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CMS Introductory practice questions

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Question 1Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

The vast majority of the world's wine is made from grapes belonging to which species?

  1. Vitis rupestris
  2. Vitis labrusca
  3. Vitis vinifera Correct answer.
  4. Vitis riparia

Explanation

Vitis vinifera is the Eurasian species from which almost all wine grape varieties descend, and it supplies the sugar, acid and aroma compounds winemakers rely on. The other species listed are North American and are used mainly as rootstocks or for juice and table grapes.

Question 2Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

What happens to the vine at veraison?

  1. Hardening of canes in late autumn
  2. Flowering and berry set in early summer
  3. Softening and colour change of berries Correct answer.
  4. Bursting of buds in early spring

Explanation

Veraison marks the onset of ripening: berries soften, red varieties change colour and sugar begins to accumulate while acidity falls. It is the reference point from which harvest timing is judged.

Question 3Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

A guest orders a bottle of Chablis. Which grape variety is in the bottle?

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

Explanation

Chablis lies in the far north of Burgundy and is made from Chardonnay alone, typically in a steely, unoaked style. Burgundy's white appellations are essentially Chardonnay appellations.

Question 4Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

Brix is a scale used in the vineyard and winery to measure:

  1. Total acidity in the must
  2. Colour density of the wine
  3. Dissolved sugar in the must Correct answer.
  4. pH level of the juice

Explanation

Brix expresses the concentration of soluble solids, predominantly sugar, in grape juice and is used to judge ripeness and potential alcohol. It is read with a refractometer in the vineyard or a hydrometer in the winery.

Question 5Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

During alcoholic fermentation, yeast converts grape sugar mainly into:

  1. Acetic acid and water
  2. Ethanol and carbon dioxide Correct answer.
  3. Lactic acid and oxygen
  4. Glycerol and tannin

Explanation

The principal products of alcoholic fermentation are ethanol and carbon dioxide, with heat released along the way. Glycerol, higher alcohols and esters are formed only in small quantities as by-products.

Question 6Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

Which red variety is thin-skinned, pale in colour and the source of the great reds of Burgundy?

  1. Cabernet Sauvignon
  2. Nebbiolo
  3. Pinot Noir Correct answer.
  4. Syrah

Explanation

Pinot Noir has thin skins and forms loosely packed bunches, so it gives relatively pale, perfumed wines with modest tannin that perform best in cool climates. It is the sole red variety of Burgundy.

Question 7Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

Which white variety is prized in Germany for firm acidity and aromas of lime and, with age, petrol?

  1. Viognier
  2. Riesling Correct answer.
  3. Pinot Grigio
  4. Albariño

Explanation

Riesling retains high acidity even at full ripeness and develops a distinctive petrol note with bottle age. It is the most important variety in Germany's Mosel, Rheingau and Pfalz regions.

Question 8Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

In red winemaking, the greatest share of tannin is extracted from:

  1. Pulp and juice only
  2. The bloom on the skin
  3. Skins, seeds and stems Correct answer.
  4. The juice inside the berry

Explanation

Tannin is a phenolic compound concentrated in skins, seeds and stems, and it passes into the wine during maceration. Juice and pulp contain almost none, which is why white wines, made without maceration, are largely tannin-free.

Question 9Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

Why are most of the world's vineyard vines grafted onto rootstocks of American Vitis species?

  1. To raise sugar levels in the fruit
  2. To deepen the colour of the berries
  3. To delay the date of bud break
  4. To resist the root louse phylloxera Correct answer.

Explanation

American Vitis species evolved alongside phylloxera and tolerate its root feeding, while Vitis vinifera does not. Grafting vinifera fruiting wood onto resistant rootstock saved the European vineyard after the late nineteenth-century epidemic.

Question 10Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

A winemaker wants to soften the acidity of a cool-climate Chardonnay and add buttery, creamy notes. Which process should be encouraged?

  1. Whole-bunch fermentation
  2. Chaptalisation
  3. Malolactic fermentation Correct answer.
  4. Cold stabilisation

Explanation

Malolactic fermentation converts the sharper malic acid into softer lactic acid and produces diacetyl, which reads as butter. It is therefore used deliberately to round out high-acid white wines.

