. People with the relevant university qualifications in this field usually work with the large vineyards or wine research organisations. Most countries have at least one university that offers degrees and post-graduate qualifications in this field. Australia, for example, has three universities and two colleges with these qualifications on offer, one of which is located within the huge Granite Belt fruit growing area of southern Queensland, near Stanthorpe. It's absolutely freezing there in winter.

Answer: Drip Dickey

That's the official name for the nice piece of white cloth arranged artistically around the top of a bottle of wine after it has been opened and poured. Its purpose is to catch any stray drops of wine sliding down the bottle onto the expensively maintained, usually white, tablecloths. Its more common name is the drip cloth, and perhaps this would be the advisable term to use should you be taking any elderly gentleman out to a candlelit dinner where wine is on the menu.