SOMM Wine Laws and Appellations 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the minimum Champagne grape sourcing requirement — what percentage must come from within the Champagne AOC?
- 51%
- 75%
- 100% (Correct answer)
- 85%
Correct answer: 100%
All grapes used in Champagne AOC wines must be sourced entirely from within the delimited Champagne appellation; no outside grapes are permitted.
Question 2: Which term on an Italian wine label indicates the wine has been aged longer than the standard DOC/DOCG requirements?
- Classico
- Superiore
- Riserva (Correct answer)
- Vendemmia
Correct answer: Riserva
The term 'Riserva' on Italian wine labels designates wines that have been aged for longer periods than the minimum required for standard DOC/DOCG wines.
Question 3: In Spain, a wine labeled 'Gran Reserva' red must be aged for a minimum of how many years total?
- 2 years
- 3 years
- 5 years (Correct answer)
- 7 years
Correct answer: 5 years
Spanish Gran Reserva red wines must be aged a minimum of 5 years total, with at least 18 months in oak barrel and the remainder in bottle.
Question 4: The EU wine quality classification replaced the old 'table wine' designation with which term?
- Vino da Tavola
- Vin de Pays
- Vino sin IGP
- Wine without a Protected Designation (Vinho de Mesa/Vin de France) (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Wine without a Protected Designation (Vinho de Mesa/Vin de France)
The 2009 EU wine reform replaced older table wine terminology with 'Wine without a GI,' allowing simpler labeling while still permitting vintage and variety on labels.
Question 5: In France, a wine labeled 'Mis en bouteille au Château' means what?
- Bottled by a négociant
- Estate-bottled at the property where the grapes were grown (Correct answer)
- Made from a single vineyard
- Aged in new oak barrels
Correct answer: Estate-bottled at the property where the grapes were grown
'Mis en bouteille au Château' means the wine was bottled at the estate where it was produced, indicating the producer controlled the entire process from vineyard to bottle.
Question 6: What is a 'négociant' in the Burgundy wine trade?
- A vineyard owner who makes wine only from their own grapes
- A merchant who buys grapes or wine from growers to blend, age, and sell under their own label (Correct answer)
- A government official who enforces appellation laws
- A wine broker who arranges sales between producers and buyers
Correct answer: A merchant who buys grapes or wine from growers to blend, age, and sell under their own label
A négociant buys grapes, must, or finished wines from multiple growers to blend and bottle under their own brand, playing a major role in Burgundy's trade structure.
SOMM Wine Laws and Appellations 2
What is the minimum Champagne grape sourcing requirement — what percentage must come from within the Champagne AOC?