Question 11Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

In a cool vintage a must is judged too low in potential alcohol, so sugar is added before fermentation. This practice is called:

  1. Chaptalisation Correct answer.
  2. Fortification
  3. Maceration
  4. Acidification

Explanation

Chaptalisation is the addition of sugar to the must so that fermentation yields more alcohol. It is regulated and in some regions permitted only under defined conditions.

Question 12Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

Which technique ferments whole, intact grapes in a carbon dioxide-rich tank and yields light, fruity reds such as Beaujolais?

  1. Saignée (bleeding off juice)
  2. Bâtonnage (stirring lees)
  3. Carbonic maceration Correct answer.
  4. Délestage (rack and return)

Explanation

In carbonic maceration, intracellular fermentation begins inside intact berries under a blanket of carbon dioxide, producing low-tannin wines with bright fruit and banana-like esters. Beaujolais is its best-known home.

Question 13Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

Compared with free-run wine, press wine is generally:

  1. Higher in alcohol and lower in acidity
  2. Produced only from white grapes
  3. Deeper in colour and more tannic Correct answer.
  4. Lighter in colour and tannin

Explanation

Free-run wine drains from the tank before pressing; the wine released by pressing comes from the most phenolic parts of the solids. Press wine is therefore darker, more tannic and more austere, and is often blended back in limited proportion.

Question 14Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

Botrytis cinerea produces noble rot dessert wines when the weather is:

  1. Frosty nights during the ripening season
  2. Completely dry weather through autumn
  3. Damp mornings then dry afternoons Correct answer.
  4. Hot, dry and windy weather after rain

Explanation

Noble rot requires autumn mist or humidity to germinate the fungus, followed by dry, sunny afternoons so the grapes dehydrate rather than rot. This concentrates sugar and acidity while adding honeyed and marmalade characters.

Question 15Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

Stirring the fine lees (bâtonnage) during ageing chiefly adds:

  1. Deep colour and coarse tannin
  2. Creamy texture and yeasty flavours Correct answer.
  3. Volatile acidity and oxidation
  4. Sharp acidity and green flavours

Explanation

Yeast lees release polysaccharides and breakdown products that increase body and give bready, creamy notes, while also binding some harsh compounds. The technique is common for white and sparkling wines.

Question 16Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

Sulfur dioxide added during winemaking acts mainly as:

  1. An antioxidant and antimicrobial agent Correct answer.
  2. A colouring agent and sweetener
  3. A fining agent that removes tannin
  4. A nutrient that feeds the yeast

Explanation

Sulfur dioxide protects wine from oxidation and inhibits unwanted yeasts and bacteria, which is why it is used at several stages from harvest to bottling. Its level is regulated because it can be detected by sensitive tasters.

Question 17Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

Compared with a used barrel, a new small oak barrel is likely to contribute:

  1. Stronger floral aromas from the grape
  2. More primary fruit and higher acidity
  3. More toast, vanilla and tannin Correct answer.
  4. Less oxygen contact and softer texture

Explanation

New oak still contains extractable aromatics and tannin, so it lends toast, vanilla and spice notes and firms the wine's structure. It also allows a slow ingress of oxygen through the wood, though extraction diminishes sharply after the first use.

Question 18Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

Direct pressing of red grapes is used to make rosé because it:

  1. Allows a long maceration before fermentation
  2. Adds tannin through prolonged skin contact
  3. Produces a deep ruby wine with grip
  4. Limits skin contact so little colour is extracted Correct answer.

Explanation

Rosé needs colour from the skins but not the tannin that comes with extended maceration. Pressing the fruit promptly keeps juice and skins together only briefly, yielding a pale pink wine.

Question 19Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

Chilling a white wine before bottling so that potassium bitartrate crystals precipitate is known as:

  1. Filtration
  2. Racking
  3. Fining
  4. Cold stabilisation Correct answer.

Explanation

Cold stabilisation lowers the wine's temperature so tartrate salts crystallise and can be removed before bottling, preventing deposits in the bottle. It is a physical treatment rather than a chemical addition.

Question 20Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

In the traditional method for sparkling wine, the fermentation that creates the bubbles takes place:

  1. In an open vat after disgorgement
  2. In the sealed bottle Correct answer.
  3. In a stainless steel pressure tank
  4. In oak barrels before blending

Explanation

The traditional method adds yeast and sugar to the blended base wine and seals it in bottle, where a second fermentation traps carbon dioxide in the wine. The spent yeast then ages in contact with the wine until riddling and disgorgement.

