Court of Master Sommeliers Certified Sommelier Examination — Questions and Answers

Question 1: The CIVB (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux) classifies which level of Bordeaux wine that is separate from the 1855 Médoc classification?

Pomerol Premier Grand Cru
Cru Bourgeois (Correct answer)
Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé
Bordeaux Supérieur

Correct answer: Cru Bourgeois

Cru Bourgeois is a classification for Médoc châteaux not included in the 1855 classification, revised most recently in 2020 with three tiers: Cru Bourgeois, Cru Bourgeois Supérieur, and Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel.

Question 2: Which category of Cognac indicates a minimum aging of at least 2 years in French oak barrels?

VS (Very Special) (Correct answer)
VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale)
Hors d'Age
XO (Extra Old)

Correct answer: VS (Very Special)

VS (Very Special) Cognac requires a minimum of 2 years aging in French Limousin or Tronçais oak barrels, making it the youngest permitted Cognac category.

Question 3: What is the minimum Champagne grape sourcing requirement — what percentage must come from within the Champagne AOC?

75%
51%
85%
100% (Correct answer)

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 4: The Douro Valley in Portugal is the production zone for which famous fortified wine?

Port (Correct answer)
Madeira
Marsala
Sherry

Correct answer: Port

Port wine is produced in the Douro Valley, where the harvested grapes are fortified with grape spirit to halt fermentation.

Question 5: Sake is brewed from which primary ingredient?

Polished rice (Correct answer)
Wheat
Sorghum
Barley malt

Correct answer: Polished rice

Sake (nihonshu) is a Japanese rice wine brewed from polished Sakamai rice, water, koji mold, yeast, and sometimes added alcohol.

Question 6: What is the primary principle behind pairing wine with food?

Always pair red wine with meat and white wine with fish
Choose the most expensive wine for any dish
Match the weight and intensity of the wine with the food (Correct answer)
Always choose a sweet wine for all desserts

Correct answer: Match the weight and intensity of the wine with the food

The primary principle behind successful wine and food pairing is to match the weight and intensity of the wine with the food. A light-bodied wine would be overwhelmed by a rich, heavy dish, just as a powerful wine would overpower a delicate meal. Balancing their respective 'weights' ensures neither the food nor the wine dominates, allowing both to shine harmoniously.

Question 7: In France, the AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) system regulates which aspects of wine production?

Geographic origin, permitted grape varieties, yields, and winemaking practices (Correct answer)
Only grape variety
Only geographic origin
Only minimum alcohol levels

Correct answer: Geographic origin, permitted grape varieties, yields, and winemaking practices

The French AOC system controls geographic boundaries, permitted grape varieties, maximum yields, minimum alcohol levels, and specific viticultural and winemaking practices.

Question 8: What is Pisco, and in which two countries is it produced with ongoing legal dispute over its origin?

A fruit brandy produced in Bolivia and Ecuador
A grain whisky produced in Peru and Argentina
A grape brandy produced in Peru and Chile (Correct answer)
A sugarcane spirit produced in Brazil and Argentina

Correct answer: A grape brandy produced in Peru and Chile

Pisco is a grape brandy produced in both Peru and Chile, with both countries claiming it as their national spirit and having different legal standards for its production.

Question 9: What is the correct service temperature range for a delicate, aged white Burgundy (Grand Cru Chardonnay)?

15-18°C (59-64°F)
18-20°C (64-68°F)
10-13°C (50-55°F) (Correct answer)
5-7°C (41-45°F)

Correct answer: 10-13°C (50-55°F)

Premium aged white Burgundy should be served at 10-13°C to allow its complex aromas and flavors to fully express without being muted by excessive cold or oxidized by warmth.

Question 10: Armagnac differs from Cognac in that it is typically distilled using which method?

Double pot still distillation
Triple distillation in copper pot stills
Vacuum distillation at low temperatures
Continuous column still (alambic armagnacais) (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Continuous column still (alambic armagnacais)

Armagnac is typically distilled once through a continuous alambic armagnacais column still, unlike Cognac's double pot still distillation, resulting in a heavier, more rustic spirit.

Question 11: What is a 'Grand Cru' designation in Burgundy's classification hierarchy?

