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Champagne quiz: 15 Level 1 questions on the region

Fifteen Level 1 questions on Champagne's five areas, its grapes, the Grand Cru villages, chalk and the rules behind the bubbles. Each comes with the answer and a short why.

Updated October 2026

Rewritten by Alper Billik, Advanced Sommelier

4 min read

Champagne is one region with five very different areas, and exam questions love to test which grape grows where. These 15 questions follow the map from the Montagne de Reims down to the Côte des Bar, then cover the soil and the rules. They are written for Level 1 (Introductory) and are practice questions, not real exam questions.

  • Answer all 15 first, then open the answers.
  • 12 or more: you know your Champagne map. 9–11: a pass, with gaps. Under 9: learn the five areas and their main grape, then try again.

The five areas

Question 1

Which grape leads in the Montagne de Reims?

  1. a)Chardonnay
  2. b)Pinot Noir
  3. c)Meunier
  4. d)Pinot Blanc
Show answer

b) Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir gives body and red-fruit depth. Verzenay, Bouzy and Ambonnay are among its Grand Cru villages.

Question 2

Which of these villages is not a Grand Cru of the Montagne de Reims?

  1. a)Bouzy
  2. b)Verzenay
  3. c)Cramant
  4. d)Ambonnay
Show answer

c) Cramant. Cramant is a Grand Cru too, but in the Côte des Blancs, for Chardonnay.

Question 3

The Montagne de Reims is:

  1. a)A high Alpine mountain
  2. b)A low, wooded plateau between Reims and Épernay
  3. c)A river valley
  4. d)A chalk cliff on the coast
Show answer

b) A low, wooded plateau between Reims and Épernay. “Montagne” is generous: it is forested hill country, with vineyards on its slopes.

Question 4

Which grape is the Vallée de la Marne best known for?

  1. a)Chardonnay
  2. b)Pinot Noir
  3. c)Meunier
  4. d)Pinot Gris
Show answer

c) Meunier. Meunier gives fruity, supple wines. Closer to Épernay, around Aÿ, Pinot Noir takes over.

Question 5

Which Grand Cru village is in the Vallée de la Marne?

  1. a)Oger
  2. b)Aÿ
  3. c)Verzy
  4. d)Cramant
Show answer

b) Aÿ. Aÿ is a Pinot Noir village and the home of Bollinger. Oger and Cramant are in the Côte des Blancs; Verzy is in the Montagne de Reims.

Question 6

The Côte des Blancs is planted mainly with:

  1. a)Pinot Noir
  2. b)Meunier
  3. c)Chardonnay
  4. d)Pinot Blanc
Show answer

c) Chardonnay. Hence the name: the slope of white grapes, source of many Blanc de Blancs.

Question 7

Which of these is not a Grand Cru village of the Côte des Blancs?

  1. a)Cramant
  2. b)Avize
  3. c)Le Mesnil-sur-Oger
  4. d)Mailly-Champagne
Show answer

d) Mailly-Champagne. Mailly-Champagne is a Grand Cru for Pinot Noir, on the northern side of the Montagne de Reims.

Question 8

The Côte de Sézanne is a southern extension of which area, and which grape dominates?

  1. a)Côte des Blancs, Chardonnay
  2. b)Montagne de Reims, Pinot Noir
  3. c)Côte des Bar, Pinot Noir
  4. d)Vallée de la Marne, Meunier
Show answer

a) Côte des Blancs, Chardonnay. Its Chardonnay tends to be riper and softer than the Côte des Blancs'.

Question 9

The Côte des Bar, in the Aube département, is planted mostly with:

  1. a)Chardonnay
  2. b)Pinot Noir
  3. c)Meunier
  4. d)Arbane
Show answer

b) Pinot Noir. It lies far to the south of the other areas, closer to Burgundy than to Reims.

Question 10

The soils of the Côte des Bar are closest to those of:

  1. a)Bordeaux
  2. b)Chablis
  3. c)Beaujolais
  4. d)The Rhône Valley
Show answer

b) Chablis. Kimmeridgian marl, a limestone and clay soil, as in nearby Chablis. Most of the Marne vineyards sit on chalk instead.

Chalk, crus and rules

Question 11

Which soil lies under much of the Marne vineyards?

  1. a)Granite
  2. b)Chalk
  3. c)Volcanic basalt
  4. d)Gravel
Show answer

b) Chalk. Chalk drains well but holds water like a sponge, and many producers dig their cellars into it.

Question 12

How many Grand Cru villages does Champagne have?

  1. a)9
  2. b)17
  3. c)42
  4. d)51
Show answer

b) 17. There are 17 Grand Cru villages and 42 Premier Cru villages. Champagne ranks whole villages, not single vineyards. (51 is the number of Alsace Grand Crus.)

Question 13

A Champagne labelled Blanc de Noirs is made from:

  1. a)Chardonnay only
  2. b)Black grapes: Pinot Noir and/or Meunier
  3. c)A blend of red and white wine
  4. d)Grapes from one village only
Show answer

b) Black grapes: Pinot Noir and/or Meunier. White wine from black grapes: the juice is pressed off the skins gently, before it takes colour.

Question 14

How may rosé Champagne be made?

  1. a)By blending a little still red wine into the white
  2. b)By adding red grape juice after the second fermentation
  3. c)By ageing it in red-wine barrels
  4. d)By adding colouring
Show answer

a) By blending a little still red wine into the white. This is rosé d'assemblage. The other method is saignée: a short soak on the skins of black grapes.

Question 15

What is the minimum time between tirage and release for non-vintage Champagne?

  1. a)9 months
  2. b)12 months
  3. c)15 months
  4. d)36 months
Show answer

c) 15 months. At least 12 of those months on the lees. Vintage Champagne needs 36 months.

What to study next

For the full picture, read Champagne for Level 1, then the list of Grand Cru and Premier Cru villages. When you are ready for every region at once, take the Level 1 practice test.

A trick that works: link each area to one grape and one village. Montagne de Reims, Pinot Noir, Verzenay. Vallée de la Marne, Meunier, Aÿ for Pinot. Côte des Blancs, Chardonnay, Le Mesnil. Then the questions become easy.

Practise with SOMM DIGI AIChampagne for Level 1

Questions people ask

What are the main areas of Champagne?

The Montagne de Reims, the Vallée de la Marne, the Côte des Blancs, the Côte de Sézanne and the Côte des Bar in the Aube.

Which three grapes make most Champagne?

Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Meunier. A few others, such as Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris, are allowed but rarely used.

What does Grand Cru mean on a Champagne label?

All the grapes came from one or more of the 17 Grand Cru villages. It tells you the origin, not the style.

What is the difference between Blanc de Blancs and Blanc de Noirs?

Blanc de Blancs is made only from white grapes, usually Chardonnay. Blanc de Noirs is white Champagne made from black grapes, Pinot Noir and/or Meunier.

For sommeliers · next steps

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