France

Question 1

Major Red grape varieties

Answer 1

Merlot - Frances most planted grape 250,000 acres w/ 170,000 of them being in Bordeaux. The rest is planted throughout France.
Cabernet Sauvignon - Bordeaux where over half of the Cab Sauv. in France is grown.
Cabernet Franc - Major in Loire and minor in Bordeaux
Grenache - Southern France, Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon G-S-M
Syrah - Northern Rhone, Languedoc-Roussillon
Pinot Noir - Bourgogne, Champagne, Alsace and Loire
Carignan - South
Gamay - Beaujolais and Loire
Cinsault - Blending grape in the S.
Pinot Meunier - Champagne
Moruvedre - Languedoc- Roussillon and Provence

Question 2

Major White Varieties

Answer 2

Ugni-Blanc (Trebbiano) - Most widely planted white grape 200,000 acres. Used in Brandy and Cognac
Chardonnay - Burgundy and Champagne but grown all over France. More in Languedoc-Roussillon than Champagne.
Sauvignon Blanc- Bordeaux and Eastern Loire
Melon de Bourgogne - Western Loire
Semillon - Bordeaux, SW mostly for sweet wines
Chenin Blanc - Loire valley mostly in Anjou and Touraine - dry, sweet and sparkling
Muscat - South - sweet wines vin roux natural, the majority is the finer quality sub variety Muscat Blanc à petits Grains.

Question 3

French Wine Law governing Organisation

Answer 3

INAO - Institute National de l’Origin et de Qualite

Question 4

3 qualifications in the Hierarchy from top to bottom

3 levels of the French wine “quality pyramid”

Answer 4

AOP (AOC) Appellations d’Origin Protogee (Controlée)
IGP/PGI Vin de Pays Indication Geographic Protogé
Vin de Table/Vin

Question 5

Vin de Table/Vin

Answer 5

Lowest level. The grapes can come from anywhere in France. Few specific regulations except those for health and global trade.

Question 6

Vin de Pays/PGI/IGP

Answer 6

More than 1/3 of the wine produced in France is in this category.
85% of the grapes must come from the within the boundaries of one of the 150 delimited Vin de Pays regions.
Often used to make wine that compete directly with New World Varietally lab led wines.

Question 7

Vin de Pays/IGP/PGI Sub categories broadest to most specific

Answer 7

Regional
Departmental
Zone

Question 8

Regional

Answer 8

Currently there are 6 best know IGP Pays d’Oc - covers the western part of the Med. coast. Val de Loire, Comtes Rhodaniens(N Rhone, Jura, and Savoie), Mediterranee(Southern France), Comté Tolosan (SW), L’Atlantic (Bordeaux, Charnetais, Dordogne)

Question 9

Departmental

Answer 9

52 Departmental IGP’s whose boundaries match the political departments

Question 10

Zones

Answer 10

90 IGP’s that correspond to locally specific areas often names after a historic or geographic feature.

Question 11

AOC/AOP

Answer 11

The top quality wines
More than 300 AOC’s producing just under half of the wines in France. An AOC can cover:
A vineyard or single Estate
A commune, village or parish
A district
Regional
note: in general geographically smaller AOC’s have higher standards, tighter restrictions, and greater homogeneity of wines than larger ones.

Question 12

The most widely planted white grape in France

Answer 12

Ugni-blanc (aka Trebbiano)

Question 13

The most widely planted red grape in France

Answer 13

Merlot