French Wine Regions Flashcards
How many cases of wine does Bordeaux produce annually?
61 million cases
What are the two rivers that flow through Bordeaux?
Dordogne and Garrone
What is the name of the estuary in Bordeaux that flows to the Atlantic ocean?
Gironde
What is the area on the left bank, north of Bordeaux city called?
Medoc
What is the area on the left bank, south of Bordeaux city called?
Graves
What is the main town on the right bank of the Dordogne?
Libourne
What is the name of the forest that is a protective barrier along the west coast of Bordeaux?
Landes Forest
What percentage of Bordeaux is planted with red grapes?
89%
Behind merlot and cabernet sauvignon, what is the 3rd most widely planted red grape in Bordeaux?
Cabernet Franc
What are the primary white grapes of Bordeaux?
Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Muscadelle
How many AOCs are there in Bordeaux?
60
What are the appellations of Medoc?
Medoc and Haut Medoc
What are the 4 esteemed villages of the left bank of Bordeaux that are communal AOC’s?
St. Estephe, Pauillac, St. Julien and Margaux
The most coveted wines from the right bank of Bordeaux come from what AOC’s?
Pommerol and St. Emilion
What year was the famous Bordeaux classification?
1855
How many red wines were included in the Bordeaux classification of 1855?
61
How many levers of cru’s are there in the original Bordeaux classifications?
5
What are the 4 original Premier Cru chateaux in Bordeaux in the 1855 Classification?
Haut-Brion, Lafite-Rothchild, Latour and Margaux.
What was the 5th chateau to become a 1er cru in Bordeaux and when did it move up?
Mouton-Rothchild in 1973
Bordeaux sweet wine classification levels are:
Superior Growth, First Growth
and Second Growth
In Bordeaux classification is for the vineyard or the chateau?
Chateau
What year were the Graves chateaux classified?
1855
What is the name of the only right bank classification system in Bordeaux and when was it established?
St. Emilion Grand Cru Classe in 1954
What are the two catagories of classification within the St. Emilion Grand Cru Classe?
Grand Cru Classe and Premier Grand Cru Classe
What are the 4 A ranking chateaux in the St. Emilion Grand Cru Classe?
Chateau Angelus, Chateau Ausone, Chateau Cheval Blanc and Chateau Pavie
How many producers have a Premier Grand Cru Classe status in the St. Emilion Grand Cru Classe AOC?
18
Small family owned and operated estates in the Medoc may have the right to use what classification on their label?
Cru Artisan
What are the 3 regional AOCs of Bordeaux?
Bordeaux AOC, Crement de Bordeaux AOC, Bordeaux Superieur AOC
What is the large appellation for dry whites in Graves?
Pessac-Leognan
In what year were wines of St. Emilion first classified?
1954
What is the classification for the best properties in the Medoc that weren’t included in the 1855 classifiction?
Cru Bourgeois
How many cases of wine do the Loire Valley AOC’s produce annually?
45 million
What percentage of Loire Valley wine is at the AOC level?
3/4ths of total production.
What area in France is known primarily for crisp white wines, light red wines, roses and some fine sweet and sparkling wines?
Loire Valley
The Loire Valley originates in the
Massif Central
How long is the Loire Valley wine region in miles?
300 miles
What are the four Loire Valley regions?
Pays Nantais, Anjou-Saumur, Touraine, The Upper Loire
The Pays Nantais is also sometimes called
Muscadet
What is the climate of Pays Nantais?
Maritime
What is the climate of the Upper Loire?
Continental
What are the wine styles of the Loire Valley?
Dry and sweet whites, dry and sweet roses, dry reds, sparkling wines
What are the key white grapes of the Loire Valley?
Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Melon de Bourgogne
What are the secondary white grapes used in the Loire Valley?
Chardonnay, Folle Blanche and Arbois
What grape is used only in the Pay Nantais region of the Loire Valley and no other region?
Melon de Bourgogne
What is Chenin Blanc sometimes called in the Loire Valley?
Pineau de la Loire
Melon de Borgogne is used to make what wine will known in the Pays Nantais area of the Loire Valley?
Muscadet
What are the two most well-known Chenin Blanc based wines of the Loire Valley?
Vouvray & Savenierres
The skin of Chenin Blanc is thick or thin, making it highly susceptible to botrytis?
Thin
Where in the Loire Valley would you most likely find well known Sauvignon Blanc wines?
