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Bordeaux quiz: 15 Level 1 sommelier questions

Fifteen Level 1 questions on Bordeaux: the two banks, the grapes, Sauternes, the 1855 Classification and Saint-Émilion's ranking. Each comes with the answer and why.

Updated October 2026

Rewritten by Alper Billik, Advanced Sommelier

4 min read

Bordeaux comes up again and again at Level 1, because so much of the wine world is built on it: the grapes, the blends, the classifications. These 15 questions test what a Level 1 (Introductory) candidate should know. They are practice questions, not real exam questions.

  • Answer all 15 first, then open the answers one by one.
  • 12 or more: solid. 9–11: a pass, with gaps to close. Under 9: start again with the two banks and their grapes.

Rivers, climate and soils

Question 1

Which two rivers meet to form the Gironde estuary?

  1. a)Garonne and Dordogne
  2. b)Loire and Cher
  3. c)Rhône and Saône
  4. d)Garonne and Lot
Show answer

a) Garonne and Dordogne. The Left Bank lies west of the Garonne and the Gironde; the Right Bank lies east of the Dordogne.

Question 2

What shapes Bordeaux's climate most?

  1. a)The Mediterranean Sea
  2. b)The Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf Stream
  3. c)The Alps
  4. d)Hot winds from Spain
Show answer

b) The Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf Stream. A mild, maritime climate: warm enough to ripen the grapes, damp and changeable enough to make every vintage different.

Question 3

Which soil dominates the best Left Bank vineyards, and which grape thrives there?

  1. a)Clay, Merlot
  2. b)Gravel, Cabernet Sauvignon
  3. c)Chalk, Chardonnay
  4. d)Sand, Petit Verdot
Show answer

b) Gravel, Cabernet Sauvignon. Gravel drains well and holds the day's warmth, which helps late-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon.

Question 4

Which soils mark the Right Bank, and which grape leads there?

  1. a)Gravel, Cabernet Sauvignon
  2. b)Clay and limestone, Merlot
  3. c)Slate, Riesling
  4. d)Granite, Syrah
Show answer

b) Clay and limestone, Merlot. Cool clay suits Merlot, which ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Franc is its usual partner.

Grapes and styles

Question 5

Saint-Émilion reds are mostly made from:

  1. a)Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot
  2. b)Merlot and Cabernet Franc
  3. c)Malbec and Carménère
  4. d)Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc
Show answer

b) Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Merlot leads; Cabernet Franc adds freshness and perfume.

Question 6

What are the main white grapes of Bordeaux?

  1. a)Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon
  2. b)Chardonnay and Viognier
  3. c)Chenin Blanc and Melon
  4. d)Riesling and Muscat
Show answer

a) Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Muscadelle is the third. Together they make the dry whites, such as Pessac-Léognan and Entre-Deux-Mers, and the sweet wines of Sauternes.

Question 7

Sauternes and Barsac are famous for:

  1. a)Powerful reds
  2. b)Sweet white wines
  3. c)Sparkling wines
  4. d)Rosé
Show answer

b) Sweet white wines. Mostly Sémillon, with Sauvignon Blanc, from grapes shrivelled by noble rot.

Question 8

What helps noble rot form in Sauternes?

  1. a)Hard frosts in October
  2. b)Morning mists from the cool Ciron river, then warm, sunny afternoons
  3. c)Constant heavy rain
  4. d)High-altitude vineyards
Show answer

b) Morning mists from the cool Ciron river, then warm, sunny afternoons. The mist lets Botrytis cinerea grow; the afternoon sun dries the grapes so it doesn't turn into grey rot.

Question 9

How much wine does a Bordeaux barrique hold?

  1. a)75 litres
  2. b)225 litres
  3. c)500 litres
  4. d)1,000 litres
Show answer

b) 225 litres. That is about 300 bottles. A small barrel gives more oak flavour per litre than a big cask.

Classifications

Question 10

How many classes (growths) does the 1855 Classification of red wines have?

  1. a)Three
  2. b)Five
  3. c)Seven
  4. d)Ten
Show answer

b) Five. From First Growth (Premier Cru) down to Fifth Growth (Cinquième Cru). All but one of the châteaux are in the Médoc; the exception is Haut-Brion, in Graves.

Question 11

Which château was promoted to First Growth in 1973?

  1. a)Pichon Longueville
  2. b)Mouton Rothschild
  3. c)Léoville Las Cases
  4. d)Ducru-Beaucaillou
Show answer

b) Mouton Rothschild. The most famous change to the 1855 ranking. Mouton had been a Second Growth.

Question 12

Château Latour is in which commune, with which rank?

  1. a)Margaux, Second Growth
  2. b)Pauillac, First Growth
  3. c)Saint-Julien, Third Growth
  4. d)Saint-Estèphe, Fourth Growth
Show answer

b) Pauillac, First Growth. Pauillac has three First Growths: Lafite Rothschild, Latour and Mouton Rothschild.

Question 13

Which Saint-Estèphe château was not classified in 1855?

  1. a)Cos d'Estournel
  2. b)Montrose
  3. c)Calon-Ségur
  4. d)Phélan Ségur
Show answer

d) Phélan Ségur. Cos d'Estournel and Montrose are Second Growths and Calon-Ségur a Third. Phélan Ségur is not in the 1855 list.

Question 14

Which of these appellations has no official classification?

  1. a)Médoc
  2. b)Saint-Émilion
  3. c)Pomerol
  4. d)Graves
Show answer

c) Pomerol. Pomerol's great names, Petrus among them, carry no official rank. The Médoc was classified in 1855, Graves in the 1950s, and Saint-Émilion has its own regularly revised ranking.

Question 15

In the 2022 Saint-Émilion classification, which château joined Pavie in the top rank, Premier Grand Cru Classé A?

  1. a)Figeac
  2. b)Canon
  3. c)Valandraud
  4. d)Troplong Mondot
Show answer

a) Figeac. Ausone, Cheval Blanc and Angélus had left the classification before it was drawn up, so only two châteaux hold the A rank.

What to study next

If the banks and grapes tripped you up, read Bordeaux for Level 1. If it was the rankings, see the 1855 Classification. Then take the full Level 1 practice test for every region at once.

My advice: draw the map. Two rivers, one estuary, the Médoc on the left, Saint-Émilion and Pomerol on the right. Once you can see it, most Bordeaux questions answer themselves.

Practise with SOMM DIGI AILevel 1 practice test

Questions people ask

What is the difference between the Left Bank and the Right Bank?

The Left Bank (Médoc, Graves) is west of the Garonne and Gironde, on gravel, and led by Cabernet Sauvignon. The Right Bank (Saint-Émilion, Pomerol) is east of the Dordogne, on clay and limestone, and led by Merlot.

What are the red grapes of Bordeaux?

Mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with smaller amounts of Petit Verdot, Malbec and Carménère.

Which are the First Growths of Bordeaux?

Lafite Rothschild, Latour, Margaux, Haut-Brion and, since 1973, Mouton Rothschild.

Does the 1855 Classification ever change?

Almost never: Mouton Rothschild's promotion in 1973 is the famous exception. Saint-Émilion's classification, by contrast, is revised from time to time; the latest is from 2022.

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