Alsace, Jura, Savoie Flashcards

1
Q

Year Alsace achieved AOC status?

A

1962 making it the last major French region to do so. It’s also the smallest.

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2
Q

What are the departments of Alsace? Which is more associated with quality?

A

Haut Rhin and Bas Rhin; Haut Rhin is more associated with quality being that 2/3 of the Grand Crus are located here.

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3
Q

Which mountain range separates Alsace from the rest of France and what role does it play in the region’s climate?

A

The Vosges Mountains, it creates a rain shadow effect making Alsace one of France’s sunniest and driest areas.

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4
Q

Capitol of Alsace and driest city in France?

A

Colmar

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5
Q

What is the climate of Alsace?

A

Semi-continental

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6
Q

What are the general soil types of Alsace?

A

Granite, Schist, Loess, Limestone, Gravel, Chalk, Clay, and “gres de Vogues” a local pink sandstone

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7
Q

What are the soil types on the steeper mountain slopes of Alsace?

A

Schist, granite, volcanic sediment

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8
Q

What is the main soil type of the lower slopes of Alsace?

A

Limestone base

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9
Q

What are the soil types of the mountain base in Alsace?

A

alluvial clay and gravel soils

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10
Q

What are the four noble grapes of Alsace?

A

Muscat, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Gris

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11
Q

Do many Alsace wines age well?

A

Yes! Due to their pronounced agreeability and acidity Alsace wines can age fairly.

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12
Q

What are the grapes allowed in Alsace AOP?

A

Riesling, Muscat, Gewurztraminer, Pinto Gris, Pinot Blanc (Klevner), Chasselas (Gutedel), Sylvaner, and Pinot Noir.

Wines must contain 100% of the stated grape with the exception of Auxerrois

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13
Q

Nuances of Auxerrois?

A

Similar, but not synonymous with Pinot Blanc.

May be labeled “Pinot Blanc”

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14
Q

White wines labeled Pinot may contain?

A

Any proportion of Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinto Gris, or Auxerrois

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15
Q

What is Alsace’s most planted grape?

A

Riesling

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16
Q

What are the stipulations for Edelzwicker?

A
  • translates to “noble mixture” though it typically refers to an inexpensive blended wine
  • does not have to be vintage-dated, nor does it legally have to include more than one grape
  • no indication of blended grapes or percentages is legally required
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17
Q

What are the stipulations for Gentil?

A
  • superior designation for blends
  • requires minimum of 50% noble grapes
  • base wines must be vilified separately
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18
Q

What is the total number of Grand Cru vineyards in Alsace? The latest to be added?

A

51; Kaefferkopf in 2006

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19
Q

What is the smallest Grand Cru in France?

A

Kanzlerberg (3 ha)

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20
Q

What is the largest Grand Cru in Alsace?

A

Schlossberg (80ha)

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21
Q

What are the requirements for Grand Cru Alsace wines?

A
  • 100% single varietal (with 3 exceptions)
  • generally minimum sugar levels are higher and yields are more restricted
  • though some vineyards mandate higher minimums, the minimum ABV for Riesling and Muscat is 11% and 12.5% for Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer.
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22
Q

Who are a couple of notable producers to omit Grand Cru designations from their labels?

A
  • Trimbach (Clos Ste. Hune is not labeled as Rosacker)

- Hugel

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23
Q

What are the three exceptions to the noble grape mandate in Alsace Grand Cru?

A

Altenberg de Bergheim (can contain Pinot Gris)

Kaefferkopf (can be made from Pinot Gris)

Zotzenberg (can be made from Sylvaner)

None of these vineyards can bottle single-varietal Muscat

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24
Q

What are the requirements for Vendange Tardive?

A
  • Must contain a single noble varietal and pass a blind-tasting panel.
  • May show botrytis but emphasizes varietal characteristic
  • Quality VT wines originate in vines in a state of Passilerage
  • must be hand-harvested
  • min. unenriched sugar levels at harvest: 235g/L for Riesling and Muscat; 257g/L for Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris
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25
Q

What are the requirements for Sélection de Grains Nobles?

A
  • must contain a single noble varietal and pass a bling tasting panel
  • suppresses varietal character in favor of botrytis
  • always “dessert-like” sweet
  • generally picked in tries
  • must be hand-harvested
  • min. unenriched sugar levels at harvest: 276g/L for Muscat and Riesling; 306g/L for Gewürztraminer and Pinot Pris (some of the highest must weights in France)
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26
Q

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

A

Pinot Noir

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27
Q

What is the only Alsatian AOP to allow Chardonnay?

A

Crémant d’Alsace

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28
Q

What are the grapes allowed in Crémant d’Alsace?

A

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc (workhorse), Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Auxerrois, (rosés can only be made with Pinot Noir)

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29
Q

Where is Cotes de Toul and what kind of wines are made there?

A
  • In Lorraine
  • Whites made from Auxerrois and Aubin
  • Light Reds made form Pinot Noir
  • Rosés made in Vin Gris style from Pinot Noir and Gamay
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30
Q

Where is Mosselle AOP and what kind of wines are made there?

