Q 01/05

Which three grapes are used to make almost all champagne?

A) Pinot noir, Pinot meunier and Chardonnay

B) Pinot noir, Riesling and Chardonnay

C) Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc and Gamay

D) Pinot gris, Chenin blanc and Pinot noir

Answer · why

A) Pinot noir, Pinot meunier and Chardonnay

Tiny amounts of Pinot blanc, Pinot gris, Arbane and Petit Meslier are also permitted.

Q 02/05

Roughly what pressure builds up inside a bottle of champagne?

A) Two bar, about 30 psi

B) Six bar, about 90 psi

C) Ten bar, about 150 psi

D) Fifteen bar, about 220 psi

Answer · why

B) Six bar, about 90 psi

That pressure is what shoots out the frozen plug of yeast sediment during disgorgement.

Q 03/05

The name 'Champagne' has been legally protected under an international treaty signed in which year?

A) 1855

B) 1878

C) 1891

D) 1866

Answer · why

C) 1891

Under EU law and the Madrid system the term is reserved for sparkling wine from the region; even 'méthode champenoise' was banned by an EU court in 19...

Q 04/05

What is the oldest recorded sparkling wine, predating Dom Pérignon?

A) Blanquette de Limoux

B) Prosecco di Conegliano

C) Crémant de Bourgogne

D) Asti Spumante

Answer · why

A) Blanquette de Limoux

Benedictine monks near Carcassonne made it in 1531 by bottling wine before its first fermentation had finished.

Q 05/05

Which English scientist's 1662 paper explained that adding sugar before bottling makes wine sparkle?

A) Robert Boyle

B) Robert Hooke

C) Isaac Newton

D) Christopher Merret

Answer · why

D) Christopher Merret

The English liked the bubbles that French producers still considered a fault, and had the strong glass to contain them.