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Alsace quiz: 15 Level 1 sommelier questions

Fifteen questions on Alsace at Level 1: climate, grapes, Grand Crus, Vendanges Tardives and Crémant. Each comes with the answer and a short explanation.

Updated October 2026

Rewritten by Alper Billik, Advanced Sommelier

5 min read

Alsace is a gift for exam writers: one region, a short list of grapes, three appellations and a few label words you simply have to know. These 15 questions cover what a Level 1 (Introductory) candidate should be able to answer. They are practice questions, not real exam questions.

  • Answer all 15 first, on paper. Then open the answers.
  • 12 or more: you know Alsace well. 9–11: a pass, with gaps to close. Under 9: go back to the grapes and the appellations.

Climate and place

Question 1

What do the Vosges mountains do for the Alsace vineyards?

  1. a)They bring Atlantic rain to the vines
  2. b)They shelter them from westerly wind and rain
  3. c)They block the morning sun
  4. d)They make the climate more maritime
Show answer

b) They shelter them from westerly wind and rain. The Vosges hold back the oceanic influence, so Alsace is sunny and dry for such a northern region: the wine council gives an average of 600–650 mm of rain a year.

Question 2

Which river runs along the eastern side of Alsace, on the border with Germany?

  1. a)The Rhône
  2. b)The Rhine
  3. c)The Loire
  4. d)The Moselle
Show answer

b) The Rhine. The vineyards lie between the Vosges foothills to the west and the Rhine plain to the east.

Question 3

Alsace's vineyards are split between which two départements?

  1. a)Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin
  2. b)Marne and Aube
  3. c)Côte-d'Or and Yonne
  4. d)Gironde and Dordogne
Show answer

a) Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin. Bas-Rhin is the northern half, around Strasbourg; Haut-Rhin the southern half, around Colmar. Marne and Aube are Champagne.

Question 4

Where are most of Alsace's best vineyards?

  1. a)On the flat Rhine plain
  2. b)On the lower slopes of the Vosges foothills
  3. c)On islands in the Rhine
  4. d)High in the Vosges forests
Show answer

b) On the lower slopes of the Vosges foothills. Slopes drain well and catch more sun than the plain.

Question 5

Which statement about Alsace soils is true?

  1. a)They are all limestone
  2. b)They are all granite
  3. c)They are very varied: granite, limestone, sandstone, marl, schist and even volcanic rock
  4. d)They are all clay
Show answer

c) They are very varied: granite, limestone, sandstone, marl, schist and even volcanic rock. That variety is a big part of why the 51 Grand Crus taste so different from one another.

Grapes

Question 6

Which is the only red grape of AOC Alsace?

  1. a)Pinot Noir
  2. b)Gamay
  3. c)Merlot
  4. d)Syrah
Show answer

a) Pinot Noir. Alsace makes its red and rosé wines from Pinot Noir. All the other grapes make white wine.

Question 7

Which grape is famous in Alsace for lychee, rose and spice aromas?

  1. a)Sylvaner
  2. b)Gewurztraminer
  3. c)Pinot Blanc
  4. d)Riesling
Show answer

b) Gewurztraminer. “Gewürz” is German for spice. In Alsace it is written without the umlaut: Gewurztraminer.

Question 8

Which four grapes are the classic Alsace Grand Cru varieties?

  1. a)Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat
  2. b)Riesling, Sylvaner, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay
  3. c)Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, Chasselas
  4. d)Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Muscat
Show answer

a) Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat. There are exceptions: Sylvaner is allowed in the Zotzenberg Grand Cru, and since 2022 a few Grand Crus may also make red wine from Pinot Noir.

Question 9

A label says “Edelzwicker”. What is in the bottle?

  1. a)A single-vineyard Riesling
  2. b)A blend of white grapes
  3. c)A sweet late-harvest wine
  4. d)A sparkling wine
Show answer

b) A blend of white grapes. Most Alsace wines carry the name of one grape. A blend of several is sometimes called Edelzwicker.

Question 10

Which grape is allowed in Crémant d'Alsace but not in still AOC Alsace?

  1. a)Riesling
  2. b)Pinot Blanc
  3. c)Chardonnay
  4. d)Pinot Gris
Show answer

c) Chardonnay. Chardonnay is not on the list for still Alsace wine. In Crémant it adds finesse.

Appellations and labels

Question 11

How many Alsace Grand Crus are there?

  1. a)17
  2. b)33
  3. c)51
  4. d)88
Show answer

c) 51. 51 named sites, classified between 1975 and 2007. Since 2011 each one is its own appellation. (17 is the number of Grand Cru villages in Champagne.)

Question 12

Which bottle must AOC Alsace wines be sold in?

  1. a)The Burgundy bottle
  2. b)The tall, slim flûte d'Alsace
  3. c)The Bordeaux bottle
  4. d)Any bottle the producer chooses
Show answer

b) The tall, slim flûte d'Alsace. The flûte is the rule, and since 1972 Alsace wines must also be bottled in the region where they are made.

Question 13

What is Crémant d'Alsace?

  1. a)A sweet wine from botrytised grapes
  2. b)A traditional-method sparkling wine
  3. c)A light red from Pinot Noir
  4. d)An oak-aged white
Show answer

b) A traditional-method sparkling wine. The second fermentation happens in the bottle, as in Champagne. Pinot Blanc is the main grape; a rosé Crémant must be Pinot Noir only.

Sweet wines

Question 14

What does Vendanges Tardives mean on an Alsace label?

  1. a)Old vines
  2. b)Late harvest
  3. c)Aged in oak
  4. d)First pressing
Show answer

b) Late harvest. Grapes picked late and very ripe give rich, usually sweet wines. Only Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris and Muscat may use the term.

Question 15

Sélection de Grains Nobles is made from grapes that are:

  1. a)Frozen on the vine
  2. b)Affected by noble rot (botrytis)
  3. c)Dried on straw mats
  4. d)From the oldest vines
Show answer

b) Affected by noble rot (botrytis). SGN is richer and rarer than Vendanges Tardives. Both terms have been regulated since 1984.

What to study next

Missed a few? Learn the three appellations, the four Grand Cru grapes and the two sweet-wine terms; that alone answers most Level 1 questions on Alsace. Then test yourself across every region with the Level 1 practice test, or read the full Alsace guide for Level 1.

For more questions on any region, SOMM DIGI AI has 3,000+ exam-prep questions, free to start.

Practise with SOMM DIGI AILevel 1 practice test

Questions people ask

What are the three Alsace appellations?

AOC Alsace (1962), Alsace Grand Cru (51 named sites) and Crémant d'Alsace (1976) for sparkling wine. Since 2011, village and lieu-dit names can also be added to AOC Alsace.

Why do Alsace labels show the grape?

Unlike most French regions, Alsace usually names the grape on the label when the wine is made from a single variety. Blends are sometimes labelled Edelzwicker.

Is Alsace wine sweet?

It can be dry or sweet, and the label does not always tell you. Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles are sweet; for the rest, ask the producer or the sommelier.

What grapes grow in Alsace?

Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat, Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, Sylvaner, Chasselas and Savagnin Rose for whites, and Pinot Noir for reds and rosés. Chardonnay is used only in Crémant.

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