certified sommelier exam questions and
answers a+ graded 2025
maceration CORRECT ANSWERS During feirmentation, the steeping of grape skins
and solids in the wine. Alcohol acts as a solvent to extract, color, tannin and aroma from
the skins.
Vitis Vinifera CORRECT ANSWERS Classical European wine-making species of grape.
Examples are: Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay
Viticulture CORRECT ANSWERS The cultivation, study and science of grapes.
Enologist CORRECT ANSWERS winemaker
Malolactic Fermentation CORRECT ANSWERS a second fermentation in which harsh
malic acid is converted into a softer lactic acid; an acid that will soften a wines tannins;
Adds complxity to whites (Ex: Chardonnay ) and softens reds (Ex: Cabernet and
Merlot).
What are the major new world growing regions? CORRECT ANSWERS Australia, New
Zealand, South Africa, South America and the United States.
What are the major old world regions? CORRECT ANSWERS France, Germany,
Portugal and Spain
Name an example of a micro climate found in the USA? CORRECT ANSWERS
Carneros, CA (All Napa AVA's have microclimates within them).
Average serving temperature for white wines CORRECT ANSWERS 45 degrees F
Average serving temperature for red wines CORRECT ANSWERS 55 degrees F
What is a cooper? CORRECT ANSWERS A person who assembles casks and
operates machinery that builds wine oak barrels.
What is a cooperage? CORRECT ANSWERS A place where collectively highest-quality
barrels are hand-made by professional coopers.
What kind of wood is used to make wine barrels? CORRECT ANSWERS Oak
What flavoring traditionally does American oak barrels impart to wine? CORRECT
ANSWERS A earthy, spicey (spicebox), smoke, vanilla (and sometimes will impart
tones of coconut) character
,French Oak Barrels CORRECT ANSWERS French oak gives wine a more subtle, toast
and nutty flavor and offers higher wood tannins and tighter wood grains which tend to
have less influence on the wine's aromatics and flavor concentrations than an American
oak barrel, but are known to increase the wine's overall palate presence and intrinsic
complexity.
American Oak Barrels CORRECT ANSWERS American oak barrels are cheaper, have
a wider grain and lower wood tannins as compared to French oak. They also tend to
have a greater influence on the wine's flavor and aromatic components, often imparting
vanilla and sweet coconut nuances with a little sweeter palate profile than French oak.
Limousin CORRECT ANSWERS A type of oak cask or wine barrel from Limoges,
France
Name the common forests in France where french white oak is harvested for wine
barrel production. CORRECT ANSWERS Limousin, Alliers, Vosges, Troncais and
Nevers
Hot climate CORRECT ANSWERS More alcohol, fuller body, softer tannin and less acid
Cool Climate CORRECT ANSWERS Less alcohol, lighter body, firmer tannin and more
acid.
Grape Vine Vigor CORRECT ANSWERS "Vigor" is agricultural speak for the health of a
plant and is the result of the type and depth of soil a plant is in, the water it receives,
and the sunlight it gets.
Vigor Control CORRECT ANSWERS Vineyard managers carefully control the growth of
vines to bring out the qualities in the grapes that they want to emphasize in their wine.
Grapes from vines that are too vigorous tend to be dominated by "fruitiness," and they
lose the complex flavors imparted by the soil.
Terrior CORRECT ANSWERS a French term used to describe the site-specific
differences in wine that result from factors such as soil types, drainage, local
microclimate and sun exposure.
New world wine profile CORRECT ANSWERS More fruit driven, higher on power scale
of aroma recognition
Old world wine profile CORRECT ANSWERS Traditional style of winemaking allows
terrior to become more evident which leads to a more earthy and subtle aroma profile.
Tokaji CORRECT ANSWERS A sweet, topaz-colored wine from a long period of oak
aging that is from the Tokaji region Hungary.
, A type of wine made with botrytised (i.e. "nobly" rotten) grapes. Aszú berries are
individually picked, then collected in huge vats and trampled into the consistency of
paste (known as aszú dough). The concentration of aszú is traditionally defined by the
number of puttony of dough added to a Gönc cask (136 liter barrel) of must. Tokaji
ranges from 3 puttonyos (sweet) to 6 puttonyos (the sweetest), indicating the level of
sweetness.They have intense flavors of dried fruits (orane peel, marmalade, dried
apricots and raisins) and sweet spices (cinnamon). The long oak ageing adds notes of
nuts, coffee, caramel and honey.
