I85PREP
⌘ K
CMS Certified Sommelier study materials
CMS Certified Sommelier study resources

CMS Certified Sommelier practice questions

One question at a time. Build your CMS Certified Sommelier understanding.

First 50 of 200 questions. Each one lists the choices, the correct answer, and an explanation. The checker at the top of this page saves progress in this browser when it is available.

Continue in the practice tool above to load more questions, 50 at a time.

Question 1Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Vines of Vitis vinifera are commonly grafted onto rootstocks of American species primarily to protect against which threat?

  1. Spring frost damage to shoots
  2. Botrytis bunch rot in fruit
  3. Powdery mildew on leaves
  4. Root-feeding phylloxera Correct answer.

Explanation

American Vitis species such as V. riparia and V. rupestris tolerate the root-feeding aphid phylloxera, which destroys the roots of own-rooted Vitis vinifera. Grafting therefore allows vinifera fruit quality with resistant roots. The other problems listed are managed by canopy work, sprays or site selection rather than rootstock choice.

Question 2Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Which grape variety is the only one permitted in the Chablis appellation?

  1. Aligoté
  2. Melon de Bourgogne
  3. Chardonnay Correct answer.
  4. Sauvignon Blanc

Explanation

Chablis, in the far north of Burgundy, is a pure Chardonnay appellation; all of its wines, from Petit Chablis to Grand Cru, are white and Chardonnay-based. Aligoté is Burgundy's other white grape but is not permitted in Chablis.

Question 3Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Sangiovese is the dominant grape of which Italian denomination?

  1. Amarone della Valpolicella
  2. Barolo DOCG
  3. Barbaresco
  4. Chianti Classico Correct answer.

Explanation

Chianti Classico is a Sangiovese-based wine, with the variety required to make up the large majority of the blend. The Piedmont denominations and Amarone are built on other varieties entirely.

Question 4Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

In the traditional method used for Champagne, where does the second fermentation take place?

  1. In the bottle that will be sold Correct answer.
  2. In oak barrels before bottling
  3. In stainless steel pressure tanks
  4. In a closed autoclave after filtration

Explanation

The traditional method adds the liqueur de tirage and yeast to a still base wine that is then bottled, so the second fermentation and the resulting bubbles form inside the selling bottle. Tank and autoclave fermentation belong to the Charmat or tank method.

Question 5Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Which component of red wine is chiefly responsible for the drying, astringent sensation on the palate?

  1. Glycerol
  2. Volatile acidity
  3. Tannin Correct answer.
  4. Residual sugar

Explanation

Tannins bind with salivary proteins and precipitate them, which removes lubrication and leaves the mouth feeling dry and rough. This is why high-tannin reds feel gripping, especially when young.

Question 6Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Cognac is a distilled spirit produced from which raw material?

  1. Sugar cane
  2. Grapes Correct answer.
  3. Agave
  4. Malted barley

Explanation

Cognac is a grape-based brandy from the Charente region of France, distilled mainly from Ugni Blanc and aged in French oak. The other materials listed are the bases of whisky, rum and agave spirits.

Question 7Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

At approximately what temperature should a bottle of Champagne be served?

  1. 40 °F (4 °C)
  2. 46 °F (8 °C) Correct answer.
  3. 60 °F (15 °C)
  4. 34 °F (1 °C)

Explanation

Sparkling wine is served well chilled, around 8 °C (46 °F), so that the pressure is contained, the mousse stays lively and the acidity remains refreshing. Colder temperatures mute aroma, while warmer ones make the wine foamy and flabby.

Question 8Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Which grape variety appears on Australian labels as Shiraz?

  1. Mourvèdre
  2. Cinsault
  3. Grenache
  4. Syrah Correct answer.

Explanation

Shiraz and Syrah are the same variety; Australia adopted the name Shiraz historically, and it now makes the country's most widely planted red wines. Grenache, Mourvèdre and Cinsault are separate southern French varieties often blended with it.

Question 9Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Which compound, generated during malolactic fermentation, gives many barrel-fermented Chardonnays their buttery aroma?

  1. Diacetyl Correct answer.
  2. Sotolon
  3. Acetaldehyde
  4. Ethyl acetate

Explanation

Lactic acid bacteria convert malic acid to the softer lactic acid and, as a by-product, produce diacetyl, which smells of butter or butterscotch. Its intensity depends on the bacterial strain, lees contact and temperature of the conversion.

