1. Introduction to France Flashcards
(37 cards)
What is the historical timeline of wine cultivation in France, including its origins and influences from other cultures?
France has a long history of wine with large-scale vine growing being practiced in the period
of Roman Gaul.
Preceded by planting of wines in the Greek colony, today called Marseille,
and by wines having been brought in from Italy.
Initially, vines were only planted in the south
of France, e.g. in the first century CE in the Rhône valley and probably near to Bordeaux
with its easy access to the sea for trading. True or False
True
When did the major expansion of vineyards happen?
under Charlemagne (crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 800 CE) and then the period of the
monasteries after 1,000 CE.
When did the major export markets establish for France?
In the Middle Ages
What countries were the first that shaped the first export markets for France?
England, Scotland, Flanders and Holland
Why were England, Scotland, Flanders and Holland the first major export markets of France?
because major rivers and the sea facilitated the movement of wine
Why were there vineyards near Paris?
Because of the difficulty of transporting wine overland
What are the vineyard areas near Paris?
Auxerre /o.se.q/
Chablis
and the vineyards of the Loire River
What centuries witnessed huge expansion of exported wines especially from Bordeaux?
The 17th to 19th Centuries
The 17th to 19th centuries saw a huge expansion of exported wine, especially from Bordeaux, eventually leading to…
the classification of 1855
What major development in Bordeaux happened in the 17th century?
The draining of the marshes in the Médoc by
Dutch engineers in the 17th century
What was the output of The draining of the marshes in the Médoc?
This providing extensive land suitable for viticulture due to the fast-draining gravelly soils revealed by this work.
Ports close to Bordeaux became the
key trading channel for wine destined for the north of Europe and Paris.
What were the challenges that Bordeaux started to face in the second half of 19th century?
powdery mildew
downy mildew
black rot
phylloxera
When did the Bordeaux wine industry recovered from the challenges that they started to face in the second half of the 19th century?
only fully recovered in the early 20th century
What was the effect of EU vine pull scheme?
France reduced its land under vine considerably
The total area under vine including for table grapes and brandy fell by —– between 1970 and the early 2010s
one third
The latitude of the grape growing France regions ranges…
from 42 to 40 N
What is the exception in France vineyard management regime?
the continued use of bush vines in parts of the south of France
What is the common vineyard management system in France?
French vineyards are planted at high density with vines trained on trellises
What are the common training systems in France?
The vines often trained with the cane replacement pruned Guyot system with vertical shoot positioning (VSP)
—- percent of all vineyard area in France is certified organic.
10% and it increased fourfold in the decade to 2017
France’s grape varieties are strongly associated with its —–
individual wine regions
What are the top ten grape varieties in Bordeaux?
Merlot
Ugni Blanc
Grenache Noir
Syrah
Chardonnay
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Franc
Carignan
Pinot Noir
Sauvignon Blanc
Chaptalisation reduced in France due to
Better canopy management
Warmer climate
