France

Question 1

Who is eligible for premier grand cru classe status?

Answer 1

Only producers in the St.-Emilion Grand Cru AOC

Question 2

Which appellations can market their methode traditionelle sparkling wines under the Fines Bulles trademark?

Answer 2

Anjou Mousseux, Cremant de Loire, Montlouis-sur-Loire, Samur Brut, Touraine Mousseux, and Vouvrey. (Fines Bulles “fine bubbles” are a specialty of the Central Loire)

Question 3

What appellation covers the entire region of the Loire Valley?

Answer 3

Vin de Pays du Val de Loire (PGI level)

Question 4

4 AOCs in the Pays Nantais are all called what?

Answer 4

Muscadet. The largest being Muscadet de Sevre-et-Maine

Question 5

What are 2 regional rose appellations in the Anjou?

Answer 5

Rose d’Anjou (usually mostly Grolleau), Cabernet d’Anjou (restricted to the two cabs, both somewhat sweet)

Question 6

Where are dry roses likely to come from in the Loire Valley?

Answer 6

Rose de Loire appellation (located in the Anjou and Touraine)

Question 7

What is the primary sweet wine area of Anjou and what are the two better known subregions?

Answer 7

Coteaux du Layon AOC, subregions being Bonnexaux and Quarts-de-Chaume. All three use 100% Chenin Blanc and produce long-lived dessert wines thanks to botrytis.

Question 8

What is the Anjou’s premier dry white wine appellation? What type of grapes are used?

Answer 8

Savennieres 100% Chenin Blanc

Question 9

What is the Saumur AOC known for?

Answer 9

Sparkling Wine

Question 10

What is the main sparkling wine appellation in the Saumur area?

Answer 10

Saumur Brut (may also be seen as Saumur Mousseux or simply Saumur)

Question 11

What is Cremant de Loire?

Answer 11

A sparkling wine that can come from anywhere in Anjou or Touraine.

Question 12

What regions in the Loire Valley are renowned for excellent red wines (usually at least 90% Cab Franc)?

Answer 12

Saumur-Champigny (red only appellation in Anjou), Bourgueil and Chinon (both in Touraine).

Question 13

What appellation uses 100% Chenin Blanc and makes wines ranging in style from dry to sweet?

Answer 13

Vouvray

Question 14

Which two appellations make mousseux and petillant (both are sparkling) wines?

Answer 14

Vouvray and Montlouis-sur-Loire

Question 15

What are two regional appellations for Touraine? What do they produce?

Answer 15

Touraine AOC for red, white, and rose. Touraine Mousseux for sparkling wines.

Question 16

What are AC Touraine white and red wines typically made from?

Answer 16

Whites are typically 100% Sauvignon Blanc, and the reds are as likely Gamay or Pinot Noir as Cabernet.

Question 17

What grapes are the wines in the Cheverny AOC primarily made from?

Answer 17

Sauvignon Blanc and Gamay

Question 18

What are two appellations famous in the Loire Valley for their classic, 100% Sauvignon Blanc wines?

Answer 18

Sancerre on the west bank and Pouilly-Fume across the river on the east bank.

Question 19

How does Pouilly-Fume differ from Pouilly-Fuisse?

Answer 19

Pouilly-Fume is on the east bank of the Loire Valley and made from 100% Sav Blanc. Pouilly-Fuisse is from the Maconnais area of Burgundy and made from 100% Chardonnay.

Question 20

What type of wine do Quincy and Reuilly AOCs make?

Answer 20

Sauvignon Blanc and Reuilly also makes some Pinot Noir.

Question 21

There are 51 grand cru vineyards in Alsace. These vineyards have a separate appellation. What is this appellation called and what grape varieties are they allowed to grow?

Answer 21

Alsace Grand Cru. They are allowed to grow only Gewürztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Gris, and Riesling.

Question 22

What 3 appellations are in Alsace?

Answer 22

Alsace AOC, Alsace Grand Cru, Cremant d’Alsace

Question 23

What is the Alsace AOC permitted to make?

Answer 23

Wine from 100% of any of eight grape varieties: Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Auxerrois, Pinot Noir, Sylvaner, Muscat, and Chasselas.

Question 24

What is Cremant d’Alsace permitted to make?

Answer 24

Sparkling wine made from Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and/or Auxerrois using the traditional method.

Question 25

What is the "most important" appellation in Burgundy, covering the entire region?

Answer 25

AC Bourgogne, a generic appellation for white, red, or rose wines from anywhere in the area.

Question 26

What appellation in Burgundy covers the entire region and is only permitted to make white and rose sparkling wines made by the traditional method?

Answer 26

Cremant de Bourgogne

Question 27

What appellation in Burgundy covers the entire region and is only permitted for wines from the Aligote grape variety?

Answer 27

Bourgogne Aligote

Question 28

How many appellations does the Chablis district have, what are they, and what grapes are permitted?

Answer 28

3. Chablis Grand Cru, Chablis AOC, and Petit Chablis. Chardonnay is the only permitted grape.

Question 29

What are the seven parcels (from largest to smallest) in the Chablis Grand Cru?

Answer 29

Les Clos, Vaudesir, Valmur, Blanchot, Bougros, Les Preuses, and Grenouilles.

Question 30

What is the Cote de Nuit the "spiritual home" for?

Answer 30

Pinot Noir, which makes up 90% of its production.

Question 31

he Cote de Nuits has 24 grand cru vineyards all of which are for red wine except for what?

Answer 31

Musigny which also produces a tiny amount of Chardonnay.

Question 32

What are the 8 commune appellations of the Cote de Nuits?

Answer 32

Marsannay, Fixin, Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-St.-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot, Vosne-Romanee, and Nuits-St.-Georges.

Question 33

What are some of the best-known grands crus of the Cote de Nuits?

