Wine has been a part of human culture for thousands of years. From ancient winemaking practices to modern winePairing, there is a rich history and culture behind this popular alcoholic drink. Wine riddles provide a fun and challenging way to test your wine knowledge. Below are 75 riddles about wine along with their answers.
Wine Riddles
Riddles About Wine Basics
1. I’m made from fermented grape juice yet I have many different names and types. What am I?
Answer: Wine
2. I’m long, thin and made of glass. I’m used to serve wine. What am I?
Answer: A wine glass
3. Corkscrews help remove me from bottles. I’m circular and made from oak. What am I?
Answer: A wine cork
4. We’re wooden barrels used to age wine over months or years. What are we?
Answer: Wine casks or barrels
5. I’m a dark space used to store and age wine for long periods. What am I?
Answer: A wine cellar
6. I’m the person in charge of ordering, storing and serving wine in restaurants. What’s my job title?
Answer: Sommelier
7. I’m the process of tasting and evaluating wine. What am I?
Answer: Wine tasting
8. We’re events where wineries showcase their wines to the public. What are we?
Answer: Wine festivals
9. I’m the science behind winemaking. What am I called?
Answer: Enology
10. Louis Pasteur contributed greatly to me in the 19th century. I’m the process that converts sugar to alcohol. What am I?
Answer: Fermentation
Riddles About Grapes
11. I’m a green grape famous for making a crisp, tart white wine. What variety am I?
Answer: Sauvignon Blanc
12. We’re a black-skinned grape known as the “king of red grapes”. What variety are we?
Answer: Cabernet Sauvignon
13. I’m a black grape originally from the Burgundy region of France. My wines are dry and earthy. Who am I?
Answer: Pinot Noir
14. I’m a green grape that makes a delicate, floral white wine. What varietal am I?
Answer: Riesling
15. Grown mainly in the Rhone Valley, I’m a spicy, hearty red grape. What variety am I?
Answer: Syrah
16. I’m a thick-skinned white grape known for making sweet wines. What am I?
Answer: Muscat
17. I’m a red grape grown in Italy’s Piedmont region, producing rich, complex reds. What varietal am I?
Answer: Nebbiolo
18. Grown in Spain, I make medium to full-bodied red wines. La Mancha has many vineyards growing me. What grape am I?
Answer: Tempranillo
19. I’m a black grape that’s Italy’s most widely planted varietal. My name starts with “S”. What grape am I?
Answer: Sangiovese
20. I’m a black grape originally from Bordeaux. My name starts with “M”. What variety am I?
Answer: Merlot
Riddles About Wine Regions
21. We’re a famous wine growing region in the Napa Valley. Which vineyards are we?
Answer: Stag’s Leap District
22. I’m a French wine region along the Rhone river known for Syrah wines. What am I called?
Answer: Côtes du Rhône
23. Located in Tuscany, I’m a prestigious Italian wine zone with Sangiovese-based reds like Brunello and Chianti. What am I?
Answer: Chianti
24. I’m a Spanish wine region near Rioja producing full-bodied Tempranillo wines. Who am I?
Answer: Ribera del Duero
25. We’re the famous limestone cliffs along the Mosel river where Riesling grapes are grown. What landmark are we?
Answer: The Mosel River Steep Slopes / Terraced Vineyards
26. Located in western Australia, I’m a premier wine region known for Cabernet Sauvignon. What am I?
Answer: Margaret River
27. I’m a Hungarian wine region along the Danube producing sweet, Tokaji wines. What am I called?
Answer: Tokaj
28. Located in southern France, I’m a sparkling wine region using the traditional method. What am I?
Answer: Champagne
29. I’m an Italian wine region in northwest Piedmont. The grape Nebbiolo grows here to make Barolo and Barbaresco wines. What am I?
Answer: Langhe
30. Located in eastern Washington state, I’m a leading U.S. wine region with a dry, desert climate ideal for wine grapes. What am I?