Asyrtiko CORRECT ANSWERS Asyrtiko Dry wine style is most common. Asyrtiko is a
white Greek wine grape indigenous to the island of Santorini. Assyrtiko is widely planted
in the arid volcanic-ash-rich soil of Santorini and other Aegean islands. The mineral
profile of the grape bodes well for blending and in recent times its has been blended
often with Sauvignon blanc, Sémillon and Malagousia. In the volcanic soil of Santorini,
there appear to be some unique characteristics that develop in the grape variety, and
therefore in the wine. One of these characteristics is that Assyrtiko does not lose its
acidity even if it is very ripe. Throughout Greece, the grape is vinified to make a variety
of dry and sweet wines, including Vinsanto-like musky and syrup-sweet dessert wines.
Botryis Cinera CORRECT ANSWERS "Noble Rot". Botrytis is a mold that develops on
grapes. When carefully cultivated, Botrytis causes the grape to shrivel, concentrating,
and intensifying both the sugar and flavor. In addition, the acid levels remain high, which
prevents the resulting wines from being too sweet. It also changes the makeup of the
grape, so the wines made from grapes that have the botrytis fungus are not just sweet
but have an intense honey flavor.
Chaptalization CORRECT ANSWERS Procedure of adding sugar to grape juice or must
prior to or during fermentation. Winemakers chaptalize must to compensate for poor
growing seasons, or if they're located in areas of the world that experience cooler
climates. The main reason it is desirable to chaptalize is that the wine will have the
proper alcoholic content to help ensure a well-balanced wine. Common in northern
european countries and the practice is banned in southern europe, southern france, all
of Italy and California, USA.
Fortify or the fortification of a wine CORRECT ANSWERS Addition of alcohol part way
through fermentation to interrupt the yeasts converting all the sugar to alcohol in the
wine for the purpose to make a sweet wine.
What are the three grapes in Sherry wine? CORRECT ANSWERS Pedro Jmenez (PX),
Palomino, and Moscatel Fino
What is flor. What does flor do to the wine? CORRECT ANSWERS Flor is a natural
mixture of yeast which lives on the surface of some Sherry wines. It created a natural
barrier, protecting the wine from oxygen and lends a special flavor to the wine.
answers a+ graded 2025
maceration CORRECT ANSWERS During feirmentation, the steeping of grape skins
and solids in the wine. Alcohol acts as a solvent to extract, color, tannin and aroma from
the skins.
Vitis Vinifera CORRECT ANSWERS Classical European wine-making species of grape.
Examples are: Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay
Viticulture CORRECT ANSWERS The cultivation, study and science of grapes.
Enologist CORRECT ANSWERS winemaker
Malolactic Fermentation CORRECT ANSWERS a second fermentation in which harsh
malic acid is converted into a softer lactic acid; an acid that will soften a wines tannins;
Adds complxity to whites (Ex: Chardonnay ) and softens reds (Ex: Cabernet and
Merlot).
What are the major new world growing regions? CORRECT ANSWERS Australia, New
Zealand, South Africa, South America and the United States.
What are the major old world regions? CORRECT ANSWERS France, Germany,
Portugal and Spain
Name an example of a micro climate found in the USA? CORRECT ANSWERS
Carneros, CA (All Napa AVA's have microclimates within them).
Average serving temperature for white wines CORRECT ANSWERS 45 degrees F
Average serving temperature for red wines CORRECT ANSWERS 55 degrees F
What is a cooper? CORRECT ANSWERS A person who assembles casks and
operates machinery that builds wine oak barrels.
What is a cooperage? CORRECT ANSWERS A place where collectively highest-quality
barrels are hand-made by professional coopers.
What kind of wood is used to make wine barrels? CORRECT ANSWERS Oak
What flavoring traditionally does American oak barrels impart to wine? CORRECT
ANSWERS A earthy, spicey (spicebox), smoke, vanilla (and sometimes will impart
tones of coconut) character
,French Oak Barrels CORRECT ANSWERS French oak gives wine a more subtle, toast
and nutty flavor and offers higher wood tannins and tighter wood grains which tend to
have less influence on the wine's aromatics and flavor concentrations than an American
oak barrel, but are known to increase the wine's overall palate presence and intrinsic
complexity.
American Oak Barrels CORRECT ANSWERS American oak barrels are cheaper, have
a wider grain and lower wood tannins as compared to French oak. They also tend to
have a greater influence on the wine's flavor and aromatic components, often imparting
vanilla and sweet coconut nuances with a little sweeter palate profile than French oak.