The lowest tier, applied to basic regional wines
The second tier, applied to village-level wines
A term for wines aged over 10 years
The highest tier, designating specific top vineyard sites (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The highest tier, designating specific top vineyard sites

Grand Cru is Burgundy's highest vineyard classification, with only 33 red and white Grand Cru sites in the Côte d'Or, representing the finest terroirs.

Question 12: In the US, what minimum percentage of a wine's grapes must come from a named AVA (American Viticultural Area) to use that AVA name on the label?

85% (Correct answer)
51%
75%
100%

Correct answer: 85%

US labeling law requires that at least 85% of the grapes used in a wine must come from the stated AVA for that AVA name to appear on the label.

Question 13: Constantia, South Africa's oldest wine-producing region, is located near which city?

Cape Town (Correct answer)
Durban
Pretoria
Johannesburg

Correct answer: Cape Town

Constantia is on the Cape Peninsula just south of Cape Town, one of the world's oldest New World wine regions dating to the 1680s.

Question 14: Which of the following wines pairs well with grilled steak?

Pinot Noir
Cabernet Sauvignon (Correct answer)
Merlot
Sauvignon Blanc

Correct answer: Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is a classic and highly recommended wine pairing for grilled steak, especially richer cuts. Its robust structure, firm tannins, and bold black fruit flavors stand up to the intensity and richness of the meat. The tannins in the wine interact with the proteins and fats in the steak, cleansing the palate and enhancing the savory flavors of the dish.

Question 15: Chablis, producing unoaked Chardonnay, is the northernmost subregion of which French wine region?

Alsace
Champagne
Burgundy (Correct answer)
Jura

Correct answer: Burgundy

Chablis is the northernmost appellation of Burgundy, known for lean, mineral-driven Chardonnay wines aged without oak.

Question 16: What does 'biodynamic viticulture' include that goes beyond organic farming practices?

Irrigation management using drip systems
Use of synthetic pesticides only when necessary
Carbon footprint calculations for each bottle
Planting and harvesting based on lunar calendar and use of specific preparations (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Planting and harvesting based on lunar calendar and use of specific preparations

Biodynamic viticulture follows Rudolf Steiner's philosophy, incorporating lunar calendars for farming tasks and using special compost preparations to treat the vineyard as a self-sustaining ecosystem.

Question 17: Which grape variety is most commonly associated with the region of Burgundy, France?

Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Pinot Noir (Correct answer)
Syrah

Correct answer: Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is the signature red grape variety of Burgundy, France, where it achieves its most celebrated expressions. The region's unique terroir, characterized by limestone-rich soils and a cool climate, allows Pinot Noir to develop complex aromas and a delicate, nuanced structure. It is the sole red grape permitted in most of Burgundy's prestigious appellations, defining the region's red wine identity.

Question 18: Which of the following terms describes a wine with a high level of tannins?

Sweet
Astringent (Correct answer)
Bitter
Silky

Correct answer: Astringent

A wine with a high level of tannins is best described as 'astringent.' Tannins, found in grape skins, seeds, and oak barrels, create a drying, puckering sensation in the mouth, particularly on the gums and tongue. This characteristic contributes to the wine's structure, texture, and aging potential, especially in red wines.

Question 19: Port wine is classified into several styles. Which style is aged in small oak barrels and develops a tawny color and nutty flavor?

Tawny Port (Correct answer)
LBV (Late Bottled Vintage)
Ruby Port
Vintage Port

Correct answer: Tawny Port

Tawny Port is aged in small 550-liter 'pipes' where oxygen contact gradually lightens the color from ruby to tawny and develops oxidative, nutty flavors.

Question 20: The classification system for Burgundy's Chablis region includes how many Grand Cru vineyards?

12
5
3
7 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 7

Chablis has exactly 7 Grand Cru vineyards (Blanchot, Bougros, Les Clos, Grenouilles, Preuses, Valmur, and Vaudésir), all on the right bank facing southwest.

Question 21: What is 'mutage,' the technique used in the production of Vin Doux Naturel and Port-style wines?

Adding tartaric acid to correct low acidity
Blending multiple vintages to achieve a consistent house style
Adding unfermented grape juice to sweeten a dry wine
Adding grape spirit to fermenting must to halt fermentation and retain residual sugar (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Adding grape spirit to fermenting must to halt fermentation and retain residual sugar

Mutage involves adding a neutral grape spirit (alcohol) to actively fermenting must, killing the yeast and preserving natural grape sugars to create naturally sweet, fortified wines.

