Test Your WQ
(Wine Quotient)

By Madeleine Ahlquist
Worcester Magazine

Wine enthusiasts have their own vocabulary for the passions behind choosing a wine, describing a wine — and certainly, drinking a wine. You’ve probably heard many of these terms, but here’s a chance to test your Wine Quotient with regard to some of the vocabulary, and see just how literate you are in the language of wine.

Future columns will offer the opportunity to check your Wine Quotient with regard to region, grape varietals, and general wine knowledge; but let’s begin with the questions below.

1. Wines that are not sweet are often referred to as

a.) Hot

b.) Fruity

c.) Dry

d.) Wet

2. Legs are

a.) The lines the wine leaves on your glass

b.) The aging potential of wine

c.) Another name for pits and stems

d.) A winemaking additive

3. A Super Tuscan is another name for a magnum.

True or False

4. Finish refers to

a.) The lingering sensation after you taste the wine

b.) The final winemaking step before bottling

c.) The last bottling of a vintage

d.) The last sip of wine

5. What is a fortified wine?

a.) Wine with acid

b.) Wine with added alcohol

c.) Wine with added sugar

d.) Wine that has been sealed tightly

6. What are tannins?

a.) An artificial wine coloring

b.) The element that gives red wine its backbone and makes you pucker

c.) A cluster of grapes that have baked in the sun

d.) A type of acid that is added to wine to make it creamy

7. A corked wine refers to a wine of the highest quality.

True or False

8. Meritage is a famous castle in Bordeaux.

True or False

9. Body refers to

a.) The weight of wine in the mouth

b.) The particular shape of white wine bottles compared to red wine bottles

c.) The amount of fruit used to make the wine

d.) What’s left after the skins and stems have been removed fromthe grapes

10. The term Balance refers to wine that has aged at least two years in oak barrels

True or False

Check your answers at the end of the article. If you scored correctly on 7-10 of the questions Congratulations! You’re on your way to becoming a real oenophile.

Now for some elaboration on the True and False questions. The name Super Tuscan was coined to describe wines from Tuscany that are made in less traditional ways. In addition to the traditional grape Sangiovese, these wines may also include grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot.

The term “corked wines” refers to wines with a certain defect caused by a mold that can appear in the corks themselves. The only way to find out if a bottle is affected is to open it. If you pour a glass and it smells like old, wet newspaper, it’s probably corked.

Meritage is a term created to market U.S. wines made in the French Bordeaux style, with the stipulation that a Meritage have three of the typical grapes used in Bordeaux. The five typical Bordeaux grapes are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.

Last and most important to your enjoyment of wine is the characteristic known as balance. Balance is the harmonious sum of all components of smell and taste. With perfect balance, no element is weak, no element is dominant. For some wines, this state of coherence may be present early, while for others it may come after a few years of maturity.

Madeleine Ahlquist is co-owner of One Eleven Chop House and The Sole Proprietor in Worcester, both of which are frequent winners of Wine Spectator's "Award of Excellence." Comments? E-mail editorial@worcestermag.com.

Answers:

1.) C

2.) A

3.) False

4.) A

5.) B

6.) B

7.) False

8.) False

9.) A

10.) False