Limousin CORRECT ANSWERS A type of oak cask or wine barrel from Limoges,
France
Name the common forests in France where french white oak is harvested for wine
barrel production. CORRECT ANSWERS Limousin, Alliers, Vosges, Troncais and
Nevers
Hot climate CORRECT ANSWERS More alcohol, fuller body, softer tannin and less acid
Cool Climate CORRECT ANSWERS Less alcohol, lighter body, firmer tannin and more
acid.
Grape Vine Vigor CORRECT ANSWERS "Vigor" is agricultural speak for the health of a
plant and is the result of the type and depth of soil a plant is in, the water it receives,
and the sunlight it gets.
Vigor Control CORRECT ANSWERS Vineyard managers carefully control the growth of
vines to bring out the qualities in the grapes that they want to emphasize in their wine.
Grapes from vines that are too vigorous tend to be dominated by "fruitiness," and they
lose the complex flavors imparted by the soil.
Terrior CORRECT ANSWERS a French term used to describe the site-specific
differences in wine that result from factors such as soil types, drainage, local
microclimate and sun exposure.
New world wine profile CORRECT ANSWERS More fruit driven, higher on power scale
of aroma recognition
Old world wine profile CORRECT ANSWERS Traditional style of winemaking allows
terrior to become more evident which leads to a more earthy and subtle aroma profile.
Tokaji CORRECT ANSWERS A sweet, topaz-colored wine from a long period of oak
aging that is from the Tokaji region Hungary.
, A type of wine made with botrytised (i.e. "nobly" rotten) grapes. Aszú berries are
individually picked, then collected in huge vats and trampled into the consistency of
paste (known as aszú dough). The concentration of aszú is traditionally defined by the
number of puttony of dough added to a Gönc cask (136 liter barrel) of must. Tokaji
ranges from 3 puttonyos (sweet) to 6 puttonyos (the sweetest), indicating the level of
sweetness.They have intense flavors of dried fruits (orane peel, marmalade, dried
apricots and raisins) and sweet spices (cinnamon). The long oak ageing adds notes of
nuts, coffee, caramel and honey.
Asyrtiko CORRECT ANSWERS Asyrtiko Dry wine style is most common. Asyrtiko is a
white Greek wine grape indigenous to the island of Santorini. Assyrtiko is widely planted
in the arid volcanic-ash-rich soil of Santorini and other Aegean islands. The mineral
profile of the grape bodes well for blending and in recent times its has been blended
often with Sauvignon blanc, Sémillon and Malagousia. In the volcanic soil of Santorini,
there appear to be some unique characteristics that develop in the grape variety, and
therefore in the wine. One of these characteristics is that Assyrtiko does not lose its
acidity even if it is very ripe. Throughout Greece, the grape is vinified to make a variety
of dry and sweet wines, including Vinsanto-like musky and syrup-sweet dessert wines.
Botryis Cinera CORRECT ANSWERS "Noble Rot". Botrytis is a mold that develops on
grapes. When carefully cultivated, Botrytis causes the grape to shrivel, concentrating,
and intensifying both the sugar and flavor. In addition, the acid levels remain high, which
prevents the resulting wines from being too sweet. It also changes the makeup of the
grape, so the wines made from grapes that have the botrytis fungus are not just sweet
but have an intense honey flavor.
Chaptalization CORRECT ANSWERS Procedure of adding sugar to grape juice or must
prior to or during fermentation. Winemakers chaptalize must to compensate for poor
growing seasons, or if they're located in areas of the world that experience cooler
climates. The main reason it is desirable to chaptalize is that the wine will have the
proper alcoholic content to help ensure a well-balanced wine. Common in northern
european countries and the practice is banned in southern europe, southern france, all
of Italy and California, USA.
Fortify or the fortification of a wine CORRECT ANSWERS Addition of alcohol part way
through fermentation to interrupt the yeasts converting all the sugar to alcohol in the
wine for the purpose to make a sweet wine.
What are the three grapes in Sherry wine? CORRECT ANSWERS Pedro Jmenez (PX),
Palomino, and Moscatel Fino
What is flor. What does flor do to the wine? CORRECT ANSWERS Flor is a natural
mixture of yeast which lives on the surface of some Sherry wines. It created a natural
barrier, protecting the wine from oxygen and lends a special flavor to the wine.