Answer: Columbia Valley AVA
Riddles About Wine and Food Pairing
31. Creamy and pungent, I pair well with buttery Chardonnay. What cheese am I?
Answer: Brie
32. Savory and salty, I complement acidic wines like Sauvignon Blanc. What cured meat am I?
Answer: Prosciutto
33. With jammy fruit flavors, I match nicely with sweet Rieslings. What tart fruit am I?
Answer: Strawberries
34. With my sweet and spicy notes, I go great with off-dry Gewurztraminer. What vegetable am I?
Answer: Butternut Squash
35. Grilled and smoky, I pair well with oaky Chardonnay. What seafood am I?
Answer: Salmon
36. With my rich umami taste, I complement earthy Pinot Noir. What mushroom am I?
Answer: Shiitake
37. Aged and pungent, I match tannic Cabernet Sauvignon. What hard cheese am I?
Answer: Parmesan
38. Spiced and savory, I go nicely with a fruity Beaujolais. What stew am I?
Answer: Beef Bourguignon
39. Sweet and creamy, I pair well with Moscato d’Asti. What dessert am I?
Answer: Panna Cotta
40. Smoked and salty, I complement acidic Barbera wines. What charcuterie am I?
Answer: Speck
Riddles About Wine Tasting and Aroma
41. I smell like fresh-cut grass and bell peppers. What typical wine aroma am I?
Answer: Green / Vegetal
42. I smell like pear, green apple, citrus and melon. What wine aroma family do I belong to?
Answer: Tree fruit/Citrus
43. With aromas of blackberry, plum, cherry and currant, what wine aroma group do I fall under?
Answer: Berry fruit
44. I smell like orange blossom, jasmine and rose petals. What floral wine aroma am I?
Answer: Rose/Violet
45. With scents of baking spice, licorice and anise, what category of wine aroma do I fall into?
Answer: Spice
46. I’m an earthy, mineral-like aroma in wines like wet stone, chalk and slate. What descriptor am I?
Answer: Minerality
47. With a smell of coffee, mocha and dark chocolate, I’m a wine aroma that comes from aging in oak. What am I?
Answer: Mocha / Coffee
48. I’m a wine fault that smells like rotten eggs or burnt matches. What flaw am I?
Answer: Sulfur / Hydrogen Sulfide
49. I’m an off-putting aroma of old furniture, attics or barns found in flawed wines. What cork taint am I?
Answer: 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA)
50. With aromas of honey, beeswax and orange blossom, I’m a wine aroma that comes from aging. What am I?
Answer: Oxidation
Riddles About Wine and Health
51. Found in grape skins, I’m an antioxidant that can help lower blood pressure. What compound am I?
Answer: Resveratrol
52. With anti-inflammatory properties, this red wine compound may benefit heart health. What am I?
Answer: Reservatrol
53. Abundant in wine, I’m a polyphenol antioxidant that may help reduce LDL cholesterol. What am I?
Answer: Quercetin
54. Found in wine skins and seeds, I’m a precursor to resveratrol with antioxidant effects. What substance am I?
Answer: Piceid
55. Red wine contains me, a polyphenol that may help fight viruses and boost gut health. What compound am I?
Answer: Proanthocyanidin
56. I’m a nutrient in wine that may help control blood sugar and reduce diabetes risk. What am I?
Answer: Polyphenols
57. With prebiotic benefits, this red wine compound may promote growth of good gut bacteria. What am I?
Answer: Polyphenols
58. Abundant in wine, I’m a mineral that helps build strong bones and teeth. What am I?
Answer: Calcium
59. Found in wine, I’m an essential mineral that supports nerve signaling and heart health. What am I?
Answer: Magnesium
60. Also called folate, I’m a B vitamin in wine important for cell growth and DNA production. What am I?
Answer: Vitamin B9 / Folic acid
Riddles About Wine Trivia and Facts
61. Developed by Dom Perignon, I’m a sparkling winemaking method that results in bubbly wine. What am I?
Answer: Méthode Champenoise / Traditional Method
62. Caused by early freezing, this wine fault results in concentrated, sweet wines. What am I?
Answer: Ice wine
63. Used to rate wine sweetness, I’m a scale that goes from 0 (bone dry) to 10 (very sweet). What am I?
Answer: Sugar/Residual sugar scale
64. Caused by noble rot, grapes affected by me produce concentrated, dessert wines. What fungus am I?
Answer: Botrytis cinerea
65. In wine tasting, I’m a 10-20 page document listing technical data on wines. What am I?
Answer: Wine catalogue / Catalogue de vins
66. Originating in Portugal, I’m a fortified wine blended from grapes and distilled spirit. What am I?
Answer: Port
67. I’m the reddish pigment extracted from grape skins used as a food coloring. What substance am I?
Answer: Anthocyanin
68. Used in champagne bottles, I’m a metal cap that secures corks under pressure. What am I?
Answer: Musette
69. I’m the French term used to describe earthy forest floor aromas in wines like Pinot Noir. What word am I?
Answer: Sous-bois
70. Popularized in ancient Rome, I’m an urn used to store and carry wine. What vessel am I?
Answer: Amphora
71. Dating to the 1600s, I’m a tall glass vessel used to decant wines. What am I called?
Answer: Glass decanter
72. Used to age fortified wines like Port, I’m a barrel made from a variety of woods. What type of cask am I?
Answer: Solera
73. I’m the French word for late harvest sweet wines affected by noble rot. What do I mean?
Answer: Pourriture noble
74. Originating in ancient Egypt, I’m one of the earliest known wine presses. What simple tool am I?
Answer: Bag press
75. Dating to medieval times, I’m a torch used to burn sulfur and sterilize wine barrels. What am I called?
Answer: Burning sulfur strips / sulfur wick
Conclusion
Wine has an endlessly fascinating history and culture behind it. These riddles cover a wide range of wine topics from basic terminology to wine regions, food pairings, aromas, health benefits and more. Solving these puzzles is a great way to test and expand your wine knowledge. How many were you able to answer correctly? Next time you enjoy a glass of wine, take a moment to appreciate the intricacies behind creating this beloved beverage.
