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Alsace Flashcards

1
Q

When did France reclaim Alsace? Why is this important to winemaking style?

A

1945 post WWII. This marks the beginning of the divergence in winemaking styles…German remaining sweeter in style and Alsatian dryer in style.

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2
Q

When did Alsace reach AOP Status?

A
  1. The last French region to do so.
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3
Q

What are the two departments of Alsace? Why is this relevant?

A 
Haut Rhin (southern)
Bas Rhin (northern)
2/3 of the grand cru vineyards are located in the Haut Rhin.
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4
Q

Which mountains separate Alsace from the rest of France? Where are they located?

A

Vosges mountains

Western border of Alsace to the rest of France

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5
Q

What do the Vosges mountains offer geographically to the winemaking climate of Alscae?

A

It provides a rain shadow, making Alsace the driest and sunniest winemaking climates in France.

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6
Q

Where is the capital of of the Haut-Rhin?

A

Colmar. Driest city in France

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7
Q

Gerographically, where do the vineyards exist in Alsace?

A

In a thin string along the foothills of the Vosges mountains. Bascially down the center of Alsace.

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8
Q

What is the climate classification of Alsace?

A

Continental or semi-continental

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9
Q

The best vineyards enjoy what direction of exposure? Why is this important?

A

Southern, Southeastern, or warm eastern exposure to maximize sunlight

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10
Q

True or False: Vineyards in Alsace generally ripen sooner than their counterparts in Loire or Burgundy?

A

True. Due to sunlight hours.

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11
Q

What is the local pink sandstone of Alsace called?

A

gres de vosges

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12
Q

Generally speaking, what are the major soil types of the higher slopes in Alsace?

A

Schist, granite, and volcanic sediment

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13
Q

Generally speaking what are the major soil types of the lower slopes in Alsace?

A

Limestone base

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14
Q

Generally speaking, what are the major soil types of the plains at the foot of the mountains in Alsace?

A

richer alluvial clay and gravel.

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15
Q

What percentage of Alsatian AOP wine production is white?

A

90%– 20% of France’s total output of AOP still white wine

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16
Q

What are the four noble grapes of Alsace?

A

Riesling, Pinot Gris, Muscat, and Gewurtztraminer

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17
Q

What are the types of Muscat that are permitted as Alsatian noble grapes?

A

Muscat Ottonel
Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains
Muscat Rose a Petit Grains

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18
Q

Name all the grapes permitted in Alsace AOP

A 
Riesling
Pinot Gris
Muscat
Gewurtztraminer
Pinot Blanc
Chasselas
Sylvaner
Pinot Noir
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19
Q

Synonym for Pinot Blanc in Alsace

A

Klevner

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20
Q

Synonym for Chasselas in Alsace

A

Gutedel

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21
Q

What percentage of grape variety must be in the bottle if varietally labeled in Alsace?

A

100%

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22
Q

If a bottle of Alsatian Auxerrois is 100% Auxerrois, what can the varietal say on the label?

A

Pinot Blanc or Auxerrois

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23
Q

What grapes can be in an Alsatian white wine bottle simply labeled “PINOT”

A

Any proportion of the following: Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, or Auxerrois

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24
Q

What is the most planted grape in Alsace?

A

Riesling

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25
Q

What grape is the largest volume of appellation production in Alsace?

A

When considered collectively, it is Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois

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26
Q

Which is the last of the Alsatian noble varieties to ripen?

A

Riesling

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27
Q

Characteristically, how does Alsatian Riesling compare to its German counterparts?

A

Drier, more powerful, and higher in alcohol

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28
Q

When did Alsatian AOP change to mandate that standard Riesling be made dry?

A

2008

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29
Q

What is considered to be Alsace’s quintessential white wine?

A

Pinot Gris– Pinnacle of this grape..fullest richest expression with spicy smoky qualities, rich fruit, flinty minerality

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30
Q

What is the ancestral name of Gewurtztraminer?

A

Traminer

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31
Q

What is Traminer known as in the Jura?

A

Savagnin. Generally Pink-Skinned

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32
Q

What is Klevener? Where is is produced?

A

Klevener is the synonym of Traminer (or Savagnin in the Jura) It is “Savagnin Rose or Klevener de Heiligenstein”

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33
Q

What is Klevener de Heiligenstien?

A

A rose savagnin that can only be made around the commune of Heiligenstein in the BAS RHIN

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34
Q

What five communes can bottle Klevener de Heiligenstein?

A

Gertwiller, Goxwiller, Heiligenstein, Bourgheim, Obernai

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35
Q

What does Edelzwicker mean?

A

“noble mixture” Ironic since the wines are generally a cheap blend and don’t have to contain more than one grape, and no vintage

36
Q

What does gentil or Edelzwicker gentil mean?

A

Not an official term. A designation for blends that contain a minimum of 50% noble grapes, and any other Alsace AOP grape may make up the remainder. Base wines must be vinified separately.

Some producers (Marcel Diess) approach this as a field blend in which case the grapes are vinified together and bottled under a vineyard name.

37
Q

When was the Alsace Grand Cru AOP decreed?

38
Q

What was the first Alsatian Grand Cru?

A

Schlossberg– 1975

39
Q

When were the second crop of Alsatian Grand Cru decreed?

