SOMM Spirits and Fortified Wines 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Cognac is a brandy produced in France that must be distilled in which type of still?
- Column (Coffey) still
- Pot still (Charentais alembic) (Correct answer)
- Vacuum still
- Hybrid still
Correct answer: Pot still (Charentais alembic)
By law, Cognac must be double-distilled in traditional copper Charentais pot stills (alembic charentais), giving the spirit its distinctive character.
Question 2: Sherry is a fortified wine produced in which region of Spain?
- Rioja
- Penedès
- Jerez (Marco de Jerez) (Correct answer)
- Ribera del Duero
Correct answer: Jerez (Marco de Jerez)
Sherry is produced exclusively in the Marco de Jerez, a triangle of towns in Andalusia including Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and El Puerto de Santa María.
Question 3: What is the 'Solera system' used in Sherry production?
- A method of fortifying wine with grape spirit
- A fractional blending system using tiered barrels to maintain consistent house style (Correct answer)
- A technique for producing flor yeast
- A system for classifying Sherry by sweetness level
Correct answer: A fractional blending system using tiered barrels to maintain consistent house style
The Solera system uses multiple tiers of barrels; wine is drawn from the bottom tier for bottling and refreshed from younger wine in the tier above, creating a consistent, blended style.
Question 4: Madeira wine is produced on a Portuguese island and is notable for which unique production process?
- Extended maceration on grape skins
- Estufagem — deliberate heating of the wine (Correct answer)
- Freeze concentration to increase sweetness
- Triple distillation for purity
Correct answer: Estufagem — deliberate heating of the wine
Madeira undergoes 'estufagem' (heating process), either in temperature-controlled tanks or naturally in warm warehouses ('canteiro' method), creating its distinctive oxidized, caramelized character.
Question 5: 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)
- XO (Extra Old)
- Hors d'Age
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 6: Fino Sherry gets its distinctive pale color and crisp, nutty flavor from aging under which biological process?
- Malolactic fermentation
- Flor yeast (Saccharomyces beticus) (Correct answer)
- Solera barrel oxidation
- 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.
SOMM Spirits and Fortified Wines 1
Cognac is a brandy produced in France that must be distilled in which type of still?