Level 3 wine exam practice · Learning outcome 2
Rhône and the South of France: practice questions
30 original multiple-choice questions on this chapter, each with an explanation. Five are below; the rest, plus timed mocks and written-answer drills with mark schemes, are in the app.
Sample questions
Why are many of the best Northern Rhône vineyards planted on steep terraced slopes above the river?
- In a moderate continental climate the steep, often granite slopes maximise sun exposure and drainage, and terraces make them workable
- The flat land by the river is reserved by law for white grapes
- Terraces are needed to trap rainwater in a desert climate
- The slopes are the only land not flooded each spring
Answer: In a moderate continental climate the steep, often granite slopes maximise sun exposure and drainage, and terraces make them workable. Syrah needs every hour of sun this far north, and the south- and south-east-facing slopes of Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage catch it while shedding rain. The cost is that everything must be done by hand on terraces, which is one reason these wines are expensive and the flatter Crozes-Hermitage land is cheaper.
A mature Châteauneuf-du-Pape has thrown a heavy sediment. What should the sommelier do before serving it?
- Stand the bottle upright in advance, then decant carefully off the sediment and serve at room temperature
- Chill it thoroughly so the sediment sinks faster
- Shake the bottle to mix the sediment back in
- Serve it in a flute to keep the sediment at the bottom
Answer: Stand the bottle upright in advance, then decant carefully off the sediment and serve at room temperature. Letting the bottle stand settles the deposit, and pouring slowly against a light into a decanter leaves it behind; a full-bodied red is then served at normal red-wine temperature. Chilling a mature Grenache blend would mute it, and shaking undoes the whole purpose.
A customer wants a full-bodied, warm-climate, Grenache-led red from near the Spanish border. Which appellation fits?
- Côtes du Roussillon Villages
- Côte-Rôtie
- Chinon
- Picpoul de Pinet
Answer: Côtes du Roussillon Villages. Roussillon, in the far south against the Pyrenees, is France's hottest, driest wine region, and its Villages appellation makes rich Grenache, Carignan, Syrah and Mourvèdre reds. Côte-Rôtie is Northern Rhône Syrah, Chinon is Loire Cabernet Franc, Picpoul is a white.
Which Northern Rhône appellation is for red wine only, made from Syrah alone with no white grapes permitted?
- Cornas
- Côte-Rôtie
- Hermitage
- Saint-Joseph
Answer: Cornas. Cornas allows nothing but Syrah, giving the Northern Rhône's darkest, most rustic reds. Côte-Rôtie may include a little Viognier, and Hermitage and Saint-Joseph may add Marsanne and Roussanne to their reds and also make white wines from them.
Which grape is the principal variety in the red wines of the Southern Rhône?
- Grenache
- Syrah
- Mourvèdre
- Carignan
Answer: Grenache. Grenache thrives in the hot, dry, windy south and anchors Côtes du Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas and Vacqueyras. Syrah and Mourvèdre are its usual blending partners, and Carignan plays a smaller role here than in the Languedoc.