C.

At the southwestern tip of the state of Western Australia, lies the wine region known as the Great Southern. The coastline borders the Indian Ocean. Wine grapes were first planted in this remote part of Australia in 1859. But the region only began to draw world attention (and Australian wine awards) as of the 1970s. Today there are about 70 producers—mostly small, family-owned estates—as well as many young innovative winemakers. The Great Southern (which is south of the better-known Margaret River region in Western Australia) specializes in dry Riesling and cool-climate Shiraz.

C.

As almost everyone who has ever drunk too much knows, “hair of the dog” is a colloquial expression for drinking an alcoholic beverage as a way of curing a hangover. (A stiff Bloody Mary is many drinkers’ first choice). The original expression referred to a method of treating a rabid dog bite by placing hairs of the dog into the bite wound. This was just one example of the ancient medical theory similia similibus curantur (Latin for “like cures like”), which is the basic tenet of homeopathy.

A.

Ah, the French. So many classification systems. In this case, the Côte de Beaune is the southern part of the 30-mile-long escarpment known as the Côte d’Or, from which come all of Burgundy’s most renowned wines. The top vineyards in the Côte de Beaune (and in the northern part of the Côte d’Or called the Côte de Nuits) are designated Grand Cru. There are only 33 Grand Cru vineyards in all of Burgundy. The most famous Grand Cru is the one every wine lover has heard of: the Romanée-Conti vineyard in the village of Vosne-Romanée.

A.

England’s sparkling wine producers commonly describe their wines as having “English acidity,” by which they mean—a lot of it. Many English sparklers clock in at 8 to 9 grams of acidity per liter; Champagne by comparison often comes in at 5 to 6 grams. The best English sparkling wines, as a result, are racy, nervy, starched, crisp and have a nice “bite.” By the way, the meteoric rise of a small but significant sparkling wine industry in England has been one of the 21^st century’s most unlikely if inspiring surprises. If you haven’t yet tried a sparkling wine from southern England (where the soils are an extension of the limestone soils found in Champagne), you must. The wines are fantastic. My favorites include Gusbourne, Nyetimber, and Digby—all available in the U.S.

A.

According to the OIV (International Organization of Vine and Wine) 2021 data, Italy contributes 19.3% of the wine made in the world, France 14.5%, Spain 13.6%, the US 9.3%, and Australia 5.5%. Together, Italy, France, and Spain account for almost half of the entire global wine production.

B.

So-called “butts” are 600-liter (160-gallon) American oak barrels used in the Jerez (Sherry) region of Spain for aging Sherry. Butts are nearly three times larger than a Bordeaux barrel, and are usually painted jet-black. Because the butts are arranged in rows four or five barrels high, and because a typical Sherry bodega has many thousands of such barrels, the visual impression is often startling. Butts are also known as botas in Jerez.

C.

God forbid you find yourself in a café in southern France this summer and not in the mood to drink rosé. But just in case, there is another famous, well-loved libation that’s famous in that area—Pastis, a mild licorice-flavored liqueur served as an aperitif with a carafe of ice water. (Pastis gets its licoricey flavor from star anise.) When the water is added to the pastis, the drink immediately turns ominously cloudy. (A related more strongly flavored liqueur—Absinthe—gets its licoricey flavor from a substance once, but no longer, banned–wormwood). As for (A), the failure of grapes to be fertilized, that is known as coulure in French. A rustic wine served in Burgundy’s bars (B) is called passetoutgrains and is a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay. And answer D is the definition of the Italian term passito.

A.

Lambrusco is usually what the Italians call frizzante (fizzy), not quite sparkling enough to be considered spumante (sparkling). Most is made by the Charmat method in large pressurized tanks. That said, a few top examples are made by the traditional (Champagne) method. Either way, Lambrusco is absolutely delicious especially when paired with charcuterie and cheeses (as the Italians do).

D.

The five tastes are sweetness, sourness, saltiness, bitterness, and umami (a Japanese word usually defined as savoriness). All five tastes are associated with specific receptors within your taste buds. Fruitiness, by contrast, is a simply a descriptive characteristic for a wine or food that is evocative of fruit flavors.

D.

