Wine Start 15 Question and answers
verified to pass 2026
Beerenauslese - correct answer ✔"Berry select" wines are harvested berry by berry, taking only
botrytis-affected fruit. While auslesen are usually sweet, this level of ripeness elevates the wine to the
dessert-only category. Hold up to fifty years.
What is a "kloof," a term often found as a suffix in South African wine estate and region names like
Boekenhoutskloof, Breedekloof and Piekenierskloof? - correct answer ✔A wooded ravine or valley
Old World Pinots can exhibit flavors of red fruit, like cherry or strawberry, and are prized for their
delicate, silky texture. Which of these cheeses would probably NOT make an ideal pairing? - correct
answer ✔A bold, barnyard-y English Stilton blue cheese
Cloudy Bay is a pioneer for quality New Zealand wines. Its high-end white is a wild-fermented, oak-aged
Sauvignon Blanc. What is the name of this wine? - correct answer ✔Te Koko
The Coravin device, invented by Greg Lambrecht and launched in 2013, uses a hollow needle to pour
wine from a bottle without removing the cork. Where did Lambrecht get the inspiration for his early
designs? - correct answer ✔Medical devices that could combat kidney failure
Another region for great Sangiovese in Tuscany is Chianti. What is the name of the subregion that
incorporates the historic Chianti boundaries codified in 1716, now considered superior in quality? -
correct answer ✔Chianti Classico
Real Difference Between Cool-Climate and Warm-Climate Wine - correct answer ✔During a blind
tasting, one way to deduce where a wine may hail from is to assess the fruit's character. If the fruit
notes in a red wine taste very ripe or even jammy, it's likely from a warm climate. If it tastes tart or
delicate like a freshly picked raspberry, the wine probably came from a cooler climate.
,It's knowing the climate where a wine was produced that can help you find other bottlings you'll like.
In recent years, vintners from Ontario, Canada to Austria have promoted "cool-climate wines" as a foil
to the riper styles that have been popular for the last two decades. Many factors influence wine, from
unusually hot weather during a particular harvest to a winemaker that intentionally shoots for opulence.
Ultimately, however, climate plays the most pivotal role in a wine's expression.
Winemakers know that wine grapes grow best in climates that aren't too tropical, too arid or too
reminiscent of arctic tundra. Most of the suitable climates are found between 30° - 50° latitude, both
north and south.
Climate is also a function of elevation. Vineyards perched in the mountains of Trentino, Italy, for
instance, enjoy cooler temperatures than fruit on the valley floor.
Other factors can include the amount of rainfall, humidity, and cooling or warming forces like cloud
cover and wind patterns. Sonoma's Petaluma Gap enjoys cooling gusts, while North Africa's dry scirocco
winds can cause Sicily's temperatures to soar.
What's the Best Wine to Pair with Apples - correct answer ✔Apples, the country's second-most-
consumed fruit after bananas, hold a special place in our culture. They're a symbol of Americana,
everywhere from apple pie to the Big Apple. In the kitchen, there's no end to their versatility. They show
equal affinity with sweet, sour, spicy and meaty flavors, while apple cider and brandies (like applejack
and Calvados) show the fruit's appeal in the glass. Apples may not keep the doctor away, but they can't
hurt.
Fun Facts About Apples
Le trou Normand ("the Normand hole") is a French tradition where diners take a sip of Calvados during a
long meal to restore appetite.
The heaviest apple ever picked weighed more than four pounds.
As Chinese as apple pie? China produces almost 10 times more apples than the U.S..
Apples originated in Kazakhstan. The only variety native to North America is the crabapple.
,Steve Jobs took his inspiration from a visit to an orchard when he named Apple.
Pair It
Dan McCaffrey is wine director at The Marc in Walla Walla, Washington, where both apples and grapes
thrive.
"With fresh-cut apples and cheese, I'd choose an earthy Pinot Noir from Oregon or Burgundy like the
2015 Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir, with a silky texture and red fruits that blend with both the crisp and
rich flavors," McCaffrey says. "For whites, the vanilla, caramel and apple notes of a buttery oak-aged
Chardonnay like the 2014 Mer Soleil Chardonnay Reserve roll perfectly in.
An Apple Brandy a Day Keeps the Winter Blues Away
"For apples in salads with vinaigrette, I'd pair an unoaked Chardonnay, or one just lightly kissed with
oak, like the 2015 L'Ecole No. 41 Chardonnay. And for traditional apple pie, I feel that botrytized wines,
and sweeter Rieslings and Gewürztraminers, complement this American tradition."
