Where's My Wine From? Trivia Quiz

Ninety percent of the wine produced in Alsace is white wine - riesling and gewürztraminer are the predominant grapes. Unlike many German rieslings, Alsatian wines tend to be drier with some floral and peach notes. There are three AOCs (Appellation d'Origine Controlée) in Alsace, the Alsace AOC which predominantly produces still white wines, the Crémant d'Alsace which creates sparkling white and rosé wines, and Alsace Grand Cru for specialty wines. Per AOC laws, 100% of the grapes used in a vintage are of the same varietal. Red and rosé wines from Alsace are made from pinot noir grapes.

The capital of the Alsace region is Strasbourg. The wine producing region lies in a valley to the west of the Rhine. Divided into high and low (Haut-Rhin and Bas-Rhin) areas, the more southerly Haut-Rhin portion produces the most highly prized wines. The Wine Route of Alsace is a 170 kilometer (110 miles) road through the wine country, passing the fairy-tale half-timbered homes and vineyards.

Player pusdoc dreams of a trip down the Wine Route of Alsace.

The Beaujolais wine region of France is situated towards the east, sitting above Lyon and abuts both Burgundy and The Rhone regions, but produces wines that are different in character to both. Its name is derived from the town of Beaujeu, a commune in the Rhone, but the Beaujolais region is considered to be part of Burgundy rather than the Rhone. Viniculture in the region dates back to the Romans. The land is granite, schist, clay and sandstone and there are plenty of hillsides for the vines.

The Gamay grape is the most widely grown, producing red wines that are best drunk whilst young. The Dukes of Burgundy looked down on the Gamay, preferring the more 'elegant' pinot noir, and outlawed it, causing the vines to be planted further south from Burgundy, effectively creating the Beaujolais region.

The popular Beaujolais Nouveau originates here. Traditionally the 'vin de primeur', a wine with a very short fermentation period, is released for sale on the first Thursday in November. In the 1960s a race to bring the newly released vintage from France to England was initiated and gained a large amount of media attention. Nowadays the wine is shipped globally following its release.

Red Crew's smpdit recalls her parents taking part in the Beaujolais Nouveau shenanigans as a child.

The Bordeaux region lies just off the Atlantic Ocean in western France, specifically surrounding the Gironde Estuary and department of Aquitaine. The Romans were first to grow grapes for wine in the Bordeaux region. Pliny the Elder is credited with the first vineyard in Bordeaux. In the 12th century, when King Henry II married Eleanor of Aquitaine, Bordeaux wine was exported and used in trade. The rest, as they say, is history.

The estuary naturally divides the Bordeaux region into "left" and "right" banks. The banks are further subdivided into regions, and for the most part have their own appellation. They are recognized by the Appellation d'origine controlee (AOC). The AOC regulates things such as the specific grape, alcohol content, yields and techniques used to make the wine. The seven regional AOCs of classic Bordeaux appellations are Bordeaux Rouge AOC, Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge, Bordeaux Clairet, Bordeaux Rosé, Bordeaux Blanc, Bordeaux Supérieur Blanc, and Crémant de Bordeaux. Although there are seven regional AOCs, there are over 50 AOCs within the smaller regions.

Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are the main varieties of grapes used in the Bordeaux reds. 90% of the wine produced in the Bordeaux region is red, but for white wines, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon are the main variety of grapes used.

Jaknginger of Phoenix Rising is not one to pass on a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon.

The viticulture area of Champagne in Northeast France comprises the five wine regions of Aube, Cote des Blancs, Cote de Sezanne, Montagne de Reims and Vallee de la Marne. These regions were renowned during the Middle Ages for the production of quality wines, and this was upheld when they began producing sparkling wine.

Initially both red and white still wines were produced in the region, but upon unfavourable comparison with the red wines from Burgundy, the Champagne region concentrated mostly on white wines. Early white wines produced from the Pinot Noir grape, the most widely-grown grape in the region, were pale pink in colour. During the colder winters, fermentation of the bottled wine stopped, but restarted once the weather warmed up. This second fermentation caused bubbles to form, which, up until the 17th century was considered a fault. It wasn't until the 17th century that the popularity of the sparkling wine grew so that wine producers tried to deliberately keep the wines bubbly. It wasn't until the 19th century that they were able to control the fermentation process to create a standardised sparkling wine and to strengthen the bottles enough to withstand the pressure.

The name "Champagne" when referring to the sparkling wine, became legally protected under the Treaty of Madrid in 1891 and covers any wines produced and bottled within the Champagne terroir and complying with the Appellation d'Origine Controlee (AOC).

Phoenix Rising's leith90 wonders how she can afford genuine champagne on a beer budget.

The Saone, a tributary of the Rhone, provides the slopes in the eastern region of France known as Burgundy, that are a great environment for growing grapes. Pinot noir and chardonnay varieties are commonly known as 'burgundies', the former being used to create the characteristic red wines of the region, though white Burgundies should not be lightly dismissed.

