Level 3 wine exam practice · Learning outcome 2

Chile and Argentina: practice questions

28 original multiple-choice questions on this chapter, each with an explanation. Five are below; the rest, plus timed mocks and written-answer drills with mark schemes, are in the app.

Sample questions

In Argentina, Bonarda is:
  1. A widely planted red grape giving soft, deep-coloured, fruity wines, often inexpensive
  2. An aromatic white grape
  3. The local name for Cabernet Sauvignon
  4. A sparkling wine style
Answer: A widely planted red grape giving soft, deep-coloured, fruity wines, often inexpensive. Bonarda was long Argentina's most planted red before Malbec overtook it, and it still fills the everyday and blending market with juicy, easy wines; some producers now make serious versions from old vines. It is unrelated to the Piemontese grape of the same name.
Luján de Cuyo, in Mendoza, is known for:
  1. Old-vine Malbec from the higher land south of Mendoza city
  2. Aromatic Torrontés from extreme altitude
  3. Cool-climate Pinot Noir
  4. High-volume bulk wine from the lowlands
Answer: Old-vine Malbec from the higher land south of Mendoza city. Luján de Cuyo, with neighbouring Maipú, is the traditional core of Mendoza, where mature Malbec vineyards produce the classic rich, velvety style. Torrontés is a Salta speciality, and Pinot Noir belongs to Patagonia and the highest Uco sites.
Argentina's signature grape variety is:
  1. Malbec
  2. Carmenère
  3. Tempranillo
  4. Pinot Noir
Answer: Malbec. Malbec, a minor Bordeaux grape and the Cahors variety, found its ideal home in Mendoza's high, dry vineyards, giving deep-coloured, plush, dark-fruited reds. Carmenère is Chile's signature, and the other two are grown in Argentina only in small quantities.
A customer likes Gewurztraminer but wants something lighter, dry and floral from South America. Which should you suggest?
  1. A Torrontés from Cafayate
  2. A Mendoza Malbec
  3. A Chilean Carmenère
  4. A Maipo Cabernet Sauvignon
Answer: A Torrontés from Cafayate. Torrontés offers the rose and grape perfume of an aromatic variety with less weight and more freshness than Gewurztraminer, and Cafayate's altitude gives the best examples. The other three are full-bodied reds.
Why can Chile produce reliable, inexpensive varietal wines in such volume?
  1. A dry, sunny climate keeps disease low and vintages consistent, irrigated flat valley floors yield generously, land and labour are relatively cheap, and large companies work at scale
  2. The government subsidises every bottle exported
  3. Chile imports grapes from Argentina at low prices
  4. The wines are made without any oak, which eliminates all cost
Answer: A dry, sunny climate keeps disease low and vintages consistent, irrigated flat valley floors yield generously, land and labour are relatively cheap, and large companies work at scale. Chile's natural advantages lower the cost of growing clean, ripe fruit every year, and a handful of big exporters turn that fruit into consistent branded wine. Quality at the top end has risen, but the bulk of exports remain good-value varietals.
Drill all 28 in the app