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Wine Laws and Appellations Flashcards

6 cards from real SOMM practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 6 Wine Laws and Appellations flashcards as text

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

    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.

  2. In Champagne, what does the term 'Blanc de Blancs' indicate?

    Answer: A Champagne made only from white-skinned grapes (Chardonnay)

    Blanc de Blancs Champagne is made exclusively from white-skinned grapes, primarily Chardonnay, resulting in a lighter, more delicate and citrus-driven style.

  3. The classification system for Burgundy's Chablis region includes how many Grand Cru vineyards?

    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.

  4. In Australia, the term 'GI' (Geographical Indication) functions similarly to which European concept?

    Answer: Appellation of origin

    Australia's GI system delineates wine zones, regions, and subregions to protect place names on wine labels, similar to Europe's appellation system.

  5. The German VDP (Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter) classification system's top tier is called what?

    Answer: Grosse Lage (Grosses Gewächs)

    Grosse Lage (Grand Cru equivalent) is the VDP's top vineyard classification, with dry wines from these sites labeled 'Grosses Gewächs' (GG).

  6. What does 'En Primeur' refer to in the Bordeaux wine trade?

    Answer: Buying wines as futures before they are bottled

    En Primeur is the system where Bordeaux châteaux offer wines for sale in the spring after harvest, while the wine is still in barrel — buyers receive the wine 18-24 months later.