16 Areas of Beverage Study

Types of Theory Questions

Many areas of study, including:

1. Physical Geography and Climate
2. Political Geography
3. Wine Law
4. Viticulture
5. Vinification
6. History
7. Producers
8. Grapes
9. Culture
10. Current Events
11. Beer
12. Sake
13. Spirits
14. Cocktails
15. Beverage Service
16. Deductive Tasting

Physical Geography and Climate

• Bodies of water (oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, estuaries)
• Mountain ranges
• Winds and weather patterns
• Water currents
• Soil types
• Elevation
• Latitudes
• Climate levels (macroclimate > mesoclimate > microclimate > canopy microclimate)
• Climate change and global warming
• Climate types (cool/warm/hot; mediterranean/maritime/continental)
• Annual rainfall statistics
• Annual heat indices

Political Geography

• Progressive Bubble Maps and Treasure Maps
• Countries
• States
• Cities
• Region-Groups
• Regions
• Sub-Regions or Sub-Zones
• Appellations
• Communes
• Vineyards
• Lieux-dits

Wine Law: Appellations and Styles

• Native-language style terms
• Required grape percentages
• Allowed colors (basic styles, such as red/white/rosé/sparkling/sweet)
• Reserve styles (specific designations)
• Required alcohol
• Residual-sugar levels
• Aging duration and methods
• Release dates (post-aging)
• Required grape-to-must yields
• Required vineyard planting density
• Elevation requirements

Viticulture

• Native-language vineyard terms
• Sustainability
• Biodynamics, Organic Farming
• Annual cycle
• Training methods
• Weather challenges
• Vine diseases
• Canopy management
• Harvest timing

Vinification

• Native-language winemaking terms
• Equipment
• Grape handling
• Sanitation
• Moving juice
• Microbial processes
• Aging methods
• Specific methods for various styles (white, red, sparkling, rosé, late-harvest, fortified)
• Bottling
• Shipping
• Cost
• Personnel
• Business and Marketing

History

• Best and worst vintages, for countries and specific regions.
• Dates of established wine regions
• Dates of formal classifications
• Dates of historic change or upheaval
• Dates of inaugural vintages
• Social movements and changes, affecting wine

Producers

• “Classic” producers
• Cult producers
• Avant-garde producers
• Name “just one”
• Lists of “10”
• Producer coalitions
• Specific wines (proprietary names, vineyard-designates)
• Pricing
• Big shots: winemakers, corporate owners, investors
• Suppliers: importers and distributors
• Producer-specific vintages: inaugural, special and celebrated

Grapes

• Connecting grapes to regions
• Grape synonyms
• Grape homonyms
• Grape crossings and hybrids

Culture, around the world

• Local foods
• Local holidays
• Native languages
• Classic local food pairings
• Unique customs and traditions

Current Events

• Beverage news
• Sales, mergers and aquisitions
• Top restaurants and bars around the world
• Top beverage professionals
• Beverage writers, personalities, blogs, books and films

Beer

• Geographic indications
• Styles
• Production methods
• Classic producers
• Deductive beer tasting

Sake

• Geographic indications
• Styles
• Production methods
• Classic producers
• Deductive sake tasting

Spirits and Liqueurs

• Geographic indications
• Styles
• Production methods
• Classic producers
• Deductive spirits tasting

Cocktails

• Classic cocktails
• Modern cocktails
• Preparation technique
• Deductive cocktail tasting
• Food pairing ideas
• History: origin stories and key figures

Beverage Service

• Business of wine
• Beverage pricing: glass-pours, flights, bottles, beer, cocktails, spirits
• Serving temperatures
• Food pairing
• Physical skills: storing, moving, opening and pouring wine
• Service situations
• Wine list management
• Predicament resolution

Deductive Tasting

• Grape+Region paradigms
• Timing
• Verbal grid
• Logic-based mental deduction
• Taste memory
• Record-keeping of tasting practice