A

1983 (24 of them)

40
Q

When were the third crop of Alsatian Grand Cru decreed?

A

1992 (25 of them)

41
Q

When was the last Alsatian Grand Cru decreed?

A

2007– Kaefferkopf

42
Q

Which Alsatian Grand Crus are allowed to blend their Grand Cru wines?

A

Altenberg de Bergheim and Kaefferkopf

43
Q

Which Grand Cru allows Sylvaner?

A

Zotzenberg

44
Q

What year was the Alsace cahier des charges amended to give each Grand Cru its own AOP?

45
Q

What harvest process is mandatory for all Alsace GC Vineyards?

A

Hand Harvesting

46
Q

Are minimum sugar levels at harvest higher or lower for Alsace GC?

47
Q

What are the minimum alcohol levels for Alsace GC wines?

A

Riesling and Muscat - Min 11%
Pinot Gris and Gewurtz - Min 12.5%

Note: Some vineyards can mandate higher amounts

48
Q

What is the smallest Alsace GC?

A

Kanzlerberg (3ha)

49
Q

What is the largest Alsace GC?

A

Schlossberg (80ha)

50
Q

Which GC is Trimbach’s Clos Ste Hune in?

A

Rothsacker

51
Q

When did Trimbach release its first vintage of Giesberg with the cru on it?

52
Q

What year was Vendages-Tardive and Selections de Grains Nobles introduced?

53
Q

True or False: SGN or VT can be printed on both Alsace AOP and Alsace Grand Cru AOP labels

A

True.. It can be used on both

54
Q

What are the harvest requirements for a wine to be labeled SGN?

A
  • Labeled Alsace AOP or Alsace GC AOP
  • A single noble variety
  • Pass a blind tasting panel
  • generally picked in tries
  • not affected by botrytis (typically)
  • hand harvested
  • 276 g/l for Muscat and Riesling
  • 306 g/l for PG and Gewurtz (some of the highest min must weights in France)
55
Q

What are the harvest requirements for a wine to be labeled VT?

A
  • Labeled Alsace AOP or Alsace GC AOP
  • A single noble variety
  • Pass a blind tasting panel
  • Often affected by botrytis
  • hand harvested
  • 244 g/l for Muscat and Riesling
  • 270 g/l for PG and Gewurtz
56
Q

What state are vines in that quality VT wines originate from?

A

passerillage

57
Q

What is passerillage?

A

the process by which grapes are dried, shrivelled, or raisined on the vine, concentrating the sugar in grapes—an alternative to wines whose sugars have been concentrated by botrytis.

58
Q

Are VT and SGN wines required to be sweet in their final bottling?

A

No. they can be vinified dry.

59
Q

What is the only red grape permitted in Alsace AOP wines?

A

Pinot Noir

60
Q

What style of wines are made with Pinot Noir in Alsace?

A

Red, Rose, White, Sparkling

61
Q

What grapes are permitted in Cremant d’Alsace Rose?

A

Pinot Noir only

62
Q

What is the only AOP of Alsace to allow Chardonnay?

A

Cremant d’Alsace

63
Q

What are the permitted grapes of Cremant d’Alsace AOP?

A

Pinot Blanc (workhorse), Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Auxerrois

64
Q

Approx what percentage of cremant d’alsace is alsaces total output?

65
Q

What are the AOP of Lorraine?

A

Cotes de Toul AOP

Moselle AOP

66
Q

Permitted grapes of Cotes de Toul AOP

A

Pinot Noir, Auxerrois, Aubin

67
Q

Permitted grapes of Moselle AOP

A

Auxerrois, Pinot Noir. Muller Thurgau and Pinot Gris are also allowed

68
Q

When was the term Tokay d’Alsace eliminated?

69
Q

What are the continuation of the Vosges mountains called in Germany?

A

The Haardt Hills

70
Q

What is the closest German wine producing region to Alsace?

71
Q

What is the river that separates France and Germany?

A

Rhine River

72
Q

Why can Marcel Diess bottle their field blends under the Grand Cru Schoenenberg?

A

Because they are in Bergheiem.

73
Q

What is the northernmost still winemaking region in France?

74
Q

What are the AOP of Alsace?

A
  • Alsace AOP
  • Cremant d’Alsace AOP
  • All 51 Alsace Grand Cru AOP
75
Q

Does Alsace permit Chaptalization?

76
Q

Northernmost GC in Alsace

A

Steinklotz

77
Q

Southernmost GC in Alsace

78
Q

Required bottle type of AOP Alsace

A

Flute d’Alsace or Vin du Rhin

79
Q

Where is Clos Ste Urbain?

A

Rangen de Thaan. (Zind Humbrecht)

80
Q

Where is Close Saint Theobald?

A

Rangen de Thaan (Schoffitt)

81
Q

Where is Clos Ste Hune?

A

Rothsacker (Trimbach)

82
Q

Where is Close Ste Landelin?

A

Vorbourg (Mure)

83
Q

Where is Clos Ste Imer?

84
Q

Where is Clos des Capucins?

A

No GC– Close to Schlossberg. CUVEE THEO– Weinbach

85
Q

Who owns the three most famous Alsatian Clos that have no GC deisgnation? What are they?

A

Zind-Humbrecht.

They are Clos Hauser, Clos Jesebel, Clos Windsbuhl

Advanced Exam Final Final (84 decks)

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