Preparing to teach a seminar in Italian wines on a recent Saturday, I was reflecting on a bedtime game of wine. No, I wasn't drinking wine in bed, though I have been known to do that. Rather, my husband, Mark, and I engaged in a CD-ROM duel called "The Wine Challenge" made by Trinchero Family Estates.

My husband has been aggressively reading a library of wine books — from Hugh Johnson's "The Story of Wine" and Jancis Robinson's "The Oxford Companion to Wine" to wine-specific books such as "Sherry" by Julian Jeffs and "The New Spain" by John Radford — in preparation for taking the second-level Court of Master Sommeliers exam. My bedside reading is a bit more diverse. Yes, the current issue of Wine Spectator is there, but so are other reads.

Two years ago, we both passed the Society of Wine Educators' Certified Specialist of Wine exam, allowing us to place the letters CSW after our names — something of which I am quite proud. My husband had taken the Windows of the World sommelier course and exam in New York several years earlier and with a little cramming the week before was able to score the highest in the class, 93 points (out of a possible 100). I had studied vigorously for months. An all-day study session a few days before really helped grind in such details as the wine classification system in Germany and a similar but different one in Austria. The fact that I was teaching biweekly wine classes for Kapi'olani Community College at the W Hotel also helped. Preparing to teach a class about a specific wine region or grape forced me to read and research beyond my work-related knowledge.

While my career as a wine specialist for a distributor allows me to talk and taste wine daily, my daily vernacular didn't include knowledge of such things as phenolic compounds (pigments, tannins and flavor-precursors that are healthful) and what Eutypa dieback is (a common fungal infection I knew as "dead arm" disease).

The Certified Wine Specialist exam was challenging, but, more importantly, it inspired us both to pursue our wine studies. I researched every wine program, including the Master of Wine, Court of Master Sommeliers and Certified Wine Educator. I was initially very intrigued with the Master of Wine because of the writing involved. I thought for sure my master's degree in communications and journalism would make me an ideal candidate. But Doug Frost, who has both his Master Sommelier and Master of Wine credentials, told me at the Big Island Wine Festival last November that journalistic writing wasn't the kind required. What's mandated is more like a straightforward master's thesis in formal old-style English, with creativity and style discouraged. I realized I needed to continue my research.

This past September, my husband traveled to San Diego to sit for the first level of the Master Sommelier exam. It was no surprise that he scored the highest in the class on this exam, too. It earned him a bottle of champagne and the confidence to continue his studies. He said this exam was easier than the Certified Wine Specialist exam, which certainly made me feel good. Of course, the next series of exams, written and practical, will be incredibly difficult and demand months and years of study. All of which brings us back to our recent bedtime game of wine.

One night after brushing my teeth and washing my face, I returned to the bedroom to find my husband sitting up in bed with his laptop. Mark and his laptop have become inseparable since meeting, but usually their relationship is reserved for the office or the family room. Well, I joined them in bed and saw it was not work he was doing, but a wine game. I picked up my book and started reading, but found myself distracted and peering at his computer screen out of the corner of my eye.

The questions were worded much like the ones on the Certified Wine Specialist exam. For example, what is the grape used to make the Hungarian wine called Bull's Blood? I actually knew the answer to this one: The wine, also called Egri Bikaver, is a blend of kefrankos, cabernet franc, merlot, syrah and kedarka varietals. Tidbor Gal, a Hungarian winery, makes one that is available here in Hawai'i. Seeing my interest, Mark asked if I wanted to play. I started reading the next question. He answered correctly and a pleasant ding sounded. The next question was mine, but I took too long reading and a very mean dong sounded. The game was on.

It brought back competitive memories of when we first started dating and used to play the Wine Spectator's "What grape am I?" Before I really got into the game, Mark had taken a strong lead. The competitor in me came out and soon our scores were the same. But the next question stumped me: As of 2001, the most widely planted grape in Switzerland is ... ? The fact that my name is Swiss in no way prepared me for this one. The answer was chasselas, a white grape variety also called fendant.

The next question perplexed us both: As of 2003, what percentage of wine made in the U.S. comes from California? With every state now producing wine, we assumed California's share was around 70 percent. The correct answer was a surprising 90 percent.

Finally, the questions ran out. Mark had won. I vowed to start reading Mark's vast library of books and to register for the Society of Wine Educators' Certified Wine Educator exam later this year.

Lisa Gmur teaches bimonthly wine seminars at Hasr Hawaii. 535-9463; hasr@verizon.net.