Bordeaux

Question 1

What is the climate of Bordeaux?

Answer 1

Maritime

Question 2

What was ranked in the 1953 Graves Classification?

Answer 2

The wines of 16 estates (not the estates themselves), both white and red

Question 3

Entre-deux-Mers AOC may produce dry and sweet white wine.
True or False?

Answer 3

FALSE.
Entre-deux-Mers AOC produces only dry white wines.

Question 4

What does “petit château” mean?

Answer 4

It is an unofficial term for an unclassified property in the Bordeaux region.

Question 5

Which estate is the only Premier Cru Supérieur of the 1855 classification?

Answer 5

Château d’Yquem

Question 6

What does “Cru Artisan” refer to?

Answer 6

Boutique wineries of quality in Bordeaux.

Question 7

What is the difference between Saint-Émillion Grand Cru and Saint-Émillion Grand Cru Classé?

Answer 7

The former is an AOC; the latter is a ranking within the Saint-Émillion classification system.

Question 8

The Garonne and Dordogne flow into which estuary?

Answer 8

The Gironde

Question 9

Only dry red wines may be labeled as coming from
the Médoc AOC.
True or False?

Answer 9

TRUE.
Some white wine is produced, but it cannot be labeled as coming from the Médoc AOC.

Question 10

What nationality were the engineers who drained the Médoc Peninsula in the 17th century?

Answer 10

Dutch

Question 11

The 1855 Classification in Bordeaux was based on the size and prestige of the estates.
True or False?

Answer 11

FALSE.
It reflected the price points (by tiers) at which the top wines were selling in 1855.

Question 12

Which Bordeaux
soils are considered “warm”?

Answer 12

Gravel and sand

Question 13

Which Bordeaux soils are considered “cold”?

Answer 13

Clay and limestone

Question 14

Bordeaux is France’s largest AOC vineyard area. True or False?

Answer 14

TRUE

Question 15

The 1855 Classification is divided into how many tiers, or rankings?

Answer 15

Five

Question 16

What is the main soil type of Bordeaux’s
Left Bank?

Answer 16

Gravel

Question 17

Who championed the “second label” concept as a way to improve the quality of the “grand vin”?

Answer 17

Émile Peynaud

Question 18

Wine from Barsac may be labeled as Sauternes. True or False?

Answer 18

TRUE.
Barsac is included in Sauternes AOC.

Question 19

Which river separates Sauternes from Barsac?

Answer 19

The Ciron

Question 20

Which river separates Fronsac and Canon Fronsac from the rest of the Libournais?

Answer 20

The Isle

Question 21

What is a wine sold “en primeur”

Answer 21

A wine sold before it is physically released.

Question 22

What are the three primary white grapes
in Bordeaux?

Answer 22

Sémillon
Sauvignon Blanc
Muscadelle

Question 23

Which Bordeaux sub-region sits between
the Dordogne and Garonne rivers?

Answer 23

Entre-deux-Mers

Question 24

What are the main soil types of Bordeaux’s Right Bank?

Answer 24

Clay and limestone

Question 25

What is the most widely planted grape variety in Bordeaux?

Answer 25

Merlot

Question 26

What grape variety suffered the most damage after the Winter Freeze of 1956?

Answer 26

Malbec

Question 27

What is “Les Landes”?

Answer 27

A man-made pine forest to the west of Bordeaux.

Question 28

Which Bordeaux estate was promoted to First Growth status in 1973?

Answer 28

Château Mouton Rothschild

Question 29

What are the three tiers of the Cru Bourgeois Classification?

Answer 29

Crus Bourgeois Crus Bourgeois Supérieurs Crus Bourgeois Exceptionnels

Question 30

Which Right Bank sub-region has a classification system?

Answer 30

Saint-Émilion

Question 31

Bordeaux’s first vineyards were planted in which sub-region?

Answer 31

Graves

Question 32

Crémant de Bordeaux may be white or rosé. True or False?

Answer 32

TRUE

Question 33

Before becoming its own AOC, Péssac-Leognan was once a part of which Bordeaux sub-region?

Answer 33

Graves

Question 34

Côtes de Bordeaux AOC makes only dry red wine. True or False?

Answer 34

TRUE

Question 35

What a is a “clairet”?

Answer 35

A semi-red wine made by the saignée method.

Question 36

What are the four satellite AOCs of Saint-Émilion?

Answer 36

Lussac Montagne Puisseguin Saint-Georges

Question 37

Graves Supérieures AOC produces dry, semi-sweet and sweet white wines. True or False?

Answer 37

FALSE. Graves Supérieures AOC produces only semi-sweet white wine.