Which statement best describes Vendange Tardive and Selection de Grains Nobles?

• A. Vendange Tardive is late harvest; Selection de Grains Nobles is botrytis-affected dessert wine produced only in exceptional vintages.
• B. Vendange Tardive is a red wine; Selection de Grains Nobles is a white wine.
• C. Vendange Tardive is an early harvest; Selection de Grains Nobles is an early harvest.
• D. They are both dry table wines.

Answer: (A)

The main idea is the distinction between late-harvest wines and botrytized dessert wines from Alsace. Vendange Tardive means the grapes are left on the vine longer to reach greater ripeness and sugar, producing wines that are richer and often sweeter, though not necessarily affected by noble rot. Selection de Grains Nobles refers to wines made from grapes affected by Botrytis cinerea (noble rot), chosen for their concentrated sugars and flavors, which yields very sweet dessert wines. These SGN wines rely on specific, favorable conditions and are typically produced only in vintages where botrytis develops well, making them rare.

That’s why the best description is: Vendange Tardive is late harvest; Selection de Grains Nobles is botrytis-affected dessert wine produced only in exceptional vintages. The other statements misstate harvest timing, wine type, or the presence of botrytis, so they don’t fit the concept as well.