Sancerre and Pouilly Fume
In what two appellations in the Loire Valley does Sauvignon Blanc produce it’s classic flavor profile with acidity and aromatics?
Sancerre and Pouilly Fume
What is the local name for Cabernet Franc in the Loire Valley?
Breton
What is the local name for Malbec in the Loire Valley?
Cot
Chinon is made from what grape?
Cabernet Franc
Loire Valley’s cool climate produces what style of red wine?
dry, zesty, light reds
Sparkling Loire Valley wines are marketed under what name?
Fines Bulles
Fines Bulles Loire Valley wines are made using what method?
Traditional
Loire Valley Fines Bulles wines are generally based on what white grape?
Chenin Blanc
What styles of sparkling wines are produced in the Loire Valley?
White and rose, dry and sweet
Why is there no top quality level AOP that covers all of the Loire Valley?
Too many different climates and grapes
Melon de Bourgogne is often called?
Muscadet, after the general appellation of the region.
What are the 4 appellations in the Pays Nantais that ONLY allow the Melon de Bourgogne grape?
Muscadet AOC, Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire AOC, Muscadet Cotes de Grandlieu AOC and Muscadet Sevre et Maine AOC
What are the 3 new Pays Nantais AOC’s as of 2011?
Gros Plant du Pays Nantais AOC, Coteaux d/Ancenis AOC, and Fiefs Vendeen AOC.
Gros Plant du Pays Nantais AOC is based on what grape?
Folle Blanche, aka Gros Plant
Coteaux d’Ancenis AOC’s Pinot Gris is sometimes called
Malvoisie
Coteaux d’Ancenis AOC’s reds and roses come from what grape?
Gamay
Anjou AOC allows what percentage of Sauvivnon Blanc or Chardonnay in it’s Chenin Blanc based white wines?
up to 20%
Anjou AOC’s primary white grape is
Chenin Blanc
What are the primary red grapes of Anjou AOC?
Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon
Anjou AOC’s premier dry white wine made from Chenin Blanc is
Savennieres
Savennieres AOC grapes are ____% of _______.
100% Chenin Blanc
The “most cerebral” wine in the world is from
Savenniers AOC
Rose de Anjou AOC is generally made from what grapes?
Grolleau
Cabernet de Anjou AOC is generally made from what grapes?
Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon
Rose de Loire AOC produces what style of rose’s?
dry with 30% Cab Sauv or Cab Franc.
Cabernet de Anjou produces what style of rose’s?
sweet
What style of wine is a specialty of Anjou AOC?
sweet dessert wines
What is the name of the primary sweet wine AOC of Anjou?
Coteaux du Layon AOC
The two subregions of Coteaux du Layon AOC which produce sweet white dessert wines are?
Bonnezeaux and Quarts-de-Chaume
What is the new appellation, as of 2011, which has become the Loire Valley’s first Grand Cru?
Coteaux dy Layon Premier Cru Chaume
Bonnezeaux AOC and Quarts-de-Chaume must use _____% of ________ grape.
100% Chenin Blanc
Pinot d’Aunis is also known as
Chenin Noir
What is the small red wine only AOC in Saumur?
Saumur-Champigny
The main sparkling wine AOC in Saumur is
Saumur Brut
Saumur Brut may also be known as
Saumur Mousseux or just Saumur
Crement de Loire sources its grapes from what region in the Loire Valley?
Saumur
Saumur Brut always contains a proportion of what grape?
Chenin Blanc
Vouvray is found in what region of the Loire Valley?
Touraine
Vouvray makes wines using ____% of _____ grape.
100% Chenin Blanc
What AOC is just across the river from Vouvray?
Montlouis -sur-Loire
What are the known red wine AOC’s of Touraine?
Chinon, Bourgueil, and St. Nicolas de Bourgueil
Chinon, Bourgueil and St. Nicolas de Bourguel wines must be made from at least ____% of ______.
90% Cabernet Franc
AOC Touraine white grapes are typically
100% Sauvignon Blanc
What are the two most famous appellations of the Upper Loire region?
Sancerre and Pouilly Fume
Sancerre and Pouilly Fume use _____% of ______ grape?
100% Sauvignon Blanc
The soil of Sancerre is described as
chalky limestone
The soil of Pouilly Fume is described as
flinty
What Upper Loire AOC produces red wine from what grape?
