Alsace 6 Flashcards
Translation of butte raisonee
sustainable viticulture
what is biodynamic agriculture
Rudolf Steiner in 1924 spiritual and ecological approach to growing things wholistic approach to earth organic farming Demeter BiodyVin preparations - 3 spray and 6 compost (horn, camomile, yarrow, silcia) sun and moon cycles no GMO documentation
why are stems kept on or removed from grape bunched for pressing
in a press they act as channels for must to flow quickly (important wine you do not wish for pigment)
stems absorb sugar and acid
Green stems can impart bitterness and astringency, while brown stems can impact spice
what often causes a fermentation to get “stuck”
grey rot
chemical residue
hi temperature - kills yeast
cool temperature - stops and then yeast racked off
what is sterile filtration
removing small bacteria (centrifuging, filtering or fining) but can remove desirable aroma and flavours
three methods to extract colour and tannins
Punch down - Pigeage
Remontage - Pump over
Delestage - rack and return - the more alcohol the more extract (acts as a solvent)
how is heat stabilization achieved
through fining
name two factors used when assessing the quality of a certain grape in a particular vintage
- ripening cycle - late or early
- skin thickness - resistance to rot
Vintage chart not accurate indicator of quality
Vintage chart are guides only for exceptional years
Average year best ranked by by grape and terrior
name 4 grapes with thin skin
PG, A, Chasselas, PN, PB
name 4 grapes with thick skin
R, M G, S
Where are Clos Gaensbroennel (Willm) Clos Zisser (Dom. Klipfel) located?
Kirschberg de Barr Grand Cru
Calcarious Marl
Which Grand Cru are dominated by Granite as the principal soil type?
Brand (black and white mica) Sommerberg (black and white mica) Wineck-Schlossberg (black and white mica) Winzenberg Frankstein
heat retaining, fast draining
Exceptions to the Dry Riesling rule
If labeled by a lieu-dit or Grand Cru
Also VT and SGN
what percentage of Alsace white wine represents total production of French still white wine
18% - big percentage given Alsace is one smallest wine regions (Jura, Savoie)
what is the Alsace production by volume
4% Grand Cru
22% Cremant
73% AOC Alsace
what percentage of Alsace wine exported
25%
what percentage of Alsace wine is consumed in France
75%
what percentage of Alsace wine is blended
20%
what does Marcel Deiss call field blends
“wines of terrior” - coplants, picks and ferments and labels them after the vineyard.
the name of France’s first biodynamic estate
Eugene Meyer
why is there no uniform harvest date in Alsace
every site receives a different amount of sunlight, the soils are diverse and some retain heat, reflect sunlight - heat and light impact ripening
what are the Vosges Mountains comprised of
granite - south
sandstone - north
what producer is known for making a dry reisling
Trimbach
Zind - Humbrech
what is the smallest Cremant producer
Cave de Pfaffenheim
name of the large coop in Alsace
Wolfberger
largest independent grower in Alsace
Domain Schlumberger
who are the holy trinity of Alsace wine makers
Domain Marel Deiss - Bergheim
Domain Weinbach - Kayserberg
Domain Zind Humbrech - Turckheim
does Marcel Deiss make good VD and SGN wines
nope
