Wine or Pop Culture

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The world of wine is full of confusing and exotic terms. While some may sound perfectly reasonable, others sound like products of a writer's fever dream. Your mission? Determine whether the term shown relates to wines and wine regions, or if it in fact originated in film, television, or history. As you go through the quiz, you'll receive immediate feedback on your answers. Hover over terms listed in to learn more about them. Ready to test your wine savvy? Mobile users: This quiz is best viewed in landscape orientation.

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Taurasi

If you said that Taurasi is a wine region, give yourself a gold star. Located in the Campania region of Italy, the Taurasi DOCG produces high quality wines from the Aglianico grape. If you immediately thought of WNBA superstar, Diana Taurasi, you can also give yourself a gold star. Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, five-time Olympic medalist. Yeah, she might have a knack for this stuff. But if you thought this was an alien race in Star Trek, who could blame you?

Aglianico

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McLaren Vale

Yep, “McLaren Vale” could be a far-flung and windswept setting for a sci-fi epic (probably starring Timothée Chalamet). In actuality, this region is located near Adelaide in South Australia and is known for intense red wines with ripe fruit aromas, most especially Shiraz, which is the Down Under term for Syrah.

I wonder if Shiraz pairs well with sandworm.

Chitauri

These handsome fellas are cybernetically enhanced aliens from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sent by Thanos, the villain who unleashes death with a vicious finger-snap (how Beat poet of him), and Loki, the God of Mischief, to destroy humanity, they manage to give the streets of New York City a radical makeover and force the Avengers to, well, assemble.

Ro Laren

Ensign Ro Laren is the fiercely independent and headstrong Bajoran who joins the Enterprise-D in Season 5 of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Portrayed by Michelle Forbes, she became a recurring character in the show’s final seasons—and a fan favorite.

Assyrtiko (& Santorini)

Assyrtiko (& Santorini)

Nope, this is not a character once played by Al Pacino. This highly regarded, dry white wine from the isle of Santorini in Greece is noted for its perfumed quality and concentrated ripe citrus and stone fruit aromas, as well as its naturally high acidity.

Xenomorph

If you guessed that this is the notorious alien from the movie franchise, you are correct. As the adult versions of facehuggers, these cuddle monkeys are known for bleeding acid and having an extensible second jaw. Yikes!

All right, all right! I'll drink the f**king Merlot!

Serpico

Okay, you got me. This one IS a character once played by Al Pacino. Based on a true story, this crime drama chronicles the tragic tale of an honest cop undone by all the crooked ones.

Xinomavro

Xinomavro

This red wine from the Naoussa region of Greece is often compared to the Italian tooth-scraper, Nebbiolo.

Cortese (Gavi)

Cortese (Gavi)

Sorry, this one’s not a gangster from the Godfather franchise or The Sopranos TV series. It is, however, a totally gangster alternative to Vouvray or Albariño. This white grape is the star of the Gavi region in the Piedmont of Northern Italy.

Pedro Ximénez

If you guessed that Pedro was Napoleon Dynamite’s buddy in the early 2000s movie, or a lesser-known character from Treasure of the Sierra Madre, sorry to disappoint. This deep brown, lusciously sweet grape varietal can produce a sherry with up to (Get your insulin ready!) 500 grams per liter of sugar. These dessert wines often feature pronounced dried fruit, coffee, and licorice aromas.

Corleone

If you’ve been alive and living on planet Earth for any length of time, you probably know that Corleone is the notorious surname of the even more notorious mob family at the center of The Godfather saga.

Blaufränkisch

I bet you thought this was the hilariously dead-pan character played by Cloris Leachman in Young Frankenstein. And you’d be forgiven for the whoopsie. Rather, this black grape can be found in Austria (and to some extent, Germany). These wines have medium tannins, high acidity, and flavors of sour cherry and pepper.

Nero d'Avola

Nero d'Avola

“Nero d’Avola”?? I don’t remember him being mentioned in the burning of Rome. And for good reason. This Nero doesn’t fiddle—it’s the premier black grape of Sicily.

Frau Blücher

Yep, this is the hilariously dead-pan character played by Cloris Leachman in Young Frankenstein. For some reason, horses neighed whenever her name was mentioned. We have no idea why. It’s just silly good fun.

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