Question 10Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

The deliberate heating of wine in tanks or in heated lodges, known as estufagem, is used to produce which fortified wine?

  1. Banyuls
  2. Oloroso Sherry
  3. Madeira Correct answer.
  4. Vintage Port

Explanation

Madeira is deliberately heated, either in estufa tanks or by the slower canteiro method of warming in lodges, which oxidises and caramelises the wine and makes it famously long-lived. No other classic fortified wine relies on applied heat.

Question 11Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Under German wine law, which quality category is barred from chaptalization?

  1. Qualitätswein
  2. Prädikatswein Correct answer.
  3. Landwein
  4. Deutscher Tafelwein

Explanation

The Prädikat hierarchy is built on naturally achieved must weight, so enrichment with sugar is prohibited; the grapes must reach their ripeness in the vineyard. The lower categories may be enriched within legal limits.

Question 12Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Which technique relies on intracellular fermentation of whole berries under carbon dioxide before the grapes are pressed?

  1. Solera blending
  2. Barrel fermentation
  3. Extended skin maceration
  4. Carbonic maceration Correct answer.

Explanation

In carbonic maceration the tank is filled with whole clusters and blanketed with CO2, so berries ferment inside their own skins before pressing, extracting colour with very little tannin. It underpins the juicy, low-tannin style of Beaujolais.

Question 13Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Cabernet Sauvignon is a natural field crossing of Sauvignon Blanc and which other variety?

  1. Merlot
  2. Cabernet Franc Correct answer.
  3. Carmenère
  4. Petit Verdot

Explanation

DNA profiling showed Cabernet Sauvignon arose in Bordeaux from a chance cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, probably in the seventeenth century. Cabernet Franc supplies the structure and dark fruit, Sauvignon Blanc the aromatic lift.

Question 14Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Which statement correctly describes a Scotch whisky labelled single malt?

  1. A blend of malt and grain whiskies from several distilleries
  2. Any Scotch matured in a single cask
  3. Grain whisky produced continuously in a column still
  4. Malted barley from one distillery, distilled in pot stills Correct answer.

Explanation

Single malt means 100% malted barley from a single distillery, distilled in pot stills and matured in Scotland for at least three years. It does not refer to cask type or cask count.

Question 15Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

A wine that smells of damp cardboard and wet newspaper is most likely affected by which fault?

  1. Mercaptan spoilage
  2. Reduction
  3. Cork taint (TCA) Correct answer.
  4. Volatile acidity

Explanation

2,4,6-trichloroanisole migrates from contaminated cork or winery surfaces and at very low concentrations masks fruit and gives musty, cardboard aromas. It is not a fault of the wine's fruit or fermentation.

Question 16Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Which term describes the stirring of fine lees back into suspension during élevage?

  1. Bâtonnage Correct answer.
  2. Débourbage
  3. Collage
  4. Soutirage

Explanation

Bâtonnage is the periodic stirring of lees in barrel or tank, which increases contact with the yeast and builds texture, body and reductive complexity. It is used widely for white Burgundy, Muscadet and traditional-method sparkling base wines.

Question 17Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Pinotage, South Africa's signature red variety, is a crossing of Pinot Noir and which grape?

  1. Cabernet Franc
  2. Syrah
  3. Grenache
  4. Cinsault Correct answer.

Explanation

Pinotage was bred in 1925 at Stellenbosch by crossing Pinot Noir with Cinsault, which was then known locally as Hermitage. It gives robust wines that can show dark fruit, smoke and earth.

Question 18Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Which Sherry style is aged biologically under a layer of flor yeast?

  1. Cream
  2. Pedro Ximénez
  3. Oloroso
  4. Fino Correct answer.

Explanation

Fino is aged under flor, a film of yeast that protects the wine from oxygen and consumes glycerol and alcohol, giving a pale, delicate, saline wine. Styles such as Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez are aged oxidatively instead.

Question 19Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Which white grape is Austria's most widely planted variety?

