Exam #1 Study Guide Spring 2010 -- Final
Version
The first exam in this class
will have two parts: an in-class blue book essay portion (60%) and a take home
essay (40%).
In-Class Exam
The in-class exam is scheduled
for Wednesday February 17 during our normal class time. Here is how
the exam will work. If for some reason you need to make other arrangements
for this exam, please see me in my office at least 24 hours before the
exam to make appropriate plans.
Here are several study
questions based upon our class readings and discussions. On the exam
day, I will give you three of these questions and your job will be
to answer your choice of two of them. Each question will be
worth 30 exam points.
I will be looking for mastery
of the vocabulary of wine and analysis of the questions that shows both a
general understanding of the problems and concepts and also a
detailed command of the relevant facts and issues. You should
prepare thoroughly, bearing in mind that you will have only about 40
minutes per question.
-
Jancis Robinson has written
that, "Wine is bottled geography." Explain the logic of this
statement and then present a brief critique -- to what extent is this
really true? If it isn't geography, what could it be? Use specific examples where possible to illustrate your
analysis.
-
Jean-Robert Pitte argues that wine reflects its market
terroir as well as its natural terroir. He uses the history
of wine in Burgundy and
Bordeaux as evidence. Explain Pitte's argument and his evidence, plus evidence
from your reading and class, and provide a
critique. Do you think he is correct? Explain.
-
Both France and the United
States experienced wine crises in the 1930s. Compare and contrast the two
crises both in terms of their causes and also the reactions to them.
How are they the same, what are the most significant
differences, why are these differences important? How did the
responses differ and how does this difference show itself in the market for
wine today?
-
Is wine a natural product or a
manufactured product? Explain, citing specific aspects of the winemaking
process to support your argument. An important trend in wine today is the
growing prevalence of biodynamic winegrowing practices. Is biodynamic wine
more natural than other wine? Explain.
Take Home Essay
The take home essay is due at
the start of class on Monday February 22 and is worth 40 exam points. Your
essay will be based upon your chosen Wine Identity region. Your
goal is to write a brief critical appraisal of wine and the idea of wine in your
region. Your essay will necessarily have two interconnected
components.
-
The analytical element (about
2/3 of your essay) should identify a key problem or tension in the world
of wine that is particularly important is your region (either today or in
its history) and make an argument about the causes or consequences of this
issue.
-
The descriptive element (about
1/3 of the essay) should provide the information about your wine region
that will be most relevant to understanding the problem you have
identified.
The message I am trying to send
here is that your essay will necessarily be descriptive to some degree,
but you need to move beyond description to analysis.
·
Length: no more than three single-spaced pages (plus a required bibliography).
· Format:
Single-spaced with an extra line between paragraphs. Academic papers
like this one need to include proper citations. Use whatever reference
format that is standard in your major (for IPE students, for example, that
would be the Chicago style with footnotes and a bibliography) but use it
correctly and consistently. Both Pitte and Colman use the Chicago style --
if in doubt copy their format.
·
Late papers are subject to a penalty of 5 points per calendar day. This
penalty may be waived under exceptional circumstances at the professor’s
discretion. No email or electronic papers accepted.
