©SOPHIABENNET@2024/2025 Tuesday, August 20, 202410:21 AM
Introductory Sommelier Course
Workbook + Windows Practice
Questions and Answers
How do you describe a climate? - Answer✔️✔️-Large to small;
Macroclimate (big picture), mesoclimate (ie, vineyard), microclimate
(ie, single row vines or specific vine)
Rain Shadow - Answer✔️✔️-a dry area on one side of a mountain
opposite wind, rain, and generally poor weather.
Main factors of Pulp (flesh) - Answer✔️✔️-Water - resides in the pulp
of grapes
Sugar - increases when grape ripens
Acids - decrease as grape ripens
Seeds/Pips - can give bitter flavors, if pressed
Cool Climate > Wine style? - Answer✔️✔️--grapes ripen slowly and
moderately
-less sugar is produced
-acidity remains high
-less alcohol potential (less sugar)
-flavors are more tart and lean;less ripe and juicy
Warm Climate > Wine Style? - Answer✔️✔️--grapes ripen fully
1
, ©SOPHIABENNET@2024/2025 Tuesday, August 20, 202410:21 AM
-more sugar is produced
-acidity is lower
-higher alcohol potential
-flavors are more ripe, lush, juicy
Green Harvest - Answer✔️✔️-Dropping or cutting grape bunches off
vine before harvest to focus the vine's energy on fewer, high quality
bunches
The majority of the world's vineyards are planted: - Answer✔️✔️-
between the 30-50 degree latitude lines
3 ways wind can help a vineyard - Answer✔️✔️--draw in cooler air,
draw in warmer air, helps prevent mold or rot
Malolactic Fermentation - Answer✔️✔️-Tart malic acid, natural in
grapes, are converted to softer tasting lactic acid. "Malo" or "ML" is
a process that occurs naturally in both red and white wines. NO
flavor is imparted to red wines, but ML can impart buttery or
buttered popcorn flavors and a creamy texture to white wines*
Carbonic Maceration - Answer✔️✔️-Tanks filled with whole berries
are blanketed under the CO2 gas. Grapes begin to ferment from the
inside (Intracellular fermentation). Berries at the bottom of tank are
crushed and ferment normally. Unique aromas and flavors are
produced - this technique is historically associated with Beaujolais
region of Burgundy.
2
, ©SOPHIABENNET@2024/2025 Tuesday, August 20, 202410:21 AM
Sur Lie - Answer✔️✔️-When wine is left in contact with the lees for an
extended period of time; decomposing yeast cells impart additional
aromas and flavors to the wine (bread dough, yeast, toast, subtle
white flowers, nuts.
Name 2 Must Adjustments - Answer✔️✔️-1. Chapitalization
2. Acidification
Chapitalization - Answer✔️✔️-Addition of sugar to must to increase
the final alcohol content of the wine
Acidification - Answer✔️✔️-Additional of tartaric acid to increase the
acidity of the must to improve balance/outcome
Aging White Wines leads to - Answer✔️✔️-deeper color, turning gold,
then amber, and eventually brown
*also for Rose
Oxidation (with White Wines) - Answer✔️✔️-As wine ages in barrel, it
is exposed to oxygen through the pores of the wood staves, oxidizing
the wine and deepening color
Aging Red Wines leads to - Answer✔️✔️-lightening of color, often
appearing dull and may brown
Wine Fault Terms - Answer✔️✔️-TCA (Trichloroanisole)/Corkiness -
wet cardboard
3
, ©SOPHIABENNET@2024/2025 Tuesday, August 20, 202410:21 AM
Oxidation - bad storage, poorly aged
VA (Volatile Acidity) - vinegary aromas
Ethyl Acetate (EA)- acetone/nail polish
SO2 - matches/wet wool
Brettanomyces - yeast growth
Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) - inadequate yeast nutrition during
fermentation - rotten eggs
Old World - Potential Reasons - Answer✔️✔️--dominance of earth
and/or mineral character
-dominance of non fruit aromas and flavors
-the fruit is restrained compared to non-fruit and earth aromas and
flavors
-the fruit becomes tart on the palate
-non fruit aromas and flavors become mroe apparent in the finish
New World - Potential Reasons - Answer✔️✔️-- there is no dominant
earth of mineral character
- fruit aromas and flavors lead and dominate the non fruit elements
-the fruit smells sweet and ripe, thus dominating the nose
- the fruit stays ripe or gets riper on the palate
4
Introductory Sommelier Course
Workbook + Windows Practice
Questions and Answers
How do you describe a climate? - Answer✔️✔️-Large to small;
Macroclimate (big picture), mesoclimate (ie, vineyard), microclimate
(ie, single row vines or specific vine)
Rain Shadow - Answer✔️✔️-a dry area on one side of a mountain
opposite wind, rain, and generally poor weather.