Home to the highest number of 'appellations d'origine controlee' (AOCs), the wines produced here are subject to strict rules enabling them to be sold as 'Burgundies.' Spread between Auxerre in the north and running down to Macon in the south the argilo limestone soil provides good conditions along with a favourable climate for the grape production.

The area around Auxerre is known for its production of chardonnay grapes, giving rise to the white wine known as Chablis. Travel a little south and you will reach the Cote d'Or and arrive at the heart of the Grand Cru vineyards, which produces the famous and expensive Burgundy wines.

Red Crew's smpdit had a very happy holiday in Burgundy, traveling the wine trails and sampling many different examples. Thank you Bonjour Roger!

The Loire Valley follows the middle section of the Loire, France's longest river. Situated south of Paris, the Loire Valley has the nickname of "The Garden of France" because of the geographic and climatic conditions which support a profusion of vineyards and orchards. The region is also home to an abundance of chateaux of varying architecture and which were built as castle fortifications, circa 10th century. Part of this valley was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000.

The Loire Valley has long been well-known and respected for its wines from as far back as the 1st century. Varieties of white grapes such as the Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc account for the majority of wines produced. These range from still wine through to sparkling, rose and dessert wines. The Sauvignon Blanc grapes are grown in the upper reaches of the Loire while the Chenin Blanc is in the Middle Loire. Toward the mouth of the river at the Atlantic are vineyards of Melon de Bourgogne grapes which are used mainly in Muscadet wines.

Phoenix Rising's leith90 had to sample a Loire Valley wine during the writing of this question, just for research purposes.

The Languedoc-Roussillon region formerly produced cheap, jug wine but more recent attention has been focused on creating fruit-forward red blends. Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Mourvedre are the predominant grapes used. The sparkling wine from this region, Cremant de Limoux, is thought to predate the creation of champagne. A sweet wine from Languedoc-Roussillon is known as maury - it is a fortified wine, predominantly from grenache, and it is said to pair well with chocolate mousse cake or blue cheese. Thirty-six percent of all French organic wine is produced in the Languedoc - presumably because the strong winds and climate provide natural protection to the vineyards. The region now produces more rosé than Provence. Winemaking in this region dates back to the 5th century BC when the Greeks brought grape vines to the area.

About 90% of the area designated as the wine region is Languedoc, with Roussillon contributing the other 10%. It stretches from the departments of Gard in the north to the Aude in the south. It was part of the area referred to as the Occitanie, which also is the source of the name Languedoc - in the Occitan spoken there, the word "yes" was "oc" - hence the "tongue of oc" or Languedoc. Over 740,000 acres of vineyards dot the landscape, which contains clay and limestone soils contributing to the terroir of the wines.

Player pusdoc hopes to see Carcassone and sip some wines of Languedoc some day.

The Rhone Valley in southeast France is approximately 150 miles following north to south from Lyon to the Mediterranean coast. The area is divided into two regions, Northern Rhone and Southern Rhone. The Northern Rhone region has less temperate climates than the Southern Region which changes the production and flavor of the grapes. There are at least 30 appellations designated by AOCs. Côtes du Rhône, translated to "hillsides of the Rhone", is the all-encompassing AOC covering the wines of the Rhone Valley.

History shows a verified DNA typing of the Syrah grapes belonging to the Northern Region. The vines are thought to date back to 600 BC. For the red wines in this region to be designated by the AOC, it must have Syrah grapes. Most wines from this region are red, but there are white varieties produced from Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne grapes.

The Southern Rhone is divided into "Left" and "Right" Bank regions; Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the most famous red blend from this region.

jaknginger of Phoenix Rising's Red Crew added this question to the team quiz.

The Provence wine region of France is centred around the coastal region of Marseille extending inland to the foot of the Alps. The area has been growing grapes for wine since the Phoenicians landed in Marseille 2600 years ago. The area receives over 3000 hours of sunlight every year, twice as much as the amount needed for grapes to ripen. The soils in the area are variable leading to a variety of grapes and hence wine produced.

Provence has nine wine appellations with Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) status. Over half the grapes grown in the region are used in the production of rosé. About a third is red wine, usually from a blend of grapes and only a small amount of white wine, nearly all of it being produced in the Cassis AOC where the soil is predominantly, and unusually for the area, limestone.

Question written by Phoenix Rising's 1nn1.

Geographically, the Sud Ouest (South West) wine region is based around the upstream regions surrounding the Dordogne and Garonne rivers (which also flow through the Bordeaux wine region). In South West France it is rare to see wines being sold as 'Vins du Sud-Ouest'. Instead, the smaller areas have individual appellations, and as such, market their wines under their own smaller appellations. The brandy-producing region Armagnac is situated within South West France, and is a large export earner.

Malbec is used in making red wine. The grapes are an inky dark colour. They are one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. In France, plantations of Malbec are now found nearly always in Cahors in South West France. The grape was introduced into Argentina in 1868 where Malbec became very popular. From Argentina, it was introduced to other areas of the Americas including Chile, Washington State and Virginia.

Question written by Phoenix Rising's 1nn1