150th anniversary quiz

Pencils at the ready! With each quarterly release of new wines in our exclusive Generation Series comes a quiz focusing on the 50-year period that inspired them. As well as The Wine Society, the questions cover wine in general alongside wider general knowledge, history, politics and sport.

The latest quiz covers 1924 to 1974. Keep an eye on your inbox for the next Discovery email, when we’ll reveal the answers! Below you can also find our first quiz, covering 1874 to 1924. We hope you have fun testing your knowledge!

Questions for 1924-1974

In what year did The Wine Society start up its own fleet of vans?
Between 1924 and its move to Stevenage, The Society stored wines in three different locations. The first was under London’s Palladium, and the third was in a bonded warehouse in Rotherhithe; where was the other?
When did The Society make the move out of London to the new town of Stevenage?
What was unusual about the financing of the first Stevenage cellar extension in 1970?
In 1925 the pinotage grape first arrived on the scene – it is a crossing of which two grape varieties?
Max Schubert began experimenting with a cross-regional blend in Australia in 1951. It is now recognised as Australia’s most iconic wine. What is it?
Between 1953 and 1973 Baron Philippe de Rothschild fought (eventually successfully) to achieve what for Château Mouton-Rothschild?
How many Olympic Games were held from 1924 to 1974?
In 1935 France introduced the Appellation d’Origine Controlée (AOC) system. Which was the first appellation to be created?
In 1964, which wine correspondent of the Financial Times became Chairman of The Wine Society, a post he held for 23 years?
How many UK Prime Ministers were in office between 1924 and 1974?
The founder of The Proms became a member of The Wine Society in 1932 (fittingly because of our connection to The Royal Albert Hall). Who was he?
In 1952, Major-General Sir Guy Salisbury-Jones planted the first commercial vineyard in England. In which county?
Insert the missing place names into these Australian table wines, first unearthed by the Monty Python team in 1972.
Who wrote and performed the original 1968 version of Red Red Wine?
In which year did Prohibition end in the United States?
In 1969 the WSET was founded to teach the drinks trade and the wider public about alcoholic beverages and offer qualifications. What does WSET stand for?
Which organisation won the Nobel Peace Prize for the second time in 1944 and third time in 1963?
When did wine stop being rationed after World War II?
During World War II, who famously said of Champagne: ‘In victory I deserve it; in defeat, I need it’?

Questions for 1874–1924

In what year was The Wine Society founded?
The Wine Society was founded on the back of the fourth and last of the Victorian International Exhibitions. Where was it held?
Three people founded The Wine Society. One was ophthalmic surgeon R. Brudenell Carter, another was customs officer George Scrivenor. The third was a Commissioner of the Great Exhibition and the joint architect of the building where The Society was founded. Who was he?
From which wine region and country did the first wine ever sold by The Society come?
How many years were there between the patenting of the telephone and the installation of the first phone at The Society?
Which famous London theatre was built on top of The Society’s cellars in 1910?
Who was elected Prime Minister of the UK in the 1874 general election
Which football team won the FA Cup six times (more than any other team) between 1874 and 1924?
What caused total wine production in France to fall from 84.5 million hectolitres in 1875 to only 23.4 million hectolitres in 1889?
Until 1923 the minimum legal age for buying alcohol in the UK was 14. Which parliamentarian introduced the bill that became law that year, to raise the minimum age to 18?
In 1874, the blend of which wine was officially set out to be 70% sangiovese, 15% canaiolo, 10% trebbiano and malvasia and the remaining 5% complementary vines, including mammolo and colorino?
In 1920, why did official wine sales reduce to near zero (and stay there for 13 years) in the United States?
In 1888, which French scientist isolated a pure culture from a single yeast cell for the first time?
Which 19th century political theorist, who died in London in 1883, said: ‘Be careful about trusting someone who doesn't like wine’?
The longest relationship The Society has with any wine producer is with Gratien et Meyer in Saumur. When did we start buying sparkling wine from them (the year before we started buying The Society’s Champagne Brut from their Champagne house, Alfred Gratien)?
Which country’s wines did The Society cease to sell in 1917, only restarting in 1921, just in time for the ‘vintage of the century’?
How many Wine Society shares were issued between 1874 and 1924, to the nearest 500?
In 1887 a fictional detective first appeared in print. The author was a member of The Wine Society. Who was he?
Which former member of The Wine Society, born in 1881, said: 'Penicillin cures, but wine makes people happy'?
Which London railway station opened in 1874?