A French Wine Sort... Trivia Quiz

Answer: Loire

Saumur wines from the Loire used to be mainly white and often sparkling, made from the Chenin blanc grape. However recently the area's red wine, made from Cabernet Franc grapes, have become better-known. They are light-bodied, fragrant and refreshing. The Chateau de Saumur is pictured in the wonderful early 15th Century illustrated manuscript, the "Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry".

Answer: Beaujolais

Moulin-a-Vent is one of the ten named crus in the Beaujolais region. It's the most full-bodied and powerful of the ten crus, with some makers ageing their wine in oak barrels. This produces long-lasting wines, with some good for up to 10 years.

Answer: Rhone

Gigondas in the Southern Rhone has been a source of wine for over 2,000 years. The area produces red and white wines, normally from a blend of grapes. However, 50% of any wine has to be from the Grenache grape, with the remainder coming from Syrah, Mourvedre and/or Cinsault. The wine is often similar to Chateauneuf-du-Pape, being hearty and high in alcohol.

Answer: Rhone

Vaqueyras was originally classified as a Cote du Rhone Villages, but in 1990 its consistently high quality led to it being upgraded to a full, independent AOC. The area produces red and white wines from a blend of grapes, although at least 50% has to be Grenache with at least 20% being Syrah and Mourvedre.
The wines, mainly red (97%), are powerful and have been called "the poor man's Châteauneuf-du-Pape".

Answer: Burgundy

Gevrey-Chambertin comes from the Cote de Nuits region of Burgundy. Only red wines are produced, made mainly from the Pinot noir grape. The wines are strong, with intense flavours and bouquet of blackcurrant and cherries. There are 26 Premier Cru vineyards; their wines are horrendously expensive, normally over £100 a bottle.

Answer: Burgundy

Nuits-Saint-Georges in the Cote de Nuits region of Burgundy produces red wine from the Pinot noir grape (97% of the output) and white wine from the Chardonnay grape (3% of output). There are 41 vineyards that produce Premier Cru wines, for which an arm and a leg is normally charged.

Answer: Beaujolais

Chiroubles is one of the lightest Beaujolais crus, produced to be drunk in two or three years. The vineyards are at high altitude, leading to a longer growing season; if the weather is cold the grapes won't ripen properly. This all gives rise to a lighter, fresher style of wine, often with red fruit characteristics and an aroma of violets.

Answer: Rhone

Beaumes-de-Venise in the Southern Rhone area is an interesting area in that it produces two totally different types of wine. The first is a vin doux naturel, a sweet wine made from the Muscat grape that has its origins at least 900 years ago. During the vinification of this wine almost pure grape spirit is added to the fermenting grape juice; this has the effect of stopping the fermentation while a lot of sugars are still present.

The product is a wonderfully sweet dessert wine. The red is a typical Rhone red, composed of Grenache (minimum 50%), Syrah (minimum 25%), Mourvèdre and other varieties.

It's one of my personal favourites, light, powerful and with an aroma of raspberry, blackcurrant and leather.

Answer: Burgundy

Vosne-Romanée in the Cote de Nuits region of Burgundy produces red wine from the Pinot noir grape (97% of the output). There are a number of vineyards that produce Premier Cru wines, as well as six Grand Cru vineyards. These Grand Cru vineyards include Burgundy's most iconic and expensive red wines, with Romanée-Conti of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti being the most prized - prices of over £20,000 a bottle have been recorded.

Answer: Rhone

Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a historic wine, produced in the region between Orange and Avignon in the Rhône Valley. The namestems from the relocation of the Papacy to Avignon in 1309. The full-bodied red wine of the area is made mainly from Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre grapes, although small amounts of many other grape varieties can be added. Small amounts of white wine are made, mainly from the grenache blanc grape.

The grapes are grown in vineyards surfaced with stones called galets roules; these retain heat and moisture.

Answer: Loire

Sancerre is a small wine district in the Loire, famous for its crisp, aromatic white wines made from the Sauvignon blanc grape. Surprisingly this is a relatively modern development, as before the phylloxera epidemic the area used to be more known for its Gamay and Pinot noir red wine than for its white.

The wine is acidic, with aromas of grass and gooseberries. It's my wife's favourite wine!

Answer: Burgundy

Pommard is in the Côte de Beaune area of Burgundy. Only red wine is produced, with Pinot noir being the most common grape. Pommard wines are among the most powerful and tannic of the Côte de Beaune wines. The area has a large number of Premier Cru vineyards, running from the boundary of Beaune in the north to Volnay in the south; the only break in this stretch is Pommard village itself.

The wines produced in these vineyards are entitled to the classification of Pommard Premier Cru.

Answer: Beaujolais

Although it's one of the ten Beaujolais crus, Morgon wines are not quite like the rest, possibly because growers are allowed to add white wine grapes to the basic Gamay up to 15% of volume. The wines can be earthy, deeper in colour and with an apricot, peach or cherry aroma. They age better and longer than the other crus, ending up like a Burgundy.

Answer: Loire

Pouilly-Fume is in the Loire region, just across the river from Sancerre. It is a dry white wine made entirely from the Sauvignon blanc grape. The "Fume" in the name refers to what is said to be an aroma of struck gunflint that characterizes the local wines.

Answer: Beaujolais

It's often said that Fleurie is the best of the ten Beaujolais crus, "The Queen of Beaujolais". It's one of the most widely exported wines, especially to the United States. The wines from the area are known for their light, delicate aromas, floral and red fruit.

Answer: Loire

Vouvray is a Loire wine region wine, specifically in the Touraine area. The vineyards in the area have been producing high quality wines since the Middle Ages. Chenin blanc grapes are used, almost always alone, and the wines are sweet or still, and still or sparkling. Some of the wines can last for a long time - over 30 years is not unknown.