France

Question 1

Most AOC wines are known by their _________ instead of their __________

Answer 1

Geographic names (Sauncerre, Cote Rotie) instead of their grape varieties

Question 2

What are the three climates of France?

Answer 2

North (Champagne and Burgundy) - continental climate with severe winters and cool, rainy autumns
South - Mediterranean climate more ‘sunny’ on the mouth
West (western Loire and Bordeaux) - maritime climate - muggy summers make sweet wine possible

Question 3

Where does the name ‘bordeaux’ come from?

Answer 3

au bord de l’eau meaning ‘along the waters’ - lies within Aquatine meaning a ‘well watered place’

Question 4

What are the 3 white grapes of Bordeaux?

Answer 4

Muscadelle, Sauvingnon Blanc, Semillon

Question 5

What are the 6 red grapes of Bordeaux?

Answer 5

Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignin, Carmenere, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot

Question 6

What are the 5 major regions of Bordeaux?

Answer 6

the Medoc, Graves, Sauternes, St. Emilion, Pomerol

Question 7

What does apertif mean?

Answer 7

Latin aperire, meaning ‘to open’

Question 8

What is the soil composition of St. Emilion?

Answer 8

Hillsides (cotes) - limestone

Mixed with clay, sand, quartz, and chalk

Question 9

Are white wines made in St. Emilion?

Answer 9

No, only red

Question 10

What is the soil composition of Pomerol?

Answer 10

Gravel and clay beds

Question 11

What is the climate like in Champagne?

Answer 11

Chilly and cold. Sunlight is painfully scarce. Average temperature is no more than 50 degrees F. Champagne is one of the coolest wine-producing areas in the world.

Question 12

What is the soil composition of Champagne?

Answer 12

Limestone rich with minerals and marine fossils

Question 13

What are the three grapes used to make Champagne?

Answer 13

Chardonnay (used in almost all champagnes)
Pinot Meunier
Pinot Noir

Question 14

What is the 4th ‘grape’ of Champagne?

Answer 14

Time itself

Question 15

What are the 5 main vineyard areas of Champagne?

Answer 15

Montagne de Reims - south facing - chalk layer is deep, where pinot noir and meunier are planted
Cotes des Blancs - hillside of whites - east facing - almost exclusively chardonnay
Valley de la Marne - soil more mark, clay, and sand - meuiner
Cote de Sezanne - east facing - mostly chardonnay
Cote des Bar / Aube - south - pinot noir

Question 16

7 Dosages of Champagne

Answer 16

Brut Nature - .3% sugar
Extra Brut - 0 - .6% sugar
Brut - < 1.2% sugar
Extra Dry - 1.2 - 1.7% sugar
Sec - 1.7 - 3.2% sugar
Demi-Sec - 3.2 - 5% sugar
Sweet - 5% sugar

Question 17

What are the 3 types of Champagne?

Answer 17

Blanc de Blancs - white from whites - made entirely of chardonnay
Blanc de Noirs - white from reds - slightly pink tinged - made entirely of pinot noir or pinot meunier
Rose Champagne - more expensive and harder to make - traditional method (saignee) involves letting some of the base wine sit with pinot noir skins until color is achieved
- more common method involves adding a small amount of pinot noir wine into the bottle before the second fermentation

Question 18

What are the 2 major grapes of Burgundy? And the 1 minor grape?

Answer 18

Major: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
Minor: Aligote

Question 19

Where did the name Cote d’or originate?

Answer 19

Often translated to ‘golden slope’ but is actually a contraction of Cote d’Orient ‘eastern facing slope’ because the vineyards face east to catch the morning sun

Question 20

What are the 4 main sub-regions of Burgundy?

Answer 20

Chablis, Cote d’or, Cote Chalonnaise, Maconnais - Beujolais is also considered a sub-region but differs greatly from all the other regions

Question 21

Most Beaujolais is made using _____ fermentation. What’s the process?

Answer 21

Carbonic maceration - to maximize the fruitiness of the wine.
Process: Entire clusters of grapes are put into the tank. The grapes at the bottom, crushed by the grapes on top, release their juice which immediately starts fermenting naturally due to the wild yeast of the grape skins. This bathes the grapes on top in carbon dioxide gas. The top layer grapes eventually explode from the pressure of the CO2 causing them to ferment as well. It then rests in the tank for several months or more.

Question 22

What are the 3 categories of Beaujolais?

Answer 22

Beaujolais (50% of production)
Beaujolias Villages (25% of production)
Beaujolais Cru (25% of production)

Question 23

What are the 10 Beaujolais Cru villages?

Answer 23

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

Question 24

What are the 3 great wine regions of France?

Answer 24

Bordeaux
Burgundy
Rhone

Question 25

What are the 9 white grapes of the Rhone Valley?

Answer 25

Bourboulenc
Clairette
Grenache Blanc
Picpoul
Marsanne
Muscat Blanc
Roussanne
Ugni Blanc
Viognier

Question 26

What are the 7 red grapes of the Rhone Valley?

Answer 26

Calitor
Carignan
Cinsaut
Muscat Noir / Muscardin
Grenache
Mourvedre
Syrah

Question 27

The only red grape in Hermitage is _________

Answer 27

Syrah

Question 28

_______ wines are found in Tavel

Answer 28

Rose - grenache is the leader

Question 29

The river is what ties the appellations of this wine regions together

Answer 29

Loire Valley - river erupts from the volcanic peaks of the Massif Central

Question 30

The leading white grapes of the Loire Valley are?

Answer 30

Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc

Question 31

The 6 white grapes of the Loire Valley are

Answer 31

Arbois, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Folle Blanche, Melon de Bourgogne, Sauvignon Blanc

Question 32

The 6ish red grapes of the Loire Valley are

Answer 32

Cab Franc, Cot (malbec), Gamay, Grolleau, Pinot Noir

Question 33

What is red and rose Sancerres made from?

Answer 33

Pinot noir with some gamay

Question 34

What are the two categories of Loire sparking wines?

Answer 34

1. Cremant de Loire
2. Sparkling wines from a smaller appellation - sparking Vouvray, sparking Touraine, etc…
   * They are all made using the traditional Champagne method with a second fermentation in the bottle