Sancerre from Pinot Noir
Menetau-Salon, Quincy & Reuilly are located where in the Loire Valley?
Upper Loire
How many cases of Champagne are produced annually?
32 million
Champagne makes up _____% of the world’s production of sparkling wine.
18%
How many acres of vineyards are in Champagne?
83,000 acres
What are the 5 main zones of Champagne?
Vallee de la Marne, Montagne de Reims, Cote des Blancs, Cote de Sezanne and Cote des Bar
What is the main river in Champagne?
Marne
What is the region in Champagne that is located 60 miles southeast of Eperney?
Cote des Bar
What is the region in Champagne situated southeast of the Cote des Blanc?
Cote de Sezanne
What is the region in Champagne on the plateau between the Marne and Reims?
Montagne de Reims
What is the region in Champagne west of Eperney and stretching 40 miles along the Marne?
Vallee de la Marne
The soil in Champagne is based on
limestone and chalk
Most of the Grand Cru villages in Champagne have what kind of soil?
chalk
The Cotes des Bar soil is called
Kimmeridgian clay
Kimmeridgian clay is also found in what other two regions besides Champagne?
Burgundy and Loire Valley
The three main permitted grape varieties in Champagne are
Chardonnay, Pinor Noir and Pinot Meunier
The traditional measurement for the quantity of grapes allowed in the press is known as a
marc
A marc is equivalent to approximately ______ pounds.
8800
How many gallons of extracted juice is permitted per marc?
675 gallons
In Champagen the free run and first light pressings is called
the cuvee
Juice from later pressings in Champagne is called
the taille
The permitted volume of cuvee juice in Champagne is
20.5 hectoliters
The permitted volume of taille juice in Champagne is
5 hectoliters
The remaining residue after the cuvee and taille pressings is called the
rebeche
On what date can Champagne be bottled for it’s secondary fermentation according to Champagne’s laws?
January 1, following the harvest.
Champagne must spend ____ months maturing in the bottle.
15 months
How many months does Champagne age on it’s lees?
12 months
How long must Vintage Champagne be aged?
minimum of 3 years
Another term for “vintage” in Champagne is
millesime
Liqueur d’expedition is
sweetening dosage
The levels of sweetness in Champagne are
Brut Nature (sans dosage), Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry, sec, demi-sec and doux
Non vintage Champagne accounts for how much of Champagne production?
3/4ths
The system used which rates Champagne’s villages for the quality of it’s grapes is called
echelle des crus
How many villages are currently grand cru’s in Champagne?
17
Champagne grand crus must have what rating echelle des cru?
100%
Champagne Premier cru villages must have what echelle des cru rating?
90 - 99%
How many premier cru villages are there in Champagne?
44
Traditional winemaking properties in Champagne are known as
houses
RM on a Champagne label means what?
Recoltant-manipulant “grower Champagnes”
There are roughly how many “houses” in Champagne?
300
The only sparkling wine appellation for Champagne is
Champagne AOC
What are the 3 types of appellations in Alsace?
Alsace AOC, Alsace Grand Cru and Cremant d’Alsace
What are the 10 grape varieties allowed in Alsace AOC?
Reisling, Guwurtztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Sylvaner, Muscat, Chasselas, Auxerrois and Klevener de Heilgenstein.
What outside grape can be used only in Cremant d/Alsace?
Chardonnay
In Alsace the AOC is given to the
grape variety
How many cases of wine does Alsace produce?
10.1 cases
Alsace covers _____ acres in vineyards.
38,000
Alsace is split into two areas called
Bas Rhein and Haut Rhein
How many grand cru vineyards are there in Alsace?
51
What are the noble grapes of Alsace?
Reisling, Gewurtztraminer, Pinot Gris and Muscat
Cremant d’Alsace accounts for what percentage of the wine produce in Alsace?
22%
Blended Alsace wines are called
Edelzwicker
If a blended Alsacian wine has at least 50% of a noble variety is can include the designation ____on the label.
Gentil
What are the two styles of dessert wines in Alsace?
Vendage Tardive and Selection de Grains Nobles
Beaujolais blends it’s boundaries with ____ and is devoted to the _____ grape.
Maconnaise, Gamay
What is the river that runs along Beaujolais?
The Saone
What is the soil of Beaujolais?
Granite
What grapes are in Beaujolais?
Gamay (95%), Chardonnay, Aligote, Pinot Noir
Describe the difference between northern Beaujolais and southern Beaujolais.
