Alsace/Jura/Savoie Flashcards
1
Q
When did Alsace achieve AOC status?
A
1962
2
Q
What was the last major French winemaking region to join the AOC?
A
Alsace
3
Q
What 2 departements make up Alsace (north to south)?
A
Bas-Rhin
Haut-Rhin
4
Q
Which departement makes up 2/3rds of Alsace’s Grand Cru vineyards?
A
Haut-Rhin
5
Q
Which mountain range is located to the west of Alsace?
A
Vosges Mountains
6
Q
How does the Vosges mountains affect the climate of Alsace?
A
Creates a rain shadow effect making it dry and sunny
7
Q
What is the driest and sunniest region in France?
A
Alsace
8
Q
What kind of climate does Alsace have?
A
Semi-Continental
9
Q
What is the local pink sandstone of Alsace called?
A
grès de Vosges
10
Q
What are the 3 common soils along the steeper mountain slopes of Alsace?
A
Schist
Granite
Volcanic Sediment
11
Q
What are the common soils along the lower slopes of Alsace?
A
Limestone base
12
Q
What are the common soils along the plain at the base of the Vosges in Alsace?
A
richer alluvial clay
gravel
13
Q
What percentage of Alsace wine is white?
A
90%
14
Q
What percentage of France’s total still white wine came from Alsace?
A
18% as of 2008
15
Q
What are the 4 “Noble” grapes of Alsace?
A
Riesling
Pinot Gris
Muscat
Gewurztraminer
16
Q
Name the 3 types of Muscat grown in Alsace
A
Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains
Muscat Rose a Petits Grains
Muscat Ottonel
17
Q
Beside the noble grapes, which grapes are allowed in Alsace AOP or Vin d’Alsace AOP wines?
A
Pinot Blanc (Klevner)
Chasselas (Gutedel)
Sylvaner
Pinot Noir
18
Q
Which grape is typically blended with Pinot Blanc in Alsace?
A
Auxerrois
19
Q
What’s the min. % of a grape must be in varietal Alsatian wine?
A
100%
20
Q
White wines labeled Pinot in Alsace may contain any proportion of what 4 grapes?
A
Pinot Noir
Pinot Blanc
Pinot Gris
Auxerrois
21
Q
What 2 grapes make up the largest volume of Alsatian wines?
A
Pinot Blanc
Auxerrois
22
Q
What is the most planted grape in Alsace?
A
Riesling
23
Q
Which Alsatian noble grape ripens last?
A
Riesling
24
Q
Alsatian Riesling vs German Riesling
A
more dry
more powerful
higher alcohol
25
What is Alsace’s quintessential wine made from?
Pinot Gris
26
What was Pinot Gris formerly known as?
Tokay d’Alsace or/
| Tokay Pinot Gris
27
Describe Alsatian Pinot Gris
```
full bodied
rich expression
spicy-smoky qualities
solid frame
elevated acidity
```
28
Alsatian Muscat vs. Gewurztraminer
Muscat - fragrant floral and grapey notes
Gewurztraminer - more
perfumed, sweet spices, and tropical fruit
higher in alcohol
more likely to be off-dry
29
What vessel for fermentation and aging is common for Alsatian Muscat and Gewurz?
large neutral casks
30
What grape is Gewurztraminer a pink-berried clone of?
Traminer
31
What is another Pink variant of Traminer in the Jura?
Savagnin
32
What is Savagnin called in Alsace?
Klevener
33
Where is Klevener classically grown in Alsace?
Heiligenstein (Bas-Rhin)
34
Klevener vs Gewurztraminer
less aromatic, but higher acidity than Gewurz
35
Name the 5 communes in Alsace that may bottle Klevener varietally
```
Heiligenstein
Bourgheim
Gertwiller
Goxwiller
Obernai
```
36
What does Edelzwicker mean in French?
“noble mixture”
37
Edelzwicker vs. Gentil wine in Alsace
Edelzwicker in theory are blends, but don’t require it to have more than 1 grape or a vintage dated
Getil wines requires 50% noble grapes, if there are non-noble grapes they must be vinified separately
38
Which producer in Alsace is famous for producing field blends to express terroir?
Marcel Deiss
39
When was the Alsace Grand Cru AOP established?
1975
40
What was the first single vineyard of Alsace Grand Cru?
Schlossberg
41
How many additional Alsatian grand cru vineyards appeared in 1983?
24
42
How many additional Alsatian grand cru vineyards appeared in 1992?
25
43
What was the 51st grand cru established and when?
Kaefferkopf in 2007
44
Which grapes are allowed in Alsatian Grand Cru wines?
the nobles grapes, but it isn’t required by law anymore
45
Which Alsation grand crus are blends?
Altenberg de Bergheim
| Kaefferkopf
46
Which Alsatian grand cru historically produces Silvaner?
Zotzenberg
47
What is the minimum potential alcohol for Riesling and Muscat for Alsace Grand Cru?
11%
48
What is the minimum potential alcohol for Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer?
12.5%
49
When did the number of Alsace Grand Cru AOPs increase from one to 51?
2011
50
What is the smallest grand cru in Alsace?
Kanzlerberg (3 ha)
51
What is the largest grand cru in Alsace?
Schlossberg (80 ha)
52
Which 2 producers are known for not labeling as Alsace Grand Cru?
Trimbach
| Hugel
53
Which grand cru did Trimbach started to label as of 2009?
Geisberg Grand Cru
54
What are the 2 late-harvest designations in Alsace?
Vendanges Tardives
| Selections de Grain Nobles
55
SGN vs. VT wines
SGN shows more botrytis than varietal character, grapes are picked in tries, always dessert like
VT may show botrytis, but more focus on varietal character, but vary in sugar levels
56
VT minimum must weights for Muscat and Riesling
224 g/L
57
VT minimum must weights for Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer
270 g/L
58
SGN minimum must weights for Muscat and Riesling
276 g/L
59
SGN minimum must weights for Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer
306 g/L
60
What is the only red variety permitted for Alsace AOP wines?
Pinot Noir
61
What is the workhorse grape of Cremant d’Alsace AOP blends?
Pinot Blanc
62
What is the only grape used for rose Cremant d’Alsace AOP wines?
Pinot Noir
63
What 2 methods are used to gain color for rose Cremant d’Alsace AOP wines?
maceration
| saignee method
64
What is the only Alsatian appellation to allow Chardonnay?
Crémant d’Alsace AOP
65
What are the 5 white grapes are authorized for Cremant d’Alsace wines?
```
Chardonnay
Riesling
Pinot Gris
Pinot Blanc
Auxerrois
```
66
What region in Germany is across from Alsace?
Baden
67
Who produces “Clos Saint Landelin” Pinot Noir?
Domaine Muré
68
What grapes are used in Albert Mann’s ‘Les Saintes Claires’?
Pinