SOMM Grape Varieties and Viticulture 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Nebbiolo is the primary grape variety used to produce which two prestigious Italian wines?
- Chianti and Brunello
- Barolo and Barbaresco (Correct answer)
- Amarone and Ripasso
- Valpolicella and Soave
Correct answer: Barolo and Barbaresco
Nebbiolo produces both Barolo and Barbaresco in Piedmont, Italy — two of the country's most age-worthy red wines.
Question 2: Which white grape variety is the sole permitted variety in Pouilly-Fumé and Sancerre appellations?
- Chenin Blanc
- Muscadet
- Sauvignon Blanc (Correct answer)
- Chardonnay
Correct answer: Sauvignon Blanc
Pouilly-Fumé and Sancerre in the Loire Valley's Upper Loire both use 100% Sauvignon Blanc, known for grassy, citrus, and mineral profiles.
Question 3: The term 'Spätburgunder' refers to which grape variety when grown in Germany?
- Pinot Gris
- Pinot Blanc
- Pinot Noir (Correct answer)
- Pinot Meunier
Correct answer: Pinot Noir
Spätburgunder is the German name for Pinot Noir, and Germany is actually the third-largest producer of this variety globally.
Question 4: Carménère, now considered Chile's flagship red grape, was originally thought to be which variety?
- Merlot (Correct answer)
- Cabernet Franc
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Malbec
Correct answer: Merlot
Carménère was long misidentified as Merlot in Chilean vineyards; DNA profiling in 1994 confirmed it as a separate Bordeaux variety.
Question 5: Which viticulture practice involves cutting back the vine to a permanent woody structure with short spurs to control yield?
- Guyot training
- Spur pruning (Gobelet) (Correct answer)
- Lyre trellis
- Scott Henry system
Correct answer: Spur pruning (Gobelet)
Spur pruning, often used in the Gobelet (bush vine) system, retains short spurs on a permanent trunk to regulate shoot growth and yield.
Question 6: Botrytis cinerea, when it affects wine grapes under favorable conditions, is known as what?
- Grey rot
- Noble rot (Correct answer)
- Powdery mildew
- Sour rot
Correct answer: Noble rot
Under warm, humid mornings followed by dry afternoons, Botrytis cinerea becomes 'noble rot,' concentrating sugars and acids for sweet wine production.
SOMM Grape Varieties and Viticulture 1
Nebbiolo is the primary grape variety used to produce which two prestigious Italian wines?