CSW Wine Laws & Service Techniques 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In Champagne, what does the term 'Non-Vintage' (NV) indicate about the wine's production?
- The wine was made from a single poor harvest that couldn't carry a vintage date
- The wine blends multiple harvest years to achieve a consistent house style (Correct answer)
- The wine contains no dosage and is therefore completely dry
- The wine was produced outside of Champagne's regulated boundaries
Correct answer: The wine blends multiple harvest years to achieve a consistent house style
NV Champagne blends wines from multiple years (including reserve wines) to maintain a consistent, recognizable house style.
Question 2: Which legal term on an EU wine label indicates a wine produced from grapes grown and vinified entirely on the estate?
- Mis en bouteille dans nos caves
- Mis en bouteille au château/domaine (Correct answer)
- Sélection personnelle
- Grande Cuvée
Correct answer: Mis en bouteille au château/domaine
'Mis en bouteille au château/domaine' means estate-bottled, indicating the wine was grown, made, and bottled at the same property.
Question 3: When presenting the cork to a restaurant guest after opening a bottle, what is the guest expected to do with it?
- Smell the cork to check if it is 'corked'
- Inspect it visually and optionally smell it, but not necessarily judge the wine by it alone (Correct answer)
- Squeeze it to verify the cork is moist and intact
- Taste a small piece of the cork surface for quality confirmation
Correct answer: Inspect it visually and optionally smell it, but not necessarily judge the wine by it alone
Guests may visually inspect and smell the cork, but the definitive judgment of wine quality comes from tasting the wine itself.
Question 4: Under New World wine law in Australia, what does the term 'bin number' on a label typically signify?
- The cellar bin location where the wine was aged
- A proprietary brand identifier, often reflecting original storage location but now used as a brand name (Correct answer)
- The legal batch number required by Australian wine authorities
- The auction lot number assigned at export
Correct answer: A proprietary brand identifier, often reflecting original storage location but now used as a brand name
Bin numbers in Australia began as cellar storage identifiers but have evolved into proprietary brand names (e.g., Penfolds Bin 389).
Question 5: Which service error most commonly causes Champagne to lose its effervescence prematurely when poured?
- Pouring into a chilled, dry flute
- Pouring into a glass that has residual detergent from washing (Correct answer)
- Pouring at a slight angle against the glass wall
- Storing the bottle upright before service
Correct answer: Pouring into a glass that has residual detergent from washing
Detergent residue in glassware destroys the nucleation sites needed for bubble formation, causing sparkling wines to go flat quickly.
Question 6: In the US, what is the maximum sulfite level allowed in wine before a 'Contains Sulfites' declaration is required on the label?
- 0 ppm—any detectable sulfite requires a label
- 10 ppm (Correct answer)
- 25 ppm
- 100 ppm
Correct answer: 10 ppm
Wines containing 10 ppm or more of sulfur dioxide must carry a 'Contains Sulfites' warning on the US label.
Question 7: What is the primary purpose of 'riddling' (remuage) in traditional méthode champenoise sparkling wine production?
- To blend still base wines before the second fermentation
- To gradually move yeast sediment into the bottle neck for removal (Correct answer)
- To measure sugar levels before disgorgement
- To cool the bottles rapidly after secondary fermentation
Correct answer: To gradually move yeast sediment into the bottle neck for removal
Riddling gradually rotates and tilts bottles over time to consolidate yeast sediment in the neck for removal during disgorgement.
CSW Wine Laws & Service Techniques 5
In Champagne, what does the term 'Non-Vintage' (NV) indicate about the wine's production?