Main factors of Pulp (flesh) - Answer✔️✔️-Water - resides in the pulp
of grapes
Sugar - increases when grape ripens
Acids - decrease as grape ripens
Seeds/Pips - can give bitter flavors, if pressed
Cool Climate > Wine style? - Answer✔️✔️--grapes ripen slowly and
moderately
-less sugar is produced
-acidity remains high
-less alcohol potential (less sugar)
-flavors are more tart and lean;less ripe and juicy
Warm Climate > Wine Style? - Answer✔️✔️--grapes ripen fully
1
, ©SOPHIABENNET@2024/2025 Tuesday, August 20, 202410:21 AM
-more sugar is produced
-acidity is lower
-higher alcohol potential
-flavors are more ripe, lush, juicy
Green Harvest - Answer✔️✔️-Dropping or cutting grape bunches off
vine before harvest to focus the vine's energy on fewer, high quality
bunches
The majority of the world's vineyards are planted: - Answer✔️✔️-
between the 30-50 degree latitude lines
3 ways wind can help a vineyard - Answer✔️✔️--draw in cooler air,
draw in warmer air, helps prevent mold or rot
Malolactic Fermentation - Answer✔️✔️-Tart malic acid, natural in
grapes, are converted to softer tasting lactic acid. "Malo" or "ML" is
a process that occurs naturally in both red and white wines. NO
flavor is imparted to red wines, but ML can impart buttery or
buttered popcorn flavors and a creamy texture to white wines*
Carbonic Maceration - Answer✔️✔️-Tanks filled with whole berries
are blanketed under the CO2 gas. Grapes begin to ferment from the
inside (Intracellular fermentation). Berries at the bottom of tank are
crushed and ferment normally. Unique aromas and flavors are
produced - this technique is historically associated with Beaujolais
region of Burgundy.
2
, ©SOPHIABENNET@2024/2025 Tuesday, August 20, 202410:21 AM
Sur Lie - Answer✔️✔️-When wine is left in contact with the lees for an
extended period of time; decomposing yeast cells impart additional
aromas and flavors to the wine (bread dough, yeast, toast, subtle
white flowers, nuts.
Name 2 Must Adjustments - Answer✔️✔️-1. Chapitalization
2. Acidification
Chapitalization - Answer✔️✔️-Addition of sugar to must to increase
the final alcohol content of the wine
Acidification - Answer✔️✔️-Additional of tartaric acid to increase the
acidity of the must to improve balance/outcome
Aging White Wines leads to - Answer✔️✔️-deeper color, turning gold,
then amber, and eventually brown
*also for Rose
Oxidation (with White Wines) - Answer✔️✔️-As wine ages in barrel, it
is exposed to oxygen through the pores of the wood staves, oxidizing
the wine and deepening color
Aging Red Wines leads to - Answer✔️✔️-lightening of color, often
appearing dull and may brown
Wine Fault Terms - Answer✔️✔️-TCA (Trichloroanisole)/Corkiness -
wet cardboard
3
, ©SOPHIABENNET@2024/2025 Tuesday, August 20, 202410:21 AM
Oxidation - bad storage, poorly aged
VA (Volatile Acidity) - vinegary aromas
Ethyl Acetate (EA)- acetone/nail polish
SO2 - matches/wet wool
Brettanomyces - yeast growth
Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) - inadequate yeast nutrition during
fermentation - rotten eggs
Old World - Potential Reasons - Answer✔️✔️--dominance of earth
and/or mineral character
-dominance of non fruit aromas and flavors
-the fruit is restrained compared to non-fruit and earth aromas and
flavors
-the fruit becomes tart on the palate
-non fruit aromas and flavors become mroe apparent in the finish
New World - Potential Reasons - Answer✔️✔️-- there is no dominant
earth of mineral character
- fruit aromas and flavors lead and dominate the non fruit elements
-the fruit smells sweet and ripe, thus dominating the nose
- the fruit stays ripe or gets riper on the palate
4