Answer 33

Chambertin, Musigny, Clos de Vougeot, Romanee-Conti

Question 34

What is the world's most expensive wine?

Answer 34

Romanee-Conti

Question 35

The Cote de Beaune is known as a white wine region and 7/8 of its grands crus produce only white wine. Which grands cru produces red?

Answer 35

Corton which is mostly red with a small amount of white.

Question 36

What are the primary communes of the Cote de Beaune?

Answer 36

Aloxe-Corton, Pernand-Vergelesses, Beaune, Pommard, Valnay, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, and Chassagne-Montrachet

Question 37

What are Corton, Charlemagne, Corton-Charlemagne, and Montrachet?

Answer 37

Some of the grands crus in the Cote de Beaune.

Question 38

There are 5 communal AOCs in the Cote de Chalonnaise district. What is the largest?

Answer 38

Mercurey

Question 39

What do Pouilly-Fuisse and St. Veran have in common?

Answer 39

They are both villages in the Maconnais that have been elevated to communal AOC status for 100% chardonnay wines.

Question 40

What is the districtwide appellation in the Maconnais?

Answer 40

Macon

Question 41

Where does the largest portion of Maconnais wine fall under? What can they produce?

Answer 41

The Macon-Villages appellation which is for white wine only.

Question 42

What grape is the Beaujolais region dedicated to?

Answer 42

Gamay which takes up 95% of the region

Question 43

What is the most significant difference between Beaujolais and Burgundy in regards to terroir?

Answer 43

Beaujolais has granitic soils that are ideal for Gamay but not for Pinot Noir or Chardonnay, rather than the limestone that defines Burgundy.

Question 44

What are the 10 Beaujolais Crus?

Answer 44

St.-Amour, Julienas, Chenas, Moulin-a-Vent, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Regnie, Cote de Brouilly, Brouilly

Question 45

What are the first and second producers of AOC level wines in France?

Answer 45

#1 - Bordeaux #2 - Rhone

Question 46

What are the grape varieties in northern Rhone?

Answer 46

Syrah is the only red variety. The whites are Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussane.

Question 47

Which northern Rhone appellation requires 100% syrah?

Answer 47

Cornas

Question 48

What is the most important white wine of northern Rhone?

Answer 48

The Viognier of Condrieu

Question 49

What % of Rhone's production does southern Rhone account for?

Answer 49

96%

Question 50

Which regional appellation covers most of the southern Rhone area and accounts for more than half the Rhone Valley output?

Answer 50

Cotes du Rhone

Question 51

What is the most famous southern Rhone appellation?

Answer 51

Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Question 52

What two appellations in southern Rhone make vin doux naturels?

Answer 52

Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise and Rasteau

Question 53

Which AOC in southern Rhone is stictly for rose made mostly from Grenache and Cinsaut and considered one of the finest dry roses of France?

Answer 53

Tavel AOC

Question 54

What are two of the largest appellations found outside the Cotes du Rhone boundaries; producing mainly red wine but also some rose and white?

Answer 54

Cotes du Ventoux and Costieres de Nimes

Question 55

What are the 8 crus in southern Rhone (each have their own AOC)?

Answer 55

Cotes du Rhone/Cotes du Rhones Villages, Rasteau (rfortified), Gigondas (r/rose), Beaumes-de-Venise (wfortified), Vacqueyras (r/w/rose), Chateauneuf-du-Pape (r/w), Lirac (r/w/rose), Tavel (rose)

Question 56

What is the "umbrella region" that covers the entire Languedoc-Roussillon?

Answer 56

Vin de Pays d'Oc

Question 57

Which AOC covers the entire Languedoc-Roussillon? When was it established?

Answer 57

Languedoc AOC established in 2007

Question 58

What must growers do in order to upgrade their Vin de Pays d'Oc wines to AOC status?

Answer 58

Use grapes traditional to the region; including Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsaut, Carignan, and various white grapes; red, white, and rose are permitted.

Question 59

Which AOC of Languedoc-Roussillon is the largest in terms of production?

Answer 59

Corbieres

Question 60

What are the 3 big AOCs in Languedoc-Roussillon and what do they allow?

Answer 60

Corbieres, Minervois, and Cotes du Roussillon. They all allow red, white, and rose, but Corbieres and Minervois produce mostly red white while Cotes du Roussillon focuses on rose.

Question 61

Which subregion of Languedoc-Roussillon is for red wine only?

Answer 61

Cotes du Roussillon-Villages

Question 62

What is the largest AOC in Provence?

Answer 62

Cotes de Provence

Question 63

What is the best-known communcal AOC in Provence? What does it produce?

Answer 63

Bandol which produces deeply colored and aromatic reds and fine dry roses principally from Mourvedre.

Question 64

What is the regional vin de pays area in Provence and what does Provence pride itself on?

Answer 64

The Vin de Pays de Mediterranee. Provence prides itself on its roses (which make up a majority of the production of its major appellations).

Question 65

What is an Edelzwicker?

Answer 65

Blends of the following varieties in Alsace: Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Auxerrois, Pinot Noir, Sylvaner, Muscat, and Chasselas

Question 66

What is Chateau d'Yquem?

Answer 66

It is the one and only "first superior growth" classified in 1855 as a "sweet wine" from Sauternes

Question 67

What are the wines like in Sauternes?

Answer 67

Mostly semillon based with a small amount of sav blanc. They are provided the perfect growing conditions for botrytis (known in french as pourriture noble). They are thick, intensely sweet and (if botrytized) have a notable honeyed character.

Question 68

Cotes de Bordeaux, a new appellation created in 2009, combines four disjointed regions, what are they?

Answer 68

Bordeaux Cotes de Francs, Cotes de Castillon, Premieres Cotes de Blaye, and Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux