Wine is confusing.
And one of the reasons is that many countries and regions produce wine with labels that don’t tell you what sort of wine is actually in the bottle.
For example, there might be a picture of a castle on the label. Or a stag. Or a river. And very little else.
Need to gen up? Then take this corking quiz and discover where your wine weak spots are. We’ve mixed up 26 grapes and wine-growing villages and areas in the list below. Do you know which is which? The answers are all at the bottom.
WHICH ARE GRAPES? AND WHICH ARE PLACES FAMOUS FOR MAKING WINE?
Wine is confusing. And one of the reasons is that many countries and regions produce wine with labels that don’t tell you what sort of wine is actually in the bottle
1. Margaux. Will you make a pour decision for the opening question?
2. Barolo. Often leaves drinkers on cloud wine.
3. Chablis. One of the world’s favourite wines. But is it a grape?
4. Chardonnay. A classic. But is it a village?
5. Chenin Blanc. If you drink wine, you’ve probably had Chenin Blanc.
6. Merlot. A staple of any wine list.
7. Champagne. Are you fizzing with wine knowledge? If so, you’ll know this.
8. Montalcino. Can you visit it? Or grow it?
9. Montepulciano. Sip happens.
10. Beaune. Bone of contention?
11. Maconnais. Will you find it on a map?
12. Saint-Emilion. Is this the wine that you want?
13. Zinfandel. It’s wine in a million for some.
14. Albarino. This leaves some feeling vine and dandy.
15. Malbec. A go-to for millions of wine drinkers.
16. Sancerre. A vine-derful wine. But can you stroll around Sancerre?
17. Riesling. Associated with aromas of petrol.
18. Rioja. Can you uncork the answer for this one?
19. Tempranillo. Could easily be a village. Or could it?
20. Syrah. Are you grapeful for this quiz?
21. Vinho Verde. We’re just trying to help you uncork your potential.
22. Semillon. Is it a grape? A place? A novel by Tolkien?
23. Viognier. Sounds posh.
24. Gewurztraminer. Whatever it is, it’s Germanic. The rest is up to you.
25. Pommard. Would you grapefully accept the answer for this one?
26. Vosne-Romanée. With a name like that, bound to be yum.
Many wine bottles give very little away and often simply contain a pretty picture
THE ANSWERS
1. Margaux – French village 25km north of Bordeaux. Also a wine-growing appellation [essentially a wine region].
2. Barolo – a region of Piedmont, Italy. Often mistaken for a grape.
3. Chablis – it’s a village in Burgundy, France, and a wine-growing region. Very often mistaken for a grape.
4. Chardonnay – grape. And place. A trick question. Chardonnay is not only a grape variety, but also a village in Burgundy within the Mâcon-Chardonnay appellation. The Chablis region, incidentally, usually uses Chardonnay grapes to make its white wine. So, if you say you dislike Chardonnay but like Chablis, you’re not making much sense.
5. Chenin Blanc – grape.
6. Merlot – grape.
7. Champagne – a wine-growing region in Eastern France. Famous for its fizz.
8. Montalcino – town in Tuscany, Italy.
9. Montepulciano – grape. (There is also a town in Tuscany by that name, but the two are not connected and the grape is not cultivated around it. Told you wine is confusing.)
10. Beaune – town in the Burgundy region.
11. Maconnais – wine-growing region in Burgundy.
12. Saint-Emilion – village in Bordeaux, France.
13. Zinfandel – grape.
14. Albarino – grape.
15. Malbec – grape.
16. Sancerre – French village. And known around the world for its aromatic white wine.
The beautiful wine-making village of Sancerre in the Loire Valley
17. Riesling – grape. Often grown in the Alsace region of France and Germany.
18. Rioja – wine region in Spain. Commonly mistaken for a grape.
19. Tempranillo – grape.
20. Syrah – grape.
21. Vinho Verde – wine-growing region in Portugal.
22. Semillon – grape.
23. Viognier – grape.
24. Gewurztraminer – grape.
25. Pommard – French village in Burgundy. There is also Chateau de Pommard, an 18th-century wine-growing estate.
26. Vosne-Romanée – a village and wine-growing area in France that produces some of the world’s most expensive pinot noir wines (made using pinot noir grapes, that is).
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