Sommeliers - How well do you know wine?

[Superfly]

Take the "what am I drinking?" quizes over at Wine Spectator.

Link

I'm going to be a professional in this industry, and I don't know a freaking thing!

[jpgray]

1. Uh, er... lovely bouquet, nice woody finish.

:)

[eyesroll]

2. I am terrible at the language of wine.

We attended a wine class a couple of years ago, hosted by Terry Theiss (a prominent importer of Austrian, German and Alsatian wines, and the husband of one of the best chefs in Wisconsin). We tasted wonderfully cellared whites from those regions, some of which were old enough for people who were conceived under the influence of the wine to legally drink it now. (I had no idea a gewurztraminer could hold up after more than two decades.)

What could I come up with? "Acetone, but in a good way."

If someone points out the peach, bay leaf, peat or whatever, I can find it, but I can't come up with anything more accurate than "lemon Pledge" on my own.

[GOPisEvil]

3. I am so wine ignorant. I throw myself at the mercy of the experts.

There's a wine shop I go to here. I tell the clerk what I'm doing, what I'm eating and how much I want to spend. They've never steered me wrong.

In restaurants, I ask too. Although, the times I have tried ordering wine on my own, the decision usually works out.

[jpgray]

5. Asking is smart, if you don't know the Byzantine label language

:crazy:

[Robb]

4. I'm OK at this stuff

but I get a little skittish about specifics. For example, I figured with all the fruit action this was probably a pinot grigio, and a complicated-sounding one, which meant it was more exotic than the garbage coming out of California (sorry, CA, still like your cabs!), so probably Italy. But Tuscany? Are they known for their whites?

Or, I could be way off. Dang site don't have the answers!!

[Superfly]

7. That's what I thought, too.

Check out the archives. There are dozens of them. Some are pretty obscure.

[xchrom]

10. i picked the grigio as well

and i take umbrage at the cali wine comment -- we have an incredible depth of selection. i try very hard to buy cali wines only and give them often as gifts. i'm very proud of our wines.

[Robb]

11. Well,

I mean, I live in Colorado, where we can't make a decent wine to save our lives. :) And there are, of course, a lot of California wineries doing very good work.

But I've yet to have a CA pinot grigio that I thought was particularly well done. It's like a whole different grape. :shrug:

[Superfly]

12. California Chardonnay, yes

California Pinot Grigio, no.

[Robb]

15. See, I've had CA chards

that really, really remind me of French ones. But not the pinots. Maybe I'm not trying hard enough; but my pinot grigio drinking season is pretty short (there's only a few weeks in the summer where I feel like drinking one).

[Superfly]

18. So which whites do you drink mostly?

Chardonnays?

Me, I am partial to Malbec, Riesling (esp late harvest), and Gewurtztraminer. Not a big chard or pinot drinker, myself, but I do enjoy a good pinot if the price is right.

Like I said, right now I am really stoked on Malbec. Could be because I am going to Argentina next week to tour their wine country...who knows.

[freestatevet]

21. Gewurtztraminer

Good choice! But only if from the Alsace. I don't think the new world ones are spicy enough.

[Superfly]

24. Alsatian Gewurtztraminer?

Can't say I've had it. Most of my favs come from the Mosel-Ruhr region of Germany.

[freestatevet]

27. I'v never had those!

I think most wine experts agree that Gewurtstraminer is at it's best in the Alsace. The soil just makes it that much "spicer."

[noonwitch]

32. Pinot Grigio, Reisling

I love the pinot grigio that comes in the twisted purple bottle (forgot the name-Vesuvio?).
I also like the Smitt-Sahon reisling that comes in the skinny pale blue bottle.
I'm not a big fan of California or french white wines, although I do like the beaujolais novou every fall.

[freestatevet]

17. I'm with you

This was a Chard. I'm thinking it was French, though.

[Superfly]

19. Oooh....I thought it was the pinot

...

[freestatevet]

25. Could be

but Honey and Spice notes, along with "earthy" don't usually describe pinot gris or grigio.

[GOPisEvil]

22. I went with French Chard, too...although based on only one item.

Truffles.

[ScreamingMeemie]

6. The only wine I absolutely adore is Spate Lase. I miss that

wine. :(

[Superfly]

8. That should be one word

Spelled Spatlese...the late harvest. It's the wine I grew up on in Bavaria.

[ScreamingMeemie]

9. Tell the wine people. The bottle I used to get split it up.

:) Me, I'm no aficionado on the subject. I just thought it was a good wine.

[freestatevet]

16. Spatlese is not a wine

type. It means "late picked" and is indicative of when the wine was harvested. Most likely the wine you were drinking was a Reisling.

[ScreamingMeemie]

20. Arrrrgh! Ignore my post please...Please?

:P

[freestatevet]

23. Just trying to help!

I'd hate to see you get the wrong wine because of a mistake!

[ScreamingMeemie]

26. Heehee. Can't drink anymore.

Just goofing around.

:) And you are right. It was Reisling. Put out by St. Charles.

[Superfly]

28. Of Missouri?

NT

[supernova]

13. I picked pino grigio

as well, with Tuscany as the region. The truffle thing... you don't usualy hear CA wine described as truffle-y, but you do hear apricot a lot. "Should improve with cellaring" means it probably hasn't been bottled long.

Cool quiz. Thanks for showing us. I love wine but I'm no expert.

edit: When do they annouce the winners?

[Superfly]

14. I think next week...

You can look through the archives and get your answers immeidately.

[Whitacre D_WI]

29. Sounds like a Montrachet to me.

I've been taking the "What am I tasting?" quizzes for a couple of years now. My success rate is about 50% (I'm generally better at picking out the reds than the whites, unless it's something very distinctive like a Sauvignon Blanc or a Guwertztraminer).

[freestatevet]

30. That is what I selected as well

I said 3-5 years, but I think it may be younger.

[Whitacre D_WI]

33. I guessed 1-2 years (based upon the poll being from December).

It sounds like a 2001 to me, it doesn't have the austerity of a 2000.

Then again, I'm weaker on Burgundy than any other major wine region, so take my answer with a grain of salt.

[ProfessorGAC]

31. I Know It's Made From Grapes!

Do i win anything?
The Professor

[Whitacre D_WI]

34. I was right!

2001 Montrachet:

http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Weekly/Tasting_Game/0,1189,,00.html