A
  • In Lorraine

- Reds, whites, and rosé from Auxerrois and Pinot Noir

31
Q

Where is the Jura and who borders it to the east?

A

South of Alsace and shares border with Switzerland at its eastern end.

32
Q

What is the climate like in Jura?

A

Continental, turning harshly cold in the winter time.

33
Q

What is the soil like in the Jura?

A

The lower slopes rest upon Jurassic limestone and marl with a substantial amount of clay at the lowest sites

34
Q

What are the main red grapes for Cotes du Jura?

A

Poulsard (Ploussard), Trousseau, and Pinot Noir

35
Q

What grapes are used for white Cotes du Jura?

A

Typically 100% Chardonnay (Gamay Blanc) though Savagnin (aka Nature or Traminer) can be used for blending

36
Q

What grapes are used for the rosé style of Cotes du Jura?

A

Can be made from any or all five grapes and are made in “vin gris” style.

37
Q

What grapes can be used for the production of vin de paille?

A

All of the accepted grapes but Pinot Noir

38
Q

What grapes are used for the production of Vin Jaune?

A

Only Savagnin

39
Q

Where is the home of Louis Pasteur?

A

Arbois

40
Q

What is the name of the one commune allowed to append its name to Arbois?

A

Pupillin

41
Q

What kind of wines are made in L’Etoile AOP? Grapes? Style?

A

Exclusively white wines. Made from Chardonnay, Poulsard, and/or Savagnin. Generally made in oxidative style.

42
Q

What is L’toile named after?

A

A local fossil shaped like a five-point star.

43
Q

What kind of wine does Chateau Chalon AOP specialize in? Grape?

A

Vin Jaune produced exclusively from Savagnin

44
Q

What is the synonym for Savagnin in Chateau Chalon?

A

Nature

45
Q

In Chateau Chalon, how long is the wine kept in barrel?

A

Kept in barrel until 12/15 of the sixth year following the harvest

46
Q

What is the name for the flor-like yeast that forms in barrel during the production of Vin Jaune?

A

Voile

47
Q

What is the name of the traditional Vin Jaune bottle?

A

Clavelin

48
Q

What does Vin Jaune taste like?

A

Aldehydic and nutty almost curried flavor on a delicate, dry palate

49
Q

In what two vintages of the 80’s were Vin Jaune vintages declassified because they were so poor?

A

1980 and 1984

50
Q

What three AOP labels may Vin de Paille be labeled as?

A

Arbois, L’Etoile, or Cotes du Jura

51
Q

What kind of grapes are used in the production of Vin de Paille?

A

ripe, but not botritized grapes that have been left to dry for a minimum of six weeks on straw matts (though often hung or boxed)

52
Q

What minimum must weight must grapes surpass that are used in the production of Vin de Paille?

A

320g/L

53
Q

What is the minimum ABV for Vin de Paille?

A

14%

54
Q

For how many months must Vin de Paille age before release?

A

3 years including a mandatory 18 months in neutral wood barrels

55
Q

When was Crémant du Jura AOP established and what is the fermentation method?

A

1995; Methode traditionelle

56
Q

What is Macvin du Jura and how long must it be aged?

A

Vin de Liqueur that must be aged in oak for 1 year following mutage.

57
Q

What styles of Macvin exist?

A

Red, white, and rosé

58
Q

How is Macvin produced?

A

Aged Marc is added to unfermented grape juice creating a sweet, unfermented, but alcoholic grape juice. (think Ratafia)

59
Q

What is Marc?

A

brandy distilled form the pomace after pressing.

60
Q

What are the white grapes of the Vin de Savoie?

A

Jacquere, Altesse, Roussanne (Bergeron), and Chardonnay. Higher quality wines are produced from the latter 3?

61
Q

What are the red grapes of Vin de Savoie? Styles?

A

Gamay, Mondeuse, and Pinot Noir

62
Q

What grape exclusively goes into Chignin-Bergeron

A

Roussanne

63
Q

What three crus of Vin de Savoie AOP require 80% Chasselas?

A

Marignan, Ripaille, Crepy

64
Q

What is the only grape allowed in Roussette de Savoie?

A

Altesse

65
Q

What are the 4 communes that may attach their name to the Roussette de Savoie AOP)?

A

Frangy, Marestel, Monterminod, Monthoux

66
Q

What is the grape in Klevener de Heiligenstein?

A

Savagnin Rose (Savignin in the Jura)

67
Q

What 5 communes can produce Heiligenstein

A

Heiligenstein, Gertwiller, Goxwiller, Bourgheim, Obernai

68
Q

When was Alsace Grand Cru first proposed?

A

1975

69
Q

When did the first Alsace Grand Cru appear?

A

1983

70
Q

When were the Grand Crus declared?

A

25 in ‘83, 25 in ‘85, and 1 in 2006

71
Q

What Grand Cru contains Trimbach’s Clos-Ste-Hune?

A

Rosacker

72
Q

When were VT and SGN designations created?

A

1984

73
Q

True or False. VT and SGN are printed on only Alsace Grand Cru bottles?

A

False. They can be either Alsace AOP or Vin d’Alsace AOP