  1. Riesling
  2. Grüner Veltliner Correct answer.
  3. Welschriesling
  4. Sauvignon Blanc

Explanation

Grüner Veltliner dominates Austrian plantings and is the signature grape of the Wachau, Kremstal and Kamptal, giving peppery, citrus-and-stone-fruit wines. Riesling is important there too but planted far less extensively.

Question 20Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Which of these varieties is among the permitted grapes of Châteauneuf-du-Pape?

  1. Tannat
  2. Fer Servadou
  3. Counoise Correct answer.
  4. Mondeuse

Explanation

Châteauneuf-du-Pape permits a long list of varieties, among them Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Vaccarèse, Muscardin and Counoise. Counoise is a minor but traditional blending partner that adds aroma and freshness.

Question 21Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

A wine showing struck-match and rotten-egg aromas is most likely suffering from an excess of which compound?

  1. Ethyl acetate
  2. Diacetyl
  3. Hydrogen sulfide Correct answer.
  4. Acetaldehyde

Explanation

Hydrogen sulfide forms when yeast is stressed or lacks nutrients and gives the classic reduction characters of struck match and rotten egg. Aeration or copper fining is used to remove it before it develops into more stubborn mercaptans.

Question 22Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Which rare white variety is permitted in the Champagne AOC alongside Chardonnay and the Pinot grapes?

  1. Marsanne
  2. Arbane Correct answer.
  3. Clairette Blanche
  4. Viognier

Explanation

Champagne's permitted list includes the little-planted Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris in addition to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Arbane survives in a few old vineyards and is used by a handful of growers.

Question 23Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

To be labelled straight bourbon, a whiskey must be aged for at least how long and in what type of container?

  1. Two years in new charred oak barrels Correct answer.
  2. Four years in new charred oak barrels
  3. One year in used oak barrels
  4. Two years in stainless steel tanks

Explanation

Bourbon must be aged in new charred oak, and the word straight adds a minimum of two years in cask; younger straight bourbon must carry an age statement. The four-year threshold is the point at which an age statement may be dropped entirely.

Question 24Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Which variety is a crossing of Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache?

  1. Carmenère
  2. Petit Verdot
  3. Tannat
  4. Marselan Correct answer.

Explanation

Marselan was created in France in 1961 by INRA by crossing Cabernet Sauvignon with Grenache, and it is now grown in the Languedoc and in China. It combines Cabernet structure with Grenache's warmth and gives small berries and deep colour.

Question 25Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Veraison is best described as which stage of the vine's annual cycle?

  1. The setting of fruit immediately after flowering
  2. The onset of ripening, when berries soften and change colour Correct answer.
  3. The removal of leaves to increase light around the fruit zone
  4. The period when the vine hardens its canes before dormancy

Explanation

Veraison marks the start of ripening: red grapes colour up, white grapes turn translucent, berries soften and sugar begins to accumulate while acidity falls. It is the midpoint of the season and determines the timing of harvest and the fruit's eventual style.

Question 26Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Which grape variety is the source of the red wines of Burgundy, including the grands crus of the Côte de Nuits?

  1. Pinot Noir Correct answer.
  2. Gamay
  3. Syrah
  4. Trousseau

Explanation

Burgundy's red appellations, from Bourgogne Rouge up to grands crus such as Gevrey-Chambertin and Vosne-Romanée, are produced almost exclusively from Pinot Noir. Gamay is the grape of Beaujolais, immediately to the south.

Question 27Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Barolo and Barbaresco are produced from which grape variety?

  1. Nebbiolo Correct answer.
  2. Barbera
  3. Sangiovese
  4. Dolcetto

Explanation

Nebbiolo is the variety behind both Barolo and Barbaresco in Piedmont, producing pale-coloured wines with high acidity and firm, ripe tannin. Barbera and Dolcetto are also grown in the region but are bottled under their own names.

Question 28Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Tequila is distilled from the fermented sugars of which plant?

  1. Rice
  2. Agave Correct answer.
  3. Sugar cane
  4. Rye

Explanation

Tequila is produced by cooking and crushing the heart (piña) of the blue agave, fermenting the sweet juice and distilling the resulting wash. It is a protected Mexican spirit and cannot be made from other raw materials.

Question 29Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

On a sparkling wine label, the term "brut" indicates what about the wine?