Question 22: Botrytis cinerea, when it affects wine grapes under favorable conditions, is known as what?

Sour rot
Noble rot (Correct answer)
Powdery mildew
Grey 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.

Question 23: Fino Sherry gets its distinctive pale color and crisp, nutty flavor from aging under which biological process?

Solera barrel oxidation
Flor yeast (Saccharomyces beticus) (Correct answer)
Malolactic fermentation
Cold stabilization

Correct answer: Flor yeast (Saccharomyces beticus)

Fino Sherry ages under a layer of flor yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. beticus) that protects the wine from oxidation, creating its pale color and characteristic nutty, saline character.

Question 24: Which of the following is the correct hierarchy of Champagne sweetness levels from driest to sweetest?

Brut, Extra Brut, Brut Nature, Extra Dry, Sec, Demi-Sec
Doux, Demi-Sec, Sec, Extra Dry, Brut, Extra Brut, Brut Nature
Brut Nature, Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry, Sec, Demi-Sec, Doux (Correct answer)
Extra Dry, Brut, Brut Nature, Sec, Demi-Sec, Doux

Correct answer: Brut Nature, Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry, Sec, Demi-Sec, Doux

The official Champagne sweetness scale from driest to sweetest is: Brut Nature (0-3g/L), Extra Brut (0-6g/L), Brut (<12g/L), Extra Dry (12-17g/L), Sec (17-32g/L), Demi-Sec (32-50g/L), Doux (>50g/L).

Question 25: What is a 'Doppelbock,' and which country is it originally from?

A double-fermented Belgian ale
A double-hopped IPA from the United States
A strong, malty lager originating from Germany (Correct answer)
A high-alcohol wheat beer from Austria

Correct answer: A strong, malty lager originating from Germany

Doppelbock is a strong German lager (typically 7-12% ABV) with rich malty flavors, originating from Munich where Paulaner monks historically brewed it as 'liquid bread' during fasting.

Question 26: Which of the following beer styles is fermented with top-fermenting yeast at warm temperatures, producing fruity esters?

Lager
Ale (Correct answer)
Bock
Pilsner

Correct answer: Ale

Ales use Saccharomyces cerevisiae (top-fermenting yeast) at warmer temperatures (15-24°C), creating fruity, complex flavors; styles include IPA, stout, and pale ale.

Question 27: In beer service, what is the recommended glassware for serving a Belgian Trappist Dubbel?

A straight pint glass
A standard wine glass
A tall Weizen glass
A tulip or chalice glass (Correct answer)

Correct answer: A tulip or chalice glass

Belgian Trappist ales like Dubbels are traditionally served in chalice or goblet-shaped glasses that showcase their rich color and support a dense foam head while concentrating complex aromas.

Question 28: What is the correct angle to hold a wine bottle when pouring?

180 degrees
45 degrees (Correct answer)
90 degrees
30 degrees

Correct answer: 45 degrees

Holding a wine bottle at approximately a 45-degree angle when pouring is the correct technique for elegant and controlled service. This angle helps to regulate the flow of wine smoothly, preventing drips and ensuring a steady stream into the glass without splashing. It also allows for a gentle pour, which is particularly important for older, delicate wines.

Question 29: What is the primary purpose of chaptalization in winemaking?

To increase a wine's natural acidity
To clarify wine by removing sediment
To raise potential alcohol by adding sugar before or during fermentation (Correct answer)
To reduce harsh tannins in red wines

Correct answer: To raise potential alcohol by adding sugar before or during fermentation

Chaptalization involves adding sugar to grape must to increase the potential alcohol level, legally permitted in cooler climates where grapes may not fully ripen.

Question 30: Nebbiolo is the primary grape variety used to produce which two prestigious Italian wines?

Valpolicella and Soave
Amarone and Ripasso
Chianti and Brunello
Barolo and Barbaresco (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Barolo and Barbaresco

Nebbiolo produces both Barolo and Barbaresco in Piedmont, Italy — two of the country's most age-worthy red wines.

Court of Master Sommeliers Certified Sommelier Examination

The Certified Sommelier Examination tests wine, beverage, and sommelier trade knowledge through a three-part assessment covering theory, deductive tasting, and hospitality service in a single-day sitting.

Questions

38 min

Time Limit

60%

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