Here we are at Christmas Eve and I wonder whether you are one of the bodies still dashing up and down the High Street getting those last gifts or are you smug and snug at home, everything in its place, all ready to go?

Either way, I hope you will find the time to amuse yourself with this quick quiz. There are 15 questions and, if you get them right, you will be able to take the first letter of each answer to spell out a grape variety. It is just for fun and you can find the answers on page 15. 1 Which South African winery is owned by the Barlow family and makes the award-winning Brampton wines?

2 Which wine-producing country celebrated its producers and their wines from Saturday, May 23, until Sunday, May 31, this year?

3 99 Richter, 5 BB Kober, 110 R and 140 Ruggeri are all types of what?

4 What is the name of the world-famous Hungarian sweet wine that is so loved that it gets a mention in the country’s national anthem?

5 The following regions can be found in which wine-making country: Latium, Molise and Alto Adige?

6 What is the Portuguese name for the low-sided troughs that were traditionally — and in some cases still — used for treading grapes?

7 Give the French term for wine that is sold before being bottled.

8 Tempranillo is famous as the grape variety used to make Rioja. However, it is widely planted all over Spain where it has a vast number of synonyms. In Catalonia they call it the ‘hare’s eye’ which is what in Catalan?

9 How do the Americans spell oenologist?

10 Which famous Spanish sherry-making family brought Polo to Spain, established the country’s first pigeon shooting club and built Spain’s first grass tennis court in the grounds of the winery?

11 Northland, Hawke’s Bay and Central Otago are all regions in which wine-growing country?

12 Barolo is one of the world’s greatest and longest-lived wines and is made in Italy’s Piedmont. It is made from which grape?

13 What is the missing word in these terms: . . . de liqueur / . . . de Paille / . . . de Presse 14 Pierre-Henri Chabot is the cellar-master of which Bordeaux first-growth château?

15 Chiaretto and Clarete are Italian and Spanish names given to what type of wine?

Answers