  1. It is made from a single vintage
  2. It is dry Correct answer.
  3. It is pink in colour
  4. It is sweet

Explanation

Brut denotes a dry sparkling wine, typically finished with a dosage of roughly 12 g/L or less. Sweeter levels are labelled with terms such as sec, demi-sec or doux.

Question 30Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Which acid is the most abundant fixed acid in ripe wine grapes?

  1. Citric
  2. Tartaric Correct answer.
  3. Acetic
  4. Lactic

Explanation

Tartaric acid is the dominant fixed acid in grapes and remains the principal acid in wine after fermentation; it is also responsible for the crystals known as wine diamonds. Malic acid is present too but is largely converted during malolactic fermentation.

Question 31Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

The red wines of Beaujolais, including its crus, are made from which grape?

  1. Gamay Correct answer.
  2. Syrah
  3. Pinot Noir
  4. Mourvèdre

Explanation

Beaujolais and its ten crus, such as Morgon and Fleurie, are produced from Gamay. Pinot Noir is the grape of neighbouring Burgundy, just to the north.

Question 32Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Which grape is New Zealand's Marlborough region best known for?

  1. Pinot Gris
  2. Melon de Bourgogne
  3. Sauvignon Blanc Correct answer.
  4. Riesling

Explanation

Marlborough, on the South Island, built its reputation on intensely aromatic, herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc. Other varieties are planted there but do not define the region's identity.

Question 33Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

The aging terms Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva belong to the classification system of which country?

  1. France
  2. Italy
  3. Portugal
  4. Spain Correct answer.

Explanation

Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva are Spanish aging categories with prescribed minimum periods in barrel and bottle. Italy, Portugal and France use different terms, such as Riserva, Garrafeira and élevage designations.

Question 34Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Which Port style is matured for years in seasoned oak casks, giving it a paler colour and flavours of nuts and dried fruit?

  1. Crusted Port
  2. Ruby Port
  3. Tawny Port Correct answer.
  4. Vintage Port

Explanation

Tawny Port spends long periods in cask, where slow oxidation and evaporation produce an amber colour and nutty, dried-fruit character. Vintage Port is bottled young and ages in bottle, retaining deep colour and tannin.

Question 35Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Which botanical gives vermouth its name and its defining bitter character?

  1. Orris root
  2. Gentian root
  3. Wormwood Correct answer.
  4. Cinchona bark

Explanation

Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is the required bitter botanical in vermouth and supplies the word itself, from the German Wermut. Other botanicals may be used in the recipe but do not define the category.

Question 36Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Which autumn weather pattern favours the development of noble rot in Sauternes?

  1. Continuous rain with cool, overcast days
  2. Misty mornings, sunny afternoons Correct answer.
  3. Night frost followed by a rapid daytime thaw
  4. Hot, dry winds with very low humidity

Explanation

Botrytis cinerea needs damp morning mists to establish itself, then dry, sunny afternoons that dry the berries and concentrate their sugars. Prolonged wet or very dry conditions produce grey rot or no rot at all.

Question 37Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Soave is produced primarily from which grape variety?

  1. Trebbiano
  2. Garganega Correct answer.
  3. Vermentino
  4. Friulano

Explanation

Soave, in the Veneto, is based mainly on Garganega, sometimes blended with a little Trebbiano di Soave. Vermentino and Friulano belong to other Italian regions.

Question 38Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Which variety is the most important red grape of Portugal's Douro Valley?

  1. Baga
  2. Touriga Nacional Correct answer.
  3. Aragonez (Tinta Roriz)
  4. Castelão

Explanation

Touriga Nacional is widely regarded as the finest red grape of the Douro and a key component of both Port and dry Douro wines. Baga belongs to Bairrada and Castelão to the south.

Question 39Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Vouvray is made from which grape variety?

  1. Chenin Blanc Correct answer.
  2. Marsanne
  3. Sauvignon Blanc
  4. Melon de Bourgogne

Explanation

Vouvray, in the Loire, is produced from Chenin Blanc in sparkling, dry, off-dry and sweet styles. Melon de Bourgogne is the grape of Muscadet further west.

Question 40Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Bandol's structured red wines are based principally on which grape?

  1. Cinsault
  2. Carignan
  3. Mourvèdre Correct answer.
  4. Grenache

Explanation

Mourvèdre dominates Bandol's red blends, where it needs the heat of the Provençal coast to ripen fully. Grenache and Cinsault play supporting roles in the blend.