Chenin Blanc is highly regarded in France and especially in the Loire Valley, but it’s not the grape variety that makes Sancerre. (That would be Sauvignon Blanc.)  Elegant and long-lived, Chenin Blanc is the grape that makes the Loire Valley appellations Vouvray and Savennières. It’s also grown throughout the Western Cape of South Africa where it can make stellar wines, especially from old vines. In the past, Chenin Blanc in the U.S. has often been grown at high yields and used for generic jug wines.

C.

The Deep End is the nickname for the coolest, westernmost part of the California’s Anderson Valley AVA in Mendocino. The area is an up-and-coming region for elegant Pinot Noirs and cool-climate Chardonnays.

C.

B.

C.

At one time, extra dry Champagne was the driest, but as time went on, newer drier styles of Champagne—including brut—were created. The evolving styles of Champagne began to occur in the early nineteenth century when more and more Champagne firms, hoping to capture new markets and increase sales, positioned Champagne as an aperitif, perfect to begin an evening, rather than a sweet wine to have at the end. First came half-dry Champagnes—called demi-sec. When these proved successful, producers began making sec, or dry, Champagnes (these were still fairly sweet by today’s standards). By the 1840s, the British in particular began to request even drier Champagnes. Producers responded with “extra-dry” (a term in English rather than French) Champagnes made just for the British market. As other countries caught up with the British preference for dry bubbly, the French began to make an even drier version of Champagne—called brut. Which is how brut turns out to be drier than extra-dry. Today, of course there’s an even drier style of Champagne than brut. It’s called “extra brut.”

D.

The region of Rías Baixas in the province of Galicia in the country’s northwest corner is a place of ocean breezes, winding estuaries, and lush vegetation reminiscent of Ireland. It’s often called “green Spain.” It could probably also be known as “white Spain” because it is home to one of the most exciting Spanish white wines— Albariño, a vibrant varietal with aromas of apricot and peaches with a citrusy core. Albariño has been popular among the seafood-eating people of Galicia for centuries.

C.

Saint Macaire, native to Bordeaux, was widely planted there before phylloxera devastated the region in the late nineteenth century. However, it was not widely replanted; current official statistics report less than 2.5 acres are planted throughout the entirety of France. The variety is also grown in California where it is used in Cabernet blends. Among other wineries, O’Shaunessy winery in Napa Valley, and J Lohr winery in Paso Robles grow Saint Macaire and blend it with their Cabernets. The variety is said to give a deep color and a “mouth-puckering palate” to a blend.

C.

Petite Sirah has grown in California since the 1880s. In the early days some of those vines were probably a type of Syrah that had small—petite—grapes. (All things being equal, winemakers prefer small grapes because there’s a high ratio of skin to juice. Since color, flavor, and tannin come primarily from a grape’s skin, small grapes yield concentrated, flavorful wines.) From a flavor standpoint, however, there is nothing petite about Petite Sirah. The wine is mouthfilling and often hugely tannic. In the early days of grape growing in California, Petite Syrah was interplanted with other varieties, creating field blends. As more and different varieties (sometimes misidentified) found their way into California vineyards, Petite Sirah’s true identity grew more and more obscure. Eventually in the 1990s, DNA typing revealed that most California Petite Sirah is the French grape Durif, a cross of Peloursin and Syrah. Today, some of the oldest “Petite Sirah” vineyards remain field blends of many varieties, including true Syrah, Durif, Carignan, Zinfandel, Barbera, and Grenache.

A.

That was a tough one! The native Spanish varieties are Garnacha (which the French call Grenache), Monastrell, (known as Mourvèdre in France), and Achéria (better known by its French name: Cabernet Franc). Cabernet Franc is thought to have originated in the Spanish País Vasco (Basque Country).

D.

Colorado’s 125 wineries are mostly nestled in high-elevation river valleys and on mesas—many of which are at elevations of 4,000 to 7,000 feet above sea level, making the Rocky Mountain state’s vineyards the highest in the U.S. Colorado’s vineyards are also considered some of the highest in the world. At such elevations, nights are cold, but during summer, days are warm, dry, and sunny.

C.

Many South African wines— white and red— possess a complex herbal, floral, and earthy aroma/flavor the South Africans call “fynbos” (FEIGN boss). The name (which means “fine leaved plants” in Afrikaans) describes a distinctive type of vegetation (including shrubs, proteas, reeds, and heather) found only on the southern coastal tip of Africa.