French Red Wines I

Question 0

List the quality levels of Beaujolais and the 10 cru:

Answer 0

Cru ($$$)
Beaujolais-Villages ($$)
Beaujolais ($)

Brouilly, Cheenas, Chiroubles, Côte de Brouilly, Fleurie, Juliénas, Morgon, Moulin-À-Vent, Régnié, Saint-Amour

Question 1

What are the red producing subregions of Burgundy?

Answer 1

Côte d’Or [Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune], Côte Châlonnaise, Beaujolais

Question 2

List the red wine villages of Côte Châlonnaise:

Answer 2

Mercurey, Givry, Rully

Question 3

List the red wine producing villages of Côte de Beaune. Which village has grand cru vineyards?

Answer 3

Aloxe-Corton, Beaune, Pommard, Volnay

Aloxe-Corton has grand cru vineyards

Question 4

List the villages of Côte de Nuits. BONUS: What is the only white wine producing grand cru vineyard in Côte de Nuits?

Answer 4

Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-St-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot, Flagey-Échézeaux, Vosne-Romanée, Nuits-St-Georges

Musigny is the only white grand cru in Côte de Nuits

Question 5

List the 8 crus of the Northern Rhône and the 5 in the south. What are the major grapes in the north/south?

Answer 5

Northern Rhône: Château-Grillet (white), Condrieu (white), Cornas, Côte Rôtie, Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage, St-Joseph, St-Peray

Southern Rhône: Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Lirac, Tavel (rosé), Vacqueyras

North: Syrah

South: Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre

Question 6

List the 13 grapes allowed in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. How and why did the region get its name?

Answer 6

Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Picpoul, Terret, Counoise, Muscardin, Vaccarèse, Picardin, Clairette, Roussanne, Bourboulenc

“New Castle of the Pope” named for the palace in the Rhône city of Avignon in which Pope Clément V (first French pope) resided in the 14th century.

Question 7

List the red grapes of Bordeaux. Which is the most planted? BONUS: Name the long lost grape that has resurfaced in Chile.

Answer 7

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec

Merlot is most widely planted grape in Bordeaux

Carminère is the long lost grape

Question 8

List the major areas of Bordeaux. List the communes of the Médoc.

Answer 8

Médoc, Pomerol, Graves/Pessac-Léognan, St-Émilion

Haut Médoc [St-Estèphe, Pauillac, St-Julien, Margaux, Moulis, Listrac]

Question 9

Discuss the Classification of 1855:

Answer 9

Napoleon III asked his wine brokers to select the best wines to represent France during the International Exposition of 1855. They were originally ranked according to price and were delineated into 5 ‘crus’ or ‘growths’ with 1st cru being of the highest quality. This classification system still holds today as a measuring stick for the greatest Bordeaux wines. Margaux and Pauillac have the most cru vineyards of all the other communes in Bordeaux.

Question 10

What are all the 1st growth communes in Bordeaux? Do we have any on our list? Do we have any 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th growths on our list?

Answer 10

PAUILLAC
Château Lafite-Rothschild, Château Latour, Château Mouton-Rothschild

MARGAUX
Château Margaux

PESSAC-LÉOGNAN (GRAVES)
Château Haut-Brion

1st – Château Latour, Château Margaux

2nd – Château Léoville-Las-Cases, Château Gruaud-Larose

3rd – Château Calon-Ségur

4th – Château Prieuré-Lichine, Château Lafon-Rochet, Château Beychevelle

5th – Château Dauzac, Château Batailley

Question 11

What is Chinon? Where is it?

Answer 11

A red wine made from Cabernet Franc grapes. Found in the subregion of Touraine in the Loire Valley.

Question 12

What type of wine is produced in Provence? From which grapes?

Answer 12

Red, white & rosé (known for rosés)

Mourvèdre is dominant grape with Grenache and Cinsault

Question 13

List the major grapes of the Languedoc-Roussillon

Answer 13

Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc

Question 14

Name the communes within the Haut Medoc

Answer 14

St Estephe, St Julien, Pauilliac, Margaux, Listrac, Moulis