Question 41Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Before it was identified in Chile, Carménère was widely mistaken for which variety?

  1. Cabernet Franc
  2. Merlot Correct answer.
  3. Malbec
  4. Tannat

Explanation

Carménère shares leaf shape with Merlot and was long interplanted and vinified as Merlot in Chile until it was correctly identified in the 1990s. Its later ripening and herbaceous, peppery notes distinguish it.

Question 42Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie are produced from which red grape?

  1. Mourvèdre
  2. Marselan
  3. Syrah Correct answer.
  4. Grenache

Explanation

Syrah is the sole or dominant red grape of the northern Rhône, including Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, Cornas and Saint-Joseph. Grenache and Mourvèdre dominate the southern Rhône instead.

Question 43Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Valpolicella is based mainly on which grape variety?

  1. Nebbiolo
  2. Montepulciano
  3. Corvina Correct answer.
  4. Sangiovese

Explanation

Corvina forms the backbone of Valpolicella, Bardolino and Amarone, usually with Corvinone and Rondinella. Nebbiolo belongs to Piedmont and Sangiovese to Tuscany.

Question 44Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Amarone della Valpolicella is made by which method?

  1. Blending fresh and cooked must
  2. Drying the grapes before fermentation Correct answer.
  3. Adding grape spirit to arrest fermentation
  4. Fermenting whole bunches under carbon dioxide

Explanation

Amarone is made from grapes dried for months (appassimento) before being fermented dry, which concentrates sugar, colour and flavour. Halting that fermentation early instead leaves the sweet wine known as Recioto.

Question 45Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

In red winemaking, "pigeage" refers to which operation?

  1. Racking wine off its lees
  2. Punching down the cap of skins Correct answer.
  3. Adding sulphur to the must
  4. Heating the must before fermentation

Explanation

Pigeage is the punching down of the floating cap of skins and seeds into the fermenting juice to increase colour and tannin extraction. Pumping wine over the cap instead is called remontage.

Question 46Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

The stony, fossil-rich character of Chablis is most often attributed to which soil type?

  1. Kimmeridgian marl Correct answer.
  2. Alluvial gravel
  3. Granite
  4. Volcanic basalt

Explanation

Chablis' vineyards lie on Kimmeridgian marl, a limestone-rich soil containing fossilised marine oysters, often credited with the wines' tension and flinty character. Granite underlies the Beaujolais crus and basalt appears in parts of the Ardèche.

Question 47Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Chardonnay and Gamay Noir both arose from a natural cross between Pinot and which other variety?

  1. Folle Blanche
  2. Pinot Noir
  3. Gouais Blanc Correct answer.
  4. Savagnin

Explanation

Both Chardonnay and Gamay are offspring of Pinot and the ancient, now largely abandoned variety Gouais Blanc. This shared parentage explains their kinship despite producing very different wines.

Question 48Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Adding neutral grape spirit to a fermenting must to retain residual sugar is known as what?

  1. Chaptalisation
  2. Maceration
  3. Mutage Correct answer.
  4. Dosage

Explanation

Mutage is the addition of neutral spirit to a fermenting must, which kills the yeast and leaves the wine sweet; it is the method behind Port and most sweet fortified Muscats. Chaptalisation instead adds sugar before fermentation to raise potential alcohol.

Question 49Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

Château-Grillet, the tiny Rhône appellation, is planted exclusively with which variety?

  1. Grenache Blanc
  2. Marsanne
  3. Viognier Correct answer.
  4. Roussanne

Explanation

Château-Grillet, a single-estate appellation of only a few hectares within Condrieu, is planted solely with Viognier. Marsanne and Roussanne dominate neighbouring northern Rhône whites such as Hermitage blanc.

Question 50Wine Theory (viticulture, vinification, grape varieties, regions, spirits, and beverage service knowledge)

On a sake label, which term indicates that no distilled alcohol has been added?

  1. Honjozo
  2. Nigori
  3. Junmai Correct answer.
  4. Ginjo

Explanation

Junmai signifies sake made from rice, water, koji and yeast alone, with no added brewer's alcohol. Ginjo and honjozo styles may include a small amount of distilled alcohol to lift aroma and texture.