Question 21Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

Cabernet Sauvignon is a natural crossing of which two varieties?

  1. Malbec and Tannat, both south-western French
  2. Merlot and Petit Verdot, both red Bordeaux
  3. Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc Correct answer.
  4. Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, white Bordeaux

Explanation

DNA analysis showed Cabernet Sauvignon arose in the seventeenth century from a chance cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in Bordeaux. It inherited structure and colour from one parent and aromatic freshness from the other.

Question 22Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

Coulure is a vine disorder in which:

  1. Canes remaining green and unhardened before winter
  2. Flowers failing to set fruit after poor bloom weather Correct answer.
  3. Berries shrivelling and raisining after a long dry spell
  4. Grape skins splitting open after heavy summer rain

Explanation

Coulure occurs when flowers are not fertilised, often because cold, wet or overcast weather disrupts bloom, so the berries never develop and the crop is reduced. Varieties such as Merlot and Grenache are notably susceptible.

Question 23Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

Grapes destined for Eiswein are normally harvested:

  1. Frozen on the vine at about -8 °C or colder Correct answer.
  2. After drying on straw mats for several months
  3. After botrytis has shrivelled them on the vine
  4. As soon as they reach 20 °Brix

Explanation

Icewine grapes are left on the vine into winter and picked and pressed while frozen, so water stays behind as ice and the juice is highly concentrated in sugar and acid. Picking usually requires sustained temperatures around -8 °C or below.

Question 24Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

Which training system keeps a single cane laid along the wire with the remaining wood cut away, and is widespread in Burgundy and Bordeaux?

  1. Gobelet
  2. Cordon de Royat
  3. Guyot Correct answer.
  4. Pergola

Explanation

Guyot is a cane-pruning system in which one or two canes are retained and tied to the trellis, with a spur kept for renewal. Cordon de Royat, by contrast, is spur-pruned on a permanent horizontal arm.

Question 25Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

A vineyard planted on heavy, poorly drained clay is most likely to yield:

  1. Vigorous growth and dilute, unripe fruit Correct answer.
  2. Deep-rooted vines with steady ripening
  3. Small berries and highly concentrated flavours
  4. Very early ripening and low acidity

Explanation

Waterlogged clay restricts rooting and holds water, encouraging excessive vegetative growth at the expense of fruit ripening, so the grapes stay dilute and underripe. Well-drained soils that impose mild water stress tend to give the opposite result.

Question 26Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

The principal grape variety of Chianti Classico is:

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

Explanation

Chianti Classico must be made predominantly from Sangiovese, which gives the wine its bright acidity, dusty tannins and sour-cherry fruit. The other varieties listed belong to different Italian regions and play no significant role in the appellation.

Question 27Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

Veraison, a key stage in the vine's annual cycle, is the point at which:

  1. berries change colour, soften and build sugar Correct answer.
  2. canes lignify and leaves fall before dormancy
  3. buds swell and burst, producing new shoots
  4. flowers open and berries set on the cluster

Explanation

Veraison marks the start of ripening: red grapes colour and white grapes turn translucent, the berries soften and sugar accumulates while acidity begins to fall. It occurs roughly halfway between flowering and harvest.

Question 28Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

The white variety used for Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé is:

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

Explanation

Both appellations sit in the central Loire and are planted overwhelmingly with Sauvignon Blanc, which gives crisp acidity and aromas of citrus, grass and flint. The other varieties belong to different Loire or French regions.

Question 29Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

Red grapes are normally fermented warmer than white ones. A typical temperature range for a red wine fermentation is:

  1. 18–22 °C
  2. 25–30 °C Correct answer.
  3. 8–12 °C
  4. 12–16 °C

Explanation

Warmer fermentation encourages the extraction of colour, tannin and flavour from the skins, so reds commonly ferment around 25–30 °C. Whites are usually kept cooler, often 15–20 °C, to preserve delicate aromas.

Question 30Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

During a red fermentation, punching down (pigeage) differs from pumping over (remontage) mainly because punching down:

  1. circulates cold water through a jacket around the tank
  2. sprays juice from the bottom of the tank over the cap
  3. drains the juice off the cap and returns it later
  4. pushes the cap of skins down into the juice Correct answer.

Explanation

Punching down physically submerges the floating cap of skins in the fermenting juice, which keeps it moist and gives a relatively gentle extraction. Pumping over instead moves the liquid over the cap, and it is generally the more extractive of the two.

Question 31Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

A grower removes some green bunches a few weeks after fruit set. The main purpose of this practice is to:

  1. reduce the crop so that the remaining fruit ripens fully Correct answer.
  2. delay ripening so that picking happens later
  3. prevent botrytis bunch rot from developing
  4. encourage the vine to grow more leaves and young shoots

Explanation

A green harvest lowers the yield so that the vine's resources are shared among fewer bunches, improving ripeness and concentration. It is a quality adjustment rather than a means of changing the picking date.

Question 32Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

Saignée is a method of making rosé that involves:

  1. fermenting white grapes on their skins to extract colour
  2. adding a little red wine to a white wine base
  3. pressing red grapes very gently immediately after picking
  4. bleeding juice off a red wine ferment early on Correct answer.

Explanation

In saignée, juice is run off a tank of red must after a short period of skin contact and fermented separately as rosé, which also concentrates the remaining red wine. The resulting colour depends on how long the juice stayed with the skins.

Question 33Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

Mutage, used to make a vin doux naturel such as Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise, consists of:

  1. chilling the must to stop fermentation early
  2. adding beet sugar to the must before fermentation begins
  3. adding tartaric acid to correct the must
  4. adding grape spirit to arrest the fermentation Correct answer.

Explanation

Mutage means adding neutral grape spirit to a still-fermenting must, which kills the yeast and leaves unfermented grape sugar in the wine. The result is a fortified wine that is sweet as well as alcoholic.

Question 34Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

Which variety typically produces wines that are pale in colour yet high in tannin and acidity, with aromas of tar and roses?

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

Explanation

Nebbiolo, the grape of Barolo and Barbaresco, is unusual in combining a light ruby colour with firm tannin, high acidity and a distinctive tar-and-rose perfume. The other Piedmontese and Veneto varieties give quite different profiles.

Question 35Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

In the northern hemisphere, a cool-climate vineyard is often planted on a slope facing south because such a site:

  1. receives more sunshine and so ripens fruit more easily Correct answer.
  2. shields the vines from prevailing westerly winds
  3. sheds cold air at night more effectively than flat ground
  4. retains more soil water through the growing season

Explanation

A south-facing slope intercepts sunlight more directly, raising the temperature of the site and improving ripening in marginal climates. Aspect is therefore one of the first factors considered when siting a vineyard.

Question 36Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

A pre-fermentation cold soak of crushed red grapes is carried out mainly to:

  1. settle the gross lees before racking the must
  2. encourage malolactic fermentation before pressing
  3. raise the fermentation temperature quickly at the start
  4. extract colour and fruit flavour with little tannin Correct answer.

Explanation

Holding the must cold for a few days before yeast activity begins dissolves pigments and aroma compounds while extracting relatively little tannin. This gives a fruitier, rounder style, particularly in varieties with firm tannin.

Question 37Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

Which fining agent is traditionally used to soften harsh tannin in red wine?

  1. Egg white Correct answer.
  2. Isinglass
  3. Casein
  4. Bentonite

Explanation

Egg white (albumin) binds with and precipitates aggressive tannin, softening the palate of young red wines, and it was long the standard fining for top reds. The other agents are chiefly used on white wines.

Question 38Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

Under German wine law, the Prädikat categories (Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese and above) are defined primarily by:

  1. the must weight of the grapes at harvest Correct answer.
  2. the steepness of the vineyard slope
  3. the alcohol level of the finished wine
  4. the time the wine spends ageing in cask

Explanation

The Prädikat ladder is based on the ripeness of the grapes as measured by must weight (traditionally in Oechsle degrees) at the time of picking. Style and sweetness vary with how the must is handled, but the category itself is a ripeness measure.

Question 39Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

Amarone della Valpolicella is produced by:

  1. re-fermenting Valpolicella on the lees of Amarone
  2. drying the grapes on the vine until they shrivel
  3. arresting fermentation with spirit to keep it sweet
  4. fermenting partially dried grapes to dryness Correct answer.

Explanation

Amarone is made from grapes dried for several months (appassimento) and then fermented dry, giving a rich wine with high alcohol and considerable body. The drying concentrates sugar, flavour and tannin before fermentation begins.

Question 40Viticulture, Vinification and Grape Varieties

Fino Sherry develops its pale colour and its yeasty, saline aromas because it is aged:

  1. under a layer of flor yeast that excludes oxygen Correct answer.
  2. in new, charred oak barrels
  3. in sealed tanks with no contact with oxygen
  4. in partially filled butts with deliberate exposure to air

Explanation

In Fino styles a film of flor yeast grows on the surface of the wine in the butt, shielding it from oxygen and producing characteristic bread-dough and saline notes while keeping the wine pale. The wine is therefore protected from the oxidative ageing that shapes Oloroso.

Question 41Wine Regions of the World

Which two grape varieties are the main components of red Bordeaux blends?

  1. Pinot Noir and Gamay
  2. Nebbiolo and Sangiovese
  3. Syrah and Grenache
  4. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot Correct answer.

Explanation

Red Bordeaux is almost always a blend, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot as the dominant partners, supported by Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Cabernet Sauvignon leads on the Left Bank gravels, while Merlot dominates the clay soils of the Right Bank.

Question 42Wine Regions of the World

Red wines from Burgundy are made principally from which grape variety?

  1. Gamay
  2. Pinot Noir Correct answer.
  3. Cabernet Franc
  4. Syrah

Explanation

Burgundy's red wines, from village level up to Grand Cru, are made from Pinot Noir. Gamay is grown further south in Beaujolais and is not permitted in the Burgundy appellations.

Question 43Wine Regions of the World

Which set of grape varieties is permitted for Champagne?

  1. Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris
  2. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier Correct answer.
  3. Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc and Grolleau
  4. Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Muscadelle

Explanation

Champagne is produced from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier, plus a few minor permitted varieties. Blending these gives the region its range of styles, from blanc de blancs to blanc de noirs.

Question 44Wine Regions of the World

The Chianti Classico DOCG is located within which Italian region?

  1. Piedmont
  2. Veneto
  3. Tuscany Correct answer.
  4. Lombardy

Explanation

Chianti Classico covers the historic heartland of the Chianti zone between Florence and Siena, entirely within Tuscany. Its black rooster emblem distinguishes it from the wider Chianti DOCG.

Question 45Wine Regions of the World

The Rioja Denominación de Origen Calificada is located in which country?

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

Explanation

Rioja lies in northern Spain, following the Ebro River, and was Spain's first DO to be granted the higher DOCa status. Tempranillo forms the backbone of its red wines.

Question 46Wine Regions of the World

Which grape variety is most closely associated with Germany's Mosel region?

  1. Müller-Thurgau
  2. Riesling Correct answer.
  3. Silvaner
  4. Spätburgunder

Explanation

The Mosel's steep slate slopes are planted predominantly with Riesling, which ripens slowly there and produces wines with high acidity and pronounced minerality. Spätburgunder is Germany's name for Pinot Noir and is far more important in regions such as Baden.

Question 47Wine Regions of the World

The Barossa Valley, one of Australia's best-known wine regions, is located in which state?

  1. New Zealand, Marlborough
  2. Australia, South Australia Correct answer.
  3. United States, California
  4. South Africa, Stellenbosch

Explanation

The Barossa Valley sits north-east of Adelaide in South Australia and is famous for powerful Shiraz and old-vine Grenache. South Australia also contains Coonawarra, McLaren Vale and Clare Valley.

Question 48Wine Regions of the World

Which grape variety is the most widely planted red variety in Napa Valley?

  1. Cabernet Sauvignon Correct answer.
  2. Merlot
  3. Pinot Noir
  4. Zinfandel

Explanation

Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley plantings and is the variety behind its most celebrated and expensive wines. Its thick skins and late ripening suit the warm, sunny conditions of the valley floor and hillside sites.

Question 49Wine Regions of the World

A white wine labelled Sancerre from the Loire Valley is made from which variety?

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

Explanation

Sancerre's white wines are made exclusively from Sauvignon Blanc grown on the hillsides of the eastern Loire. The appellation also produces small amounts of Pinot Noir-based rosé and red.

Question 50Wine Regions of the World

Port wine is produced from grapes grown in which Portuguese region?

  1. Dão
  2. Douro Correct answer.
  3. Alentejo
  4. Vinho Verde

Explanation

Port must come from the Douro, which is demarcated and regulated and is one of the world's oldest protected wine regions. The grapes are grown on terraced schist slopes and the wine is fortified with grape spirit.