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French Wine Scholar SC > Alsace > Flashcards

Alsace Flashcards

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1
Q

Where does Alsace lie?

A

47/48 lattitude. in the Rhine Graben is a trench two vertical uplifts of the Vosges MT in the west and Germany’s Black Forest on the east. The Rhine river flows through it.

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2
Q

How many soil types in Alsace?

A

13

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3
Q

Why are the Vosges important?

A

Vital part, ran shadow, cool air from atlantic is changed to warm/sunny due to the Vosges blocking power.

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4
Q

When was Alsace added first to France

A

17th century. The Thirty Years War – 1618-1648

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5
Q

what wine region is west?

A

Lorraine wine region

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6
Q

What soils are in the Vosges Mountain vineyards

A

granite, schist, volcanic, standstone

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7
Q

what soils are in the vosges foothill vineyards

A

limestone marl and sandstone

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8
Q

what are the soils of Rhine Plan?

A

Loess, loam, alluvium

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9
Q

What is the typical soil for Grand Crus

A

sedimentary soils

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10
Q

Zotzenberg allows?

A

Sylvaner but not muscat. This is not permitted in any other Grand Cru.

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11
Q

What is Alsace climate?

A

Continental - This means that the winters are harsh, but summers are generally hot and pleasant – although shifting weather patterns can result in vintage variation.

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12
Q

The best vineyards in Alsace are on slopes. In which direction do they face?

A

South/Southeast

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13
Q

Central Alsace sits around which latitude?

A

48

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14
Q

The Franco-Prussian War – 1870-1871

A

Napoleon failed, Germany was ran by King of Prussia, Germany annexed Alsace, and had them plant lesser known grapes Auxerrios and Chasselas

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15
Q

Word War I

A

France got Alsace back after the war, and order the hybrid vines to be ripped up. great depression caused hardship on the vineyards and not all could afford to do that.

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16
Q

WWII

A

during the war Alsace was annexed and became apart of Germany and called Elsass.

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17
Q

What is the local language?

A

Alsacien. The local language, Elsässisch or Elsässerditsch is a German dialect. In French, it is called Alsacien.

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18
Q

What is Germany’s influence on Alsace wine?

A

Germanic bottle flute, wine Labeling by grape which France normal has the region, Grape type Riesling and Gewurztraminer. Stronger Beer tradition and makes 60% of france’s beer.

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19
Q

One of the consequences of Germanic influences has been the shape of the Alsace wine bottle. What is the name of this tall, slender bottle?

A

Flûte d’Alsace

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20
Q

T/F: Alsace was part of France during World War I.

A

False

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21
Q

Organic and Biodynamic?

A

16% of vineyards are

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22
Q

What is the vine training method?

A

Guyot

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23
Q

How do they mitigate frost?

A

Vines grown on the plains are trained high to mitigate frost damage as the risk of frost is especially high in low areas where cold air settles. The risk of frost decreases as training height increases.

Vines at higher elevations are trained low to the ground to capitalize on reflected light and warmth.

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24
Q

Wine Harvesting?

A

Harvest stretches from September to November not only because different grapes have different ripening curves, but also because they have different ripening curves based on location. The desired wine style impacts harvest dates also. Grapes destined for crémant production are picked early; grapes destined for dessert wines are picked late into the fall.

Most of the vineyards and all Grands Crus are harvested by hand as the slopes are too steep for machinery. Some machine harvesting is carried out on the plains.

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25
Q

What % is white?

A

89%. Generally in stainless steal but Foudres are allowed.

26
Q

Global Warming

A

More sugar, no need for chaptalization, reds are deeper color.

27
Q

What happend in 2021?

A

Bottles ahve to clearly state if its sec, demi-sec, moelleux or doux.

28
Q

Alsace was the first region in France to have, what?

A

A biodynamic wine estate: Domaine Eugène Meyer – in Bergholtz – was France’s first biodynamic wine estate.

29
Q

What are the four noble grapes?

A

Riesling (Alsace R is always dry), Gewurztraminer (is the aromatic version of the pink skinned Savagnin Rose), Pinot Gris (different from everywhere else, Alsace gets it Rich and opulent), Muscat (Muscat a Petits Grains Blacn and Muscat Ottonel)

30
Q

What are the other focal grapes?

A

Pinot Blanc (aka Klevner), Pinot Noir, Sylvaner (minus in zotzenberg)

31
Q

What are the Ancillary Grape Varieties?

A

Chasselas - ancient Switzerland and Auxerrois (called Pinot Auxerrois in Alsace), Klevener de Heilgenstein, Chardonnay (authorized for cremant).

32
Q

Which is the only red grape allowed in the Alsace AOC?

A

Pinot Noir

33
Q

What are the two AOCs that cover the whole region?

A

Alsace AOC and Cremant d’Alsace

34
Q

Alsace AOC

A

80% of the region’s production is labeled by the grape variety from which it is made and, with the exception of Pinot Blanc and Pinot d’Alsace, must contain 100% of the grape variety specified on the label.

