It is Wednesday again and after a week hiatus two weeks ago, we returned to the Weekly Wine Quiz with a few questions about the Loire Valley. Before we get to this week’s quiz, here are the answers to last week:

1. Which of the following villages does not belong? Why not?

a. Menetou-Salon
b. Pouilly-Fumé
c. Quincy
d. Saint Bris

D. Saint Bris. All four of the regions listed above produce a Sauvignon Blanc, but Saint Bris is an oddity in Burgundy (which is Chardonnay country), not the Loire Valley.

2. Which of the following literary/historical figures is not associated with the Loire Valley?

a. Joan of Arc
b. Henri Matisse
c. François Rabelais
d. Leonardo da Vinci

B. Henri Matisse. Henri Matisse spent some time in the South of France, but not the Loire Valley. Joan of Arc was all around the Loire, while Rabelais was centered in Chinon and Leonardo in Amboise.

3. How many AOCs (official wine region designations) are there in the Loire Valley?

a. 47
b. 58
c. 69
d. 71

B. 69. This was a more difficult question than I thought it would be. There seems to be some dispute, but most of my sources indicate that there are currently 69 AOCs.

4. All of the following Loire Valley châteaux have an AOC that includes its name except one–which one is it?

a. Blois
b. Chenonceaux
c. Cheverny
d. Saumur

A. Blois. There is plenty of wine around Blois, but there is no AOC that incorporates “Blois” into the name.

That means we have several winners from last week: Damon Levy, Foxress, my buddy Frank Di Michale. and the Armchair Sommelier.  Honorable mention to Talk-a-Vino.

Let’s move onto the new quiz. We will continue our Tour de France with a visit to the Bordeaux Satellites. Bordeaux dominates the Southwest area of France and is the largest region by volume in the country. As its prestige has grown, so has the price of many of the more well-known wines of the region. Just beyond Bordeaux, there are many smaller, less well known appellations that many consider a bargain. While the quality might not reach the heights of Bordeaux, you might actually be able to afford dinner to accompany the wines. There is some confusion in the literature as to what actually constitutes a “satellite” of Bordeaux. While many consider the lesser known appellations within Bordeaux (such as Côtes de Blaye, Côtes de Bourg, Fronsac, etc.) as satellites, others focus on those appellations outside of but adjacent to Bordeaux as the “true” satellites. I will be adopting the latter definition as we spent some time there last year, and well, it is my quiz.

1. Which of the following is not considered a Bordeaux Satellite?

a. Bergerac
b. Cahors
C. Montravel
d. Saussignac

2. Three of the following regions produce red wines, while one only produces whites. Choose the white only appellation.

a. Bergerac
b. Côtes de Duras
b. Pécharment
c. Rosette

3. True or False? The town of Bergerac lies completely within the Pécharmant AOC.

4. Which of the following Bordeaux grapes is not generally a part of the blends in Bergerac?

a. Cabernet Franc
b. Cabernet Sauvignon
c. Merlot
d. Petit Verdot

My boys and I paddling down the Dordogne River, not far from the vines….

So that is it for this week! Best of luck–answers next week.