Here are some questions from my new game, Cork Jester's Wine Teasers, designed to teach you about wine while you're having fun. Pour yourself a glass - well, not now, this is a morning paper! - and try these out on your friends.

1. What does good wine have in common with a tightrope walker?

A: Perfect balance

B: Intense concentration

C: Good legs

Hint: Just don't get tipsy!

Answer: A. Balance means that no one component sticks out. When sugar, acid, fruit, tannin and other elements work together with none standing out conspicuously, the wine is said to be well-balanced. Might be easier to walk a tightrope!

2. The pope shares a winemaker with whom?

A: A porn star

B: A troop of Girl Scouts

C: A heavy metal band

Hint: Both promise you heaven

Answer: A. Winemaking consultant Roberto Cipresso created a wine for the pope's Papal Jubilee and also worked with adult-film star Savanna Samson when she decided to get into the wine business. So, does he go to heaven or what?

3. Which fruit aroma can be found in virtually all white wines?

A: Apple

B: Lemon

C: Coconut

Hint: Don't tell Bill Gates

Answer: A. Apple is the "gimme." Because it shows up in all whites, it's a useful jumping-off point for identifying other aromas and flavors. For instance, is it Granny Smith or Red Delicious? Fresh off the tree or baked in a pie? And if there's apple, is there pear? Or peach?

4. High school reunion's coming up. To drop a size, you should:

A: Avoid wine - who needs the empty calories?

B: Limit yourself to a glass or two on weekends

C: Enjoy a glass or two every night

Hint: Or every morning

Answer: C. Studies show moderate daily wine drinkers have lower body weight and narrower waists than either weekend warriors or teetotalers. And far from empty calories, wine contains powerful antioxidants and other beneficial chemicals.

5. If your buddy the cork dork claims that a wine is "hot," he means it's:

A: Stolen

B: Alcoholic

C: Voluptuous

Hint: Like grandma in the pantry with the vanilla extract

Answer: B. If the smell and taste of alcohol dominate, the wine is hot. It's less about the percentage and more about how the alcohol balances with other components, like fruit and acid.

6. Shakespeare made which of these comments about wine?

A: "If it be death, O, let me die and die again."

B: "Down it goes with song, but up it comes with a fearful groaning."

C: "It provokes the desire, but takes away the performance."

Hint: Thou couldst always just cuddle.

Answer: C. The Porter in Macbeth said it. If you've encountered this problem, be sure to consult your e- mail inbox for many helpful messages.

Cork Jester's Wine Teasers is available at wineteasers.com, Amazon and many gift, wine and book stores.

Jester@corkjester.com