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Wines of the Loire Trivia Quiz

The Loire is one of the great rivers of France, and its longest. Its banks are lined with beautiful chāteaux and rolling vineyards, which produce a wide variety of wines.

A multiple-choice quiz by Bazzoomer. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
Bazzoomer

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
337,029

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
419

Last 3 plays: Linda_Arizona (4/10), Guest 1 (2/10), Guest 177 (9/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. More Muscadet is produced than any other wine on the Loire. Made near the mouth of the river, around the city of Nantes, which grape is used to make Muscadet? Hint

Pineau de la Loire

Gamay

Melon de Bourgogne

Sauvignon Blanc

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. Which of these wines is also produced in the Nantes area, or Pays Nantais? Hint

Gros Plant

Bourgeuil

Sancerre

Entre-deux-Mers

3. Moving further upriver, we come to the second of the Loire's major wine-making areas, centred on the city of Angers. Here the Chenin Blanc grape is king, but Cabernet Franc and some Cabernet Sauvignon are used to make Cabernet d'Anjou. What kind of wine is Cabernet d'Anjou? Hint

Rosé wine

Sparkling wine

Sweet white wine

Red wine

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Question 4 of 10

4. Further upriver, the Saumur area produces a wide variety of wines. Saumur AOC can be white, red or sparkling, but a relatively recent (1957) appellation, Saumur-Champigny is more specific. What type of wine is it? Hint

Rosé wine

Red wine

Sparkling white wine

Dessert wine

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Question 5 of 10

5. The next region heading upriver is Touraine, with the city of Tours at its heart. A dry red wine, Bourgeuil, is made here and is highly regarded, especially for its keeping qualities, but its production area is relatively small. Approximately how many hectares are used to make Bourgeuil? Hint

11000

3000

1400

650

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Question 6 of 10

6. Still in Touraine, but south of the Loire, on the banks of its tributary, the Vienne, is another small production area making AOC wines, which are mostly red, with a small (5%) amount of rosé, and tiny amounts of white. Centred around a small town of the same name, what is this area called? Hint

Chaume

Ancenis

Chinon

Aubance

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Question 7 of 10

7. Still in Touraine, but further east, we come to probably the best known wine of the region. Winemaking has been prominent here for centuries, because of the caves created by the excavation of tuffeau rock used to build the chāteaux of the Loire. Chenin Blanc is used exclusively to create fresh white wines. What is the name of this AOC area? Hint

Condrieu

Rully

Banyuls

Vouvray

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. Now we move to the Upper Loire, where the Sauvignon Blanc grape reigns supreme, growing on chalky soil. On the west bank of the river is an area where some light red wine is made, and a small amount of rosé, but it is for its dry, aromatic white wine that this area is best known, with its wine being in huge demand in the 70's and 80's especially. What is this wine area called? Hint

Monbazillac

Vouvray

Sancerre

Māconnais

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Question 9 of 10

9. True or False - Pouilly-Fuissé is a Loire wine?

True

False

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Question 10 of 10

10. Back to where we started - large amounts of Muscadet are described on the label as "Sur Lie". What does this mean? Hint

Left to mature on the yeast

Imported in bulk from Chile and bottled in Nantes

Grown on the banks of the River Lie, a tributary of the Loire

White wine made from red grapes

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Most Recent Scores

Dec 12 2024 : Linda_Arizona: 4/10
Dec 06 2024 : Guest 1: 2/10
Nov 20 2024 : Guest 177: 9/10
Nov 06 2024 : Dagny1: 10/10

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. More Muscadet is produced than any other wine on the Loire. Made near the mouth of the river, around the city of Nantes, which grape is used to make Muscadet?

Answer: Melon de Bourgogne

Muscadet is unusual in that, unlike other AOC wines, it is named neither after the area in which it is made, nor the grape variety from which it is made. It is considered by many to be the perfect partner for seafood, especially oysters. Pineau de la Loire is the local name for the Chenin Blanc grape.

2. Which of these wines is also produced in the Nantes area, or Pays Nantais?

Answer: Gros Plant

Sancerre and Bourgeuil both come from further up the Loire, whilst Entre-deux-Mers comes from Bordeaux.

Answer: Rosé wine

Fruity and more complex than most rosés, Cabernet d'Anjou has hints of strawberries and raspberries, roses and even a touch of pepper, betraying its Cabernet Franc origins.

Answer: Red wine

Saumur-Champigny is made almost exclusively from Cabernet Franc, although up to 10% Cabernet Sauvignon or Pineau d'Aunis (aka Cabernet Noir) is permitted. Only seven villages are involved in the production of this wine, with most of the production being centred on Saint-Cyr-en-Bourg.

Answer: 1400

Bourgeuil is a fine red wine, medium to full-bodied, and full of raspberry and forest fruit flavours. Matured for up to 18 months in oak barrels, it has the potential to keep in bottle for 20 years.

Answer: Chinon

Once again, the red and rosé Chinon wines are made principally from Cabernet Franc, with up to 10% of Cabernet Sauvignon being permitted. The structure of the wine depends where on the grapes are grown, with those from the steep hillsides separating the Vienne from the Loire being more powerful and tannic.

Answer: Vouvray

Condrieu comes from the Rhōne valley, Banyuls is made where the Pyrénées meet the Mediterranean, and Rully is in Burgundy.

Answer: Sancerre

Vouvray lies much further west on the Loire, Māconnais is in Burgundy, and Monbazillac is in Bordeaux.

9. True or False - Pouilly-Fuissé is a Loire wine?

Answer: False

Confusion occasionally reigns - Pouilly-Fuissé comes from the Māconnais region of Burgundy. The Loire wine we are looking for is called Pouilly-Fumé.

10. Back to where we started - large amounts of Muscadet are described on the label as "Sur Lie". What does this mean?

Answer: Left to mature on the yeast

Leaving the wine to mature on its yeast, or lees, for up to 18 months gives Muscadet more depth and a little natural sparkle. I can taste the oysters now as I sip a delightfully sharp Muscadet de Sčvre-et-Maine sur Lie.

Source: Author Bazzoomer

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor WesleyCrusher before going online.
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