We wanted to have a little relaxing fun with our friends by hosting a quiz and offering prizes for the wine gurus in the Facebook Live event. Grab a glass of wine and settle in for a few minutes with Teresa leading us through twenty questions of a variety of wine facts. Winners are listed below.

Congratulations to our winners: Billie Farley, Ann Gartley, Katie Burright

1. What does the term “vintage” refer to? For example, when you see “Vintage 2012” on a bottle?
Answer: That’s the year when the grapes were picked. It’s not the year the wine was bottled and it’s not the year the wine was released.

2. How many grapevines in the world are grafted (a grapevine plant attached to a different root stock)?
a.54%
b.77%
c.85%
Answer: 85% of the world’s wine grape vines are grafted.

3. Why is it traditional to store wine with the bottle lying on its side or upside down instead of keeping them standing?
Answer: The wine stays in contact with the cork and thereby prevents the cork from drying up and then shrinking. A shrunk cork destroys the wine by letting in air.

4. What does it mean if the bottle is ‘corked’’.
Answer: It simply means that a wine bottle has a contaminated cork and this is understood if the wine you taste has a very musty smell which is very similar to the smell of wet mold or wet cardboard.

5. Besides yeast, what must be added to wine grapes to ensure fermentation and thus wine?
Answer: Nothing. Due to a natural chemical balance, grapes ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, water, or other nutrients.

6. How many species of oak are available for use in wine barrels?
a. 57
b.299
c.400
Answer: C. 400 different oak species are available to source wood for wine barrels.

7. Which country invented ice wine?
Answer: Germany invented Eiswein, or wine that is made from frozen grapes.

8. A standard size wine bottle holds 750 ml. How many liters is in a Jeroboam?
A. 1.5 liters
B. 3 liters
C. 6 liters
Answer: C. 6 liters

9. How many liters are in a Nebuchadnezzar?
8 liters
15 liters
20 liters
Answer: C. 20 liters

10. How many pounds of grapes does it take to make an average bottle of wine?
Answer: It takes about 2.5 pounds of grapes to make a bottle of wine.

11. How many gallons of wine is in a single barrel?
Answer: There are 60 gallons of wine in a barrel.

12. About how many cases of wine are in one barrel?
Answer: 25 cases

13. What is fortified wine?
Answer: Fortified wine has brandy or another spirit added to a wine base.

14. How many calories are in a 4-ounce glass of red wine?
A. 67 calories
B. 85 calories
C. 90 calories
Answer. B. glass of wine has approximately 85 calories.

15. A “vertical tasting” involves:
Answer: Wines from the same vineyards or winemakers but from different years

16. What is the dominant grape in Chianti wines?
Answer: Sangiovese

17. A medium to heavy bodied wine with Black pepper, plum and blackberry flavors describe which wine?
Beaujolais
Syrah
Pinot Grigio
Answer: Syrah

18. What does the word “appellation” refer to?
Answer: Place of origin of the wine.

19. How long does it take before a new grapevine will bear fruit suited to winemaking?
About 6 months-year
About 3-5 years
About 20-30 years
Answer: B. A grapevine needs a few years before its grapes are suitable for winemaking. In general, grapevines should be able to bear good winemaking grapes for about 40 years.

20. If a wine is described as “hot,” it most likely means it:
Has too high an alcohol content
B. Is spicy flavored
C. Is served at warmer than room temperature
Answer: A. This is a negative trait in most table or sparkling wines. Too much alcohol in wine can produce a burning sensation in the mouth and throat while being swallowed.


WE HAVE OUR WINNERS!

While you are stuck at home and potentially doing a bit of spring cleaning why not play a little game with us? Every spring Sue (Mike & Bev’s mom) and Eileen (Patrick’s mom) would work together to concoct elaborate scavenger hunts for their kids. These scavenger hunts would encompass their houses, outbuildings, orchards, vineyards and would take all day long to complete. (Not a bad way to keep the kids from getting underfoot if you ask us.)

The Williamson family is challenging you to search your home and property for 15 wine related items*. Take a picture of these items and submit them to us via email, Facebook or Instagram. The first person to submit all 15 items by April 30th wins a gift basket valued at $50! But there are still more chances to win, if you find and submit 5 or more items by April 30th your name will be entered to win a coupon for 50% off of one item.

Social Media Scavenger Hunt Items:
1.    Williamson Vineyards wine label
2.    Williamson logo gear
(i.e glass, corkscrew, shirt, hat, tumbler, etc.)
3.    Williamson cork
4.    Williamson marketing material
(i.e. business card, brochure, ad, etc.)
5.    Wine Book
6.    Wine themed movie
7.    Wine stopper
8.    Wineglass charm
(Something that identifies your glass from another.)
9.    Sunnyslope Wine Trail Map (Or comparable wine region map.)
10.    Wine Gag Gift
11.    Wine themed apparel
12.    Wine rack/storage
13.    Your most unique or unusual wine tool
14.    Your favorite wine vessel
(It doesn’t have to be a wine glass.)
15.    The bottle you’ve been holding onto the longest (We would love to hear why this bottle is special to you.)

*We are looking for 15 seperate items that fit these descriptions. Duplicates will not be accepted. This is a family company so remember to keep your submissions classy folks. 😉 

 

Our Grand Prize Winner of the gift basket is Dario Bell!

We’re also announcing the winners of our drawing for a 50% off one-item coupon. We loved these submissions and decided to list the reasons these folks all won! We will be contacting our winners individually via email with their coupon to be used in our tasting room. Congratulations to all our winners!

Megan Lepire – OLDEST BOTTLE OF WILLIAMSON WINE (2006 Riesling)

Eljse Taggart – MOST ENTHUSIASTIC PARTICIPANT

Cass Cook – MOST WILLIAMSON WINE IN PHOTO

Verna Weiss – CUTEST WINE BOTTLE COZY

Carol Schroeder – CLASSIEST REFERENCE TO INADMISSIBLE WINE STOPPER

Ted & Nancy Walker – MOST AWESOME WINE DRINKING VESSELS


We’ve got wine cocktails! Check out the video hosted by Teresa Shively and then get the party started (albeit a responsible, socially distant party) using the recipes we’ve put into a PDF for your use – Wine Spritzer and other wine cocktails.

Posted by Williamson Orchard and Vineyard on Thursday, April 16, 2020


A couple of the many things that farmers know about are patience and planning. With wine; grapes have to grow, be tended, harvested and then made into the finished product before there is any retail transaction. If farming was to stop, many of us would feel effects very quickly. The Idaho Press interviewed Mike Williamson and other wine industry leaders to get an idea of what effects the Covid-19 virus was having on both the wine growing and retail side of wine industry.

See the full story here


Want to be a part of the Williamson tribe? Tired of missing out on all the fun events at the winery?

Sign up for our monthly newsletter to get the skinny on all the upcoming events, wine releases, and specials. Join our mailing list during the month of November for a chance to win a bottle of 2014 Reserve Petite Sirah. The lucky winner will be announced in our December newsletter!


BOGO promo photoHoliday Wine BOGO Special
During the month of December, buy a case of red wine at full price and get a case of select white wines for $1.00!!

Sale excludes 2012 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon & 2013 Homestead Red. Choose from 2015 Blossom or 2014 Dry Riesling for your whites.

No other discounts or promotion can be applied. Availability is subject to change.


Wine & FlagIn honor of those who serve our community and our country

The Williamson family and staff are grateful to all who serve to make our nation a safe and happy place. During the month of July we want to show our appreciation to our great service men and woman with a 20% discount on all wine purchases, redeemable with military or first responder identification. This special cannot be used in combination with any other sales or discounts.