35
Q

What is a Communal Designation

A

is the DGC wines, aka village wines. quality standards are higher.

36
Q

what is Lieu-Dit?

A

higher quality then Communal, but it has to be a speific vineyard site within the commune.

37
Q

What are the two blends called in Alsace AOC?

A

Edelzwicker and Gentil are the two most famous Alsace blends and have set requirements that have to be met by the producers – but there are other blends as well:

38
Q

What does it mean if a wine is labeled Pinot Blanc?

A

In Alsace a wine labeled Pinot Blanc – or Klevner, a local synonym for Pinot Blanc – can actually contain 100% Pinot Blanc or 100% Auxerrois or be a blend of both grapes.

39
Q

What does it mean if a wine is labeled Pinot d’Alsace?

A

Wines labeled Pinot d’Alsace can contain any of the following authorized grape varieties: Auxerrois, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir vinified as a white wine.

There are no minimums or maximums in the blend. The wine can be 100% of any of these grapes, but in practice is usually a blend of several.

40
Q

What are Grand Cru generally made from?

A

With just four exceptions (see below), Alsace Grand Cru wines are varietal wines made from one of the four Noble Grapes of the region. Label is the Grape Variety and the name of the Grand Cru Vineyard. It is, however, no longer mandatory to have the grape stated on the label.

41
Q

What is special about Grand Cru Altenberg de Bergheim

A

This Grand Cru site is one of just two that can produce blended wines. Most producers craft varietally labeled Grand Cru wines here, but a few – most famously Domaine Marcel Deiss – create blended wines too. The regulations are complex and include a requirement for between 50% and 70% Riesling.

42
Q

What is special about Grand Cru Kaefferkopf

A

The conditions are different here and so the blends must have between 60% and 80% Gewurztraminer.

43
Q

What are the two Pinot Noir Grand Crus?

A

Hengst and Kirchberg de Barr Grands Crus allow production of Pinot Noir.

44
Q

What is Vendanges Tardives?

A

Late Harvest. Grapes picked late become overripe and develop more sugar. As a result the finished wine contains considerable residual sugar.

Malolactic conversion is not encouraged as these wines need acidity to balance the high sugar level.

The grapes are handpicked in order to be able to select the suitable bunches. Some examples contain fruit affected by noble rot, but it is not a requirement for the style.

45
Q

What is Selection De Grains Nobles

A

Noble Rot. These are also late-harvest wines made from any of the four noble grape varieties. In this case though the grapes have to be affected by noble rot (Botrytis cinerea).

In order to achieve the required concentration the grapes are handpicked, berry (grains) by berry with multiple passes through the vineyard to select the ripest ripest fruit and those berries most affected by noble rot.

46
Q

White Cremant d’Alsace can be?

A

Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, Chardonnay, Riesling. Blanc de Blancs can be any of these, but usually has a majority of Pinot Blanc.

47
Q

Rose cremant can be?

A

Pinot Noir is the only black grape allowed. Saignee and Maceration processes allowed. Blanc de Noirs is a white wine made from Pinot Noir.

48
Q

What percentage of Alsace’s wine production is blended wines?

A

20%

49
Q

In which century was Alsace first incorporated into France?

A

17th

50
Q

After which war did Alsace become part of the German Empire?

A

The Franco-Prussian War

51
Q

Of the grape varieties permitted to be used for Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles production, two are used much more frequently than the others. Which are they?

A

Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris

52
Q

For an Alsace wine to be varietally labeled, what percentage of the grape specified on the label must be used?

A

100%

53
Q

What is Gentil?

A

a blend of at least 50% noble grapes, vinfied separately and cintage is declared

54
Q

What is Edelzwicker?

A

Any permitted white grapes can be vinified together, decloration of vintage is optional.

55
Q

An Alsace wine labelled Pinot Blanc can contain what?

A

100% Pinot Blanc, 100% Auxerrois, any blend of Pinot Blanc & Auxerrois

56
Q

What is another local name for Pinot Blanc in Alsace?

A

Klevner

57
Q

Why does the harvest in Alsace run from September to November?

A

Different grape varieties ripen at different times.
Some sites are warmer with more sun and some are cooler, so sites ripen at different times. Grapes for sparkling need more acidity and so less ripeness. Grapes for sweet wines need more sugar and so more ripeness. Alsace has 13 different soil types. Cool soils delay ripening, warm soils speed up ripening.

58
Q

T/F: Alsace Communal wines and Alsace Lieu-Dit wines are not separate AOCs, but sub-categories of the Alsace AOC.

A

True

59
Q

Gewurztraminer is the aromatic version of the non-aromatic Savagnin Rose. What is the Alsace name for Savagnin Rose?

A

Klevener de Heiligensten

60
Q

T/F: Since 2008, Pinot Gris – other than Grands Crus, Lieux-Dits and dessert wines – has to be made in a dry style. True or False?

A

False

61
Q
A

French Wine Scholar SC (12 decks)

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