North has jammy characteristics and is light, drink now. South can be richer, more structured and ageworthy.
Beaujolais crus produce _____ of all wine in Beaujolais.
1/3
How many Beaujolais crus are there?
10
List the Beaujolais crus.
Chirobules, Fleure, St. Amour, Brouilly, Cote de Brouilly, Julienas, Regnie, Chenas, Moulin-a-Vent, Morgon
Beaujolais cru wines are red or white?
Red only
How many appellations are there in Beaujolais?
11
The Rhone Valley is second to what other French wine region in terms of production?
Bordeaux
The city to the north of the Rhone Valley is
Lyon
The city to the south of the Rhone Valley is
Avignon
Northern Rhone and Southern Rhone are separated by how many miles?
30
What is the climate of the Northern Rhone Valley?
Continental
Where is the Cote Rotie?
Northern Rhone Valley
What is the climate of the Southern Rhone Valley?
Mediterranean
What is the well known feature of Southern Rhone’s terroir found especially in Chateauneuf du Pape?
Galets
What do you call the strong, cold wind that blows through the Rhone Valley?
Mistral
What is the red variety of the Northern Rhone?
Syrah
What are the white grape varieties of the Northern Rhone Valley?
Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne
How many grapes are allowed in the Southern Rhone Valley?
24
The dominant red grape in the Southern Rhone Valley is
Grenache
What are the red grapes found in the Rhone Valley?
Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan, Cinsault
What are the white grapes found in the Rhone Valley?
Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne, Clairette, Ugni Blanc, Muscat
The aromatic white grape found in the Southern Rhone Valley is
Clairette
Deeply colored, tannic, powerful and long-lived red are typically from the Northern Rhone or Southern Rhone?
Northern Rhone
Rhone Valley’s roses account for ____% of production.
9%
What grape is a key component of Rhone Valley roses?
Grenache
White wines account for _____% of Rhone Valley wines.
5%
What white variety has become a benchmark for it’s variety by producing full-bodies, viscous and aromatic wines in the _____ Rhone Valley?
Viognier in the Northern Rhone
How many appellations are in the Northern Rhone Valley?
8
Long ageing reds come from what 3 appellations in the Rhone Valley?
Cote Rotie, Hermitage and Cornas
What appellation in the Northern Rhone Valley requires 100% syrah?
Cornas
What white grape is a blending partner with Syrah in the Cote Rotie AOC?
Viognier
What white grapes are blending partners with Syrah in the Northern Rhone Valley?
Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne
What are the white AOC’s in the Northern Rhone Valley that require 100% Viognier?
Condrieu and Chateau-Grillet
Southern Rhone Valley is responsible for ____% of all Rhone Valley production.
96%
Where is the Cotes du Rhone AOC located?
Southern Rhone Valley
Chateauneuf du Pape allows how many grapes in it’s blend?
13 or 18
Where is Beaumes de Venise found?
Southern Rhone Valley
Beaumes de Venise is a _____ wine using what grape?
sweet, Muscat
What is the minimum residual sugar in Beaumes de Venies?
10%
A vin doux natural based on Grenache is produced in what Southern Rhone appellations?
Rasteau
What Southern Rhone appellation produces rose exclusively from what two primary grapes?
Tavel, Grenache and Cinsaut
What Rhone Valley appellation produces a sweet sparkling white using the Methode Ancestrale Diosie?
Clairette de Die AOC
What Rhone Valley appellation produces a sweet sparkling white using the Traditional Method?
Cremant de Die AOC
The “black wine” of Cahors is based on what grape?
Malbec
Madiran AOC produces powerful reds from what grape?
Tannat
What are the primary red grapes found in Southern France?
Syrah, Grenache, Merlot, Carignan, Cab. Sauvignon
What are the primary white grapes found in Southern France?
Viognier, Muscat, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc
That IGP covers the entire Languedoc-Roussillon?
Pays d’Oc
What is the largest AOC in Languedoc-Roussillon in terms of production?
Corbieres
What is the new AOC in Languedoc-Roussillon approved for red wine only?
Terrasses du Larzac
Sparkling wines of the Languedoc-Roussillon are found in what town?
Limoux
What AOC in Provence produces deeply colored and aromatic reds and fine dry roses principally from Mourvedre?
Bandol
Where is the Bandol AOC?
Provence
Rose accounts for ___% of wine production in Provence.
88%
