Level 3 wine exam practice ยท Learning outcome 2

South Africa: practice questions

20 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

A customer wants a rich, textured, barrel-fermented South African white from old vines. Which should you recommend?
  1. A Swartland Chenin Blanc
  2. An Elim Sauvignon Blanc
  3. A Walker Bay Pinot Noir
  4. A Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon
Answer: A Swartland Chenin Blanc. The Swartland's old bush-vine Chenin Blanc, fermented and aged in old oak, is the Cape's flagship serious white. Elim's Sauvignon Blanc is lean and pungent, and the other two are reds.
Why have South Africa's old bush vines become so valued by quality producers?
  1. Old, dry-farmed, low-yielding vines give small crops of concentrated, balanced fruit, and much of the heritage was being uprooted, so producers have moved to protect it
  2. Old vines are cheaper to farm because they need no pruning
  3. The law gives old vines a higher classification
  4. Old vines are immune to all disease
Answer: Old, dry-farmed, low-yielding vines give small crops of concentrated, balanced fruit, and much of the heritage was being uprooted, so producers have moved to protect it. Decades of planting Chenin Blanc, Cinsault and Grenache for bulk left the Cape with a stock of mature vineyards whose intensity cannot be replicated by young plantings; as bulk prices fell they were being pulled out, and a certification scheme now identifies wines from vines of a certain age.
Why are the wines of Paarl generally fuller and riper than those of Stellenbosch?
  1. Paarl lies further inland with less exposure to the cooling sea breezes from False Bay, so it is warmer and suits full-bodied Shiraz, Cabernet and rich Chenin Blanc
  2. Paarl is at much higher altitude
  3. Paarl has a cool maritime climate
  4. Paarl's vineyards are planted only with white grapes
Answer: Paarl lies further inland with less exposure to the cooling sea breezes from False Bay, so it is warmer and suits full-bodied Shiraz, Cabernet and rich Chenin Blanc. Stellenbosch sits closer to False Bay and its mountains channel the wind; Paarl, a little further north and more enclosed, bakes in summer. That warmth gives generous, ripe reds and was historically the base of the Cape's brandy and fortified wine industry.
Why do Robertson and Worcester, in the Breede River Valley, depend on irrigation and produce large volumes?
  1. They lie inland in a hot, dry area in the rain shadow of the coastal mountains, with fertile valley-floor soils and river water available for irrigation
  2. They have a cool, wet climate that encourages high yields
  3. The law requires irrigation for every vineyard in the region
  4. They are planted entirely with Pinot Noir
Answer: They lie inland in a hot, dry area in the rain shadow of the coastal mountains, with fertile valley-floor soils and river water available for irrigation. The Breede River Valley is far from the moderating sea, so it is hot and dry, but the river and its dams allow intensive farming of the flat, rich land. It is the source of much of South Africa's inexpensive wine and brandy, though Robertson's limestone soils also give good Chardonnay and sparkling base.
Elgin is:
  1. A high, cool plateau inland from Walker Bay, formerly apple-growing country, known for aromatic whites, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
  2. A hot inland valley for bulk wine
  3. A ward within Stellenbosch for Cabernet
  4. A region in the Northern Cape
Answer: A high, cool plateau inland from Walker Bay, formerly apple-growing country, known for aromatic whites, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Elgin's altitude and its exposure to maritime cloud and wind make it one of the Cape's coolest districts, and orchards have given way to vineyards of Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with marked freshness.
Drill all 20 in the app