certified sommelier exam |
latest|COMPREHENSIVE MOST TESTED
(frequently tested) QUESTIONS AND
VERIFIED ANSWERS | GET IT 100%
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maceration - (ANSWER)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 - (ANSWER)Classical European wine-making species of grape.
Examples are: Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay
Viticulture - (ANSWER)The cultivation, study and science of grapes.
Enologist - (ANSWER)winemaker
Malolactic Fermentation - (ANSWER)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? - (ANSWER)Australia, New
Zealand, South Africa, South America and the United States.
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What are the major old world regions? - (ANSWER)France, Germany, Portugal
and Spain
Name an example of a micro climate found in the USA? - (ANSWER)Carneros, CA
(All Napa AVA's have microclimates within them).
Average serving temperature for white wines - (ANSWER)45 degrees F
Average serving temperature for red wines - (ANSWER)55 degrees F
What is a cooper? - (ANSWER)A person who assembles casks and operates
machinery that builds wine oak barrels.
What is a cooperage? - (ANSWER)A place where collectively highest-quality
barrels are hand-made by professional coopers.
What kind of wood is used to make wine barrels? - (ANSWER)Oak
What flavoring traditionally does American oak barrels impart to wine? -
(ANSWER)A earthy, spicey (spicebox), smoke, vanilla (and sometimes will impart
tones of coconut) character
French Oak Barrels - (ANSWER)French oak gives wine a more subtle, toast and
nutty flavor and offers higher wood tannins and tighter wood grains which tend
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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 - (ANSWER)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 - (ANSWER)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. - (ANSWER)Limousin, Alliers, Vosges, Troncais and Nevers
Hot climate - (ANSWER)More alcohol, fuller body, softer tannin and less acid
Cool Climate - (ANSWER)Less alcohol, lighter body, firmer tannin and more acid.
Grape Vine Vigor - (ANSWER)"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 - (ANSWER)Vineyard managers carefully control the growth of vines
to bring out the qualities in the grapes that they want to emphasize in their wine.
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Grapes from vines that are too vigorous tend to be dominated by "fruitiness," and
they lose the complex flavors imparted by the soil.
Terrior - (ANSWER)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 - (ANSWER)More fruit driven, higher on power scale of
aroma recognition
Old world wine profile - (ANSWER)Traditional style of winemaking allows terrior
to become more evident which leads to a more earthy and subtle aroma profile.
Tokaji - (ANSWER)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.