French Wine Knowlegde

Question 1

What are the three major regions in France for red wine ?

Answer 1

Bordeaux, Burgundy and Rhône Valley

Question 2

What are the main regions in France for white wine ?

Answer 2

Burgundy, Loire Valley, and Alsace

Question 3

Where is Bordeaux located in France ?

Answer 3

Southwestern France named after the ninth largest French city , Bordeaux, a port city on the Garonne River near the Atlantic Ocean.

Question 4

What wine mainly grows in Bordeaux ?
And to a lesser degree …

Answer 4

89% of them are dry reds ,in region
11% dry whites ,in regions
Some sweet wines -Sauternes and tiny amount of rose and sparkling wines

Question 5

What are the two wine districts of Bordeaux on the Left Bank?

Answer 5

Haut-Medoc
Pessac-Leognan

Question 6

Where is the left bank geography located ?

Answer 6

They lie west of Garonne River and the Gironde Estuary , which empties into the Atlantic Ocean.

Question 7

What type of soil dominates the left bank ?

Answer 7

Gravel- Cabernet Sauvignon has an affinity for gravel

Question 8

What does the right bank soil have?

Answer 8

Clay - Merlot and pessac-leognan (pay-sac-lay-oh-nyahn)

Question 9

What kind of wine does the left bank typically produce?how do these wine age?

Answer 9

Firm tannic wines, with more pronounced black currant , and mineral flavor.
Usually need years to develop and will age a long time , often for decades, typically a Cabernet Sauvignon based wine

Question 10

What kind of Bordeaux wines do right bank typically create ?

Answer 10

More approachable because they’re mainly Merlot, you can enjoy them long before their left banks cousins. Often as soon as 5-8 years after the vintage . Less tannic, richer in texture and plummier flavor.

Question 11

What are the four famous wine communes of the Haut-Medoc district Left Bank Bordeaux?

Answer 11

St. Estephe,
Pauillac,
St.Julien,
Margaux

Question 12

What are the wine characteristics of St. Estephe?

Answer 12

Firm
Tannic
Earthy
Chunky
And slow to mature
Typical wine: chateau montrose

Question 13

What are the characteristics of Pauillac?

Answer 13

Rich
Powerful
Firm
Tannic
Black currant
Cedar aromas and flavors ; long lived

Question 14

What are the characteristics of Pauillac?

Answer 14

Rich
Powerful
Firm
Tannic
Black currant
Cedar aromas and flavors ; long lived

Question 15

What are three of the most famous wines that come from Pauillac (poy-yak)?

Answer 15

Lafite Rothschild
Mouton-Rothschild
Latour

Question 16

What are the characteristics of the St Julian (San-jhoo-lee ehn)region in Bordeaux of the left bank?

Answer 16

Rich
Flavorful
Elegant
Finesseful with cedary bouquet

Question 17

What are the wine characteristics of Margaux(mahr-go)

Answer 17

Fragrant ,supple, harmonious, with complex aromas and flavors
Typical wines : chateau Palmer and chateau Margaux

Question 18

What are the three white grapes of Bordeaux?

Answer 18

Muscadelle- light floral character
Sauvignon blanc- major grape. Crispy austere, herbal freshness , usually blended with semillon
Semillon-major grape, dry and clean. Provides weight and depth , with age, honied character -primary grape for sauternes