The Jack Rose Cocktail
2 ounces apple brandy
¾ ounce grenadine
¾ ounce fresh-s
Filet Mignon - correct answer ✔Though not particularly flavor-forward, filet mignon's luscious texture
amply compensates.
"Filets are the most tender and lean cut," says Habteab Hamde, chef de cuisine at Bern's Steak House in
Tampa, Florida.
, To maintain that sought-after tenderness, Hamde says to trim any fat and connective tissue before
cutting the filet to the desired size. Leave small filets in the refrigerator until just ready to cook, then
brush the steaks with sweet, unsalted butter and season with kosher salt and black pepper.
Cook them on a very hot cast-iron grill over natural lump hardwood charcoal, using different
concentrations of charcoal to create temperature variations on the grill. Relocate steaks if they are
cooking too quickly. Large cuts require lower temperatures to avoid burning the exterior.
"Rotate the steak in slight angles, making sure to give the meat time to caramelize before each rotation,
says Hamde. "This will allow an even crust across the whole steak. Turn the steak over and repeat the
process."
Let the filet rest for five minutes after cooking, and then serve solo, or with a rich sauce like Hollandaise
or Béarnaise.
The Wine
Filet mignon's understated taste lends itself to restrained reds, according to J. Michael Shields, a
sommelier at Bern's Steak House.
"I look for something that is not going to overwhelm the nice, delicate cut," he says. "Skip the big,
unctuous, heavy New World reds, and look more towards Old World aged wines."
A moderately aged Burgundy works well, like Domaine Roumier's 1999 Clos de la Bussière Premier Cru
from Morey-St-Denis, says Shields. An aged Bordeaux from a bold vintage, like the 1989 Château Haut-
Brion, can deftly stand up next to aged beef without overpowering the delicate filet.
"Bigger and fattier cuts can stand up to bigger, more tannic wines, but a nice soft-aged filet nee
The famed Yellow Tail brand, which presents a range of wines from various other grapes in addition to
Shiraz, is sourced from a mix of regions. One third of its fruit, though, comes from the company's own
verified to pass 2026
Beerenauslese - correct answer ✔"Berry select" wines are harvested berry by berry, taking only
botrytis-affected fruit. While auslesen are usually sweet, this level of ripeness elevates the wine to the
dessert-only category. Hold up to fifty years.
What is a "kloof," a term often found as a suffix in South African wine estate and region names like
Boekenhoutskloof, Breedekloof and Piekenierskloof? - correct answer ✔A wooded ravine or valley
Old World Pinots can exhibit flavors of red fruit, like cherry or strawberry, and are prized for their
delicate, silky texture. Which of these cheeses would probably NOT make an ideal pairing? - correct
answer ✔A bold, barnyard-y English Stilton blue cheese
Cloudy Bay is a pioneer for quality New Zealand wines. Its high-end white is a wild-fermented, oak-aged
Sauvignon Blanc. What is the name of this wine? - correct answer ✔Te Koko
The Coravin device, invented by Greg Lambrecht and launched in 2013, uses a hollow needle to pour
wine from a bottle without removing the cork. Where did Lambrecht get the inspiration for his early
designs? - correct answer ✔Medical devices that could combat kidney failure
Another region for great Sangiovese in Tuscany is Chianti. What is the name of the subregion that
incorporates the historic Chianti boundaries codified in 1716, now considered superior in quality? -
correct answer ✔Chianti Classico
Real Difference Between Cool-Climate and Warm-Climate Wine - correct answer ✔During a blind
tasting, one way to deduce where a wine may hail from is to assess the fruit's character. If the fruit
notes in a red wine taste very ripe or even jammy, it's likely from a warm climate. If it tastes tart or
delicate like a freshly picked raspberry, the wine probably came from a cooler climate.
,It's knowing the climate where a wine was produced that can help you find other bottlings you'll like.
In recent years, vintners from Ontario, Canada to Austria have promoted "cool-climate wines" as a foil
to the riper styles that have been popular for the last two decades. Many factors influence wine, from
unusually hot weather during a particular harvest to a winemaker that intentionally shoots for opulence.
Ultimately, however, climate plays the most pivotal role in a wine's expression.
Winemakers know that wine grapes grow best in climates that aren't too tropical, too arid or too
reminiscent of arctic tundra. Most of the suitable climates are found between 30° - 50° latitude, both
north and south.
Climate is also a function of elevation. Vineyards perched in the mountains of Trentino, Italy, for
instance, enjoy cooler temperatures than fruit on the valley floor.
Other factors can include the amount of rainfall, humidity, and cooling or warming forces like cloud
cover and wind patterns. Sonoma's Petaluma Gap enjoys cooling gusts, while North Africa's dry scirocco
winds can cause Sicily's temperatures to soar.
What's the Best Wine to Pair with Apples - correct answer ✔Apples, the country's second-most-
consumed fruit after bananas, hold a special place in our culture. They're a symbol of Americana,
everywhere from apple pie to the Big Apple. In the kitchen, there's no end to their versatility. They show
equal affinity with sweet, sour, spicy and meaty flavors, while apple cider and brandies (like applejack
and Calvados) show the fruit's appeal in the glass. Apples may not keep the doctor away, but they can't
hurt.
Fun Facts About Apples
Le trou Normand ("the Normand hole") is a French tradition where diners take a sip of Calvados during a
long meal to restore appetite.
The heaviest apple ever picked weighed more than four pounds.
As Chinese as apple pie? China produces almost 10 times more apples than the U.S..
Apples originated in Kazakhstan. The only variety native to North America is the crabapple.
,Steve Jobs took his inspiration from a visit to an orchard when he named Apple.
Pair It
Dan McCaffrey is wine director at The Marc in Walla Walla, Washington, where both apples and grapes
thrive.
"With fresh-cut apples and cheese, I'd choose an earthy Pinot Noir from Oregon or Burgundy like the
2015 Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir, with a silky texture and red fruits that blend with both the crisp and
rich flavors," McCaffrey says. "For whites, the vanilla, caramel and apple notes of a buttery oak-aged
Chardonnay like the 2014 Mer Soleil Chardonnay Reserve roll perfectly in.
An Apple Brandy a Day Keeps the Winter Blues Away
"For apples in salads with vinaigrette, I'd pair an unoaked Chardonnay, or one just lightly kissed with
oak, like the 2015 L'Ecole No. 41 Chardonnay. And for traditional apple pie, I feel that botrytized wines,
and sweeter Rieslings and Gewürztraminers, complement this American tradition."
The Jack Rose Cocktail
2 ounces apple brandy
¾ ounce grenadine
¾ ounce fresh-s
Filet Mignon - correct answer ✔Though not particularly flavor-forward, filet mignon's luscious texture
amply compensates.
"Filets are the most tender and lean cut," says Habteab Hamde, chef de cuisine at Bern's Steak House in
Tampa, Florida.
, To maintain that sought-after tenderness, Hamde says to trim any fat and connective tissue before
cutting the filet to the desired size. Leave small filets in the refrigerator until just ready to cook, then
brush the steaks with sweet, unsalted butter and season with kosher salt and black pepper.
Cook them on a very hot cast-iron grill over natural lump hardwood charcoal, using different
concentrations of charcoal to create temperature variations on the grill. Relocate steaks if they are
cooking too quickly. Large cuts require lower temperatures to avoid burning the exterior.
"Rotate the steak in slight angles, making sure to give the meat time to caramelize before each rotation,
says Hamde. "This will allow an even crust across the whole steak. Turn the steak over and repeat the
process."
Let the filet rest for five minutes after cooking, and then serve solo, or with a rich sauce like Hollandaise
or Béarnaise.
The Wine
Filet mignon's understated taste lends itself to restrained reds, according to J. Michael Shields, a
sommelier at Bern's Steak House.
"I look for something that is not going to overwhelm the nice, delicate cut," he says. "Skip the big,
unctuous, heavy New World reds, and look more towards Old World aged wines."
A moderately aged Burgundy works well, like Domaine Roumier's 1999 Clos de la Bussière Premier Cru
from Morey-St-Denis, says Shields. An aged Bordeaux from a bold vintage, like the 1989 Château Haut-
Brion, can deftly stand up next to aged beef without overpowering the delicate filet.
"Bigger and fattier cuts can stand up to bigger, more tannic wines, but a nice soft-aged filet nee
The famed Yellow Tail brand, which presents a range of wines from various other grapes in addition to
Shiraz, is sourced from a mix of regions. One third of its fruit, though, comes from the company's own
