D.

When analyzing wine, professionals often split aromas/flavors into three categories: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary aromas and flavors come from the grape itself or natural factors in the vineyard. Pinot noir, for example, often displays the primary aromas/flavors of red cherries, strawberries, and a certain earthiness. Secondary aromas and flavors come from winemaking. The smell and flavor of oak in chardonnay is a secondary aroma/flavor that results from fermentation or aging in oak barrels. Similarly, the aroma and flavor of bread dough in Champagne is a secondary aroma/flavor that results from long aging on lees. Tertiary aromas and flavors are those that come from time. After, say, ten years, a great cabernet sauvignon no longer smells or tastes simply of cassis or other primary aromas/flavors. It takes on almost impossible-to-describe aromas and flavors that result from molecules in wine coalescing over time into whole new compounds.

C.

Yes, red Sancerre exists and it’s made from pinot noir. Although, most Sancerre today is made from sauvignon blanc grapes, that was not always the case. Before the phylloxera epidemic in the 19^th century, the leading grapes in Sancerre were chasselas (a white grape also grown in Switzerland) and pinot noir. After phylloxera, growers replanted with sauvignon blanc (a high vigor variety) and by the 1930s, it was the area’s dominant grape. Pinot noir was also replanted after phylloxera, and today is experiencing a resurgence in Sancerre.

A.

Mount Vulture, located in Basilicata (the “instep” of the Italian boot), is an extinct volcano on whose slopes the best aglianico grapes are grown for aglianico del Vulture DOCG wine. Mount Etna is in Sicily, Mount Vesuvius is in Campania, and Mount Cavo is in Lazio.

C.

In 1936, Châteauneuf-du-Pape became the first Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée in France. In the wake of phylloxera and World War I, France’s AOC system was created to improve quality standards in that country. The Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC authorized 13 grape varieties to be used in the appellation, among many other regulations and specifications.

C.

Liliorila (li-lee-OR-i-la) is a cross between chardonnay and the southwestern French variety baroque. It was developed in France in 1956, and makes low acid, powerfully aromatic wines. Until recently, liliorila was virtually extinct. But its fortunes are changing thanks to climate change. It is now one of the varieties awaiting approval as an officially permitted grape variety for basic white blends in the appellations Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superiéur.

C.

Vin de Constance is a dessert wine from South Africa. The celebrated wine was produced in the nineteenth century at Constantia Winery in Cape Town. Founded in 1685, Constantia winery was one of the first wineries in the country. The luscious dessert wine, made from muscat blanc à petite grain grapes, was one of the most sought-after dessert wines in Europe―favored by emperors and kings (Napoléon Bonaparte and King Frederick the Great of Germany) and famous authors and poets. Today, the extraordinary wines are still produced at Groot Constantia and Klein Constantia wineries.

C.

The “cigar” refers to a famous nine-mile long strip of soil in Coonawarra (Aboriginal for “honeysuckle”) on the Limestone Coast of South Australia. The soil (called terra rossa) is a reddish colored mixture of porous clay soil and limestone. It is considered (along with Western Australia’s Margaret River) one of the best places in the country for cabernet sauvignon. These cabernets are often full of black currant and something green, like chaparral. Australian producer Yalumba makes a cabernet sauvignon called “The Cigar” as a tribute to the region.

D.

Made in the middle of the Loire Valley, Savennières (pronounced sa-ven-YARE) is a densely flavored dry white wine made from chenin blanc grapes. The best Savennières wines have such intensity, grip, minerality, and taut acidity that they can be aged for decades. Savennières is terrific with dishes full of vegetables, as well as with seafood.

C.

Ok, this was a tough question, but here’s the scoop: Much of the Prosecco that’s made is simply basic Prosecco DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) that comes from large swaths of flat land in northeastern Italy. Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore is a higher ranked, higher quality Prosecco DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita). It is higher ranked because it comes from an historically special terroir—namely, a small zone of high-elevation hills in and around the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene in the region of the Veneto (not Friuli). Yes, it’s a very long name but Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore is actually easy to pronounce: con-KNEE-lee-anno  Val-doe-bee-AH-di-nay  Pro-SEC-oh  Su-pair-ee-or-AY.

D.

Hezekiah, a Judean king, is not one of the Biblical kings for which large-format Champagne bottles are named. Balthazar, Methuselah, and Jeroboam—which hold 16 bottles, 8 bottles, and 4 bottles, respectively—are real designations. No one quite knows why large Champagne bottles are named after these ancient kings.

C.

Napa Valley has a complex geology, which includes the Napa River, two mountain ranges—the Mayacamas and the Vaca Mountains—and a no-longer-active volcano, Mount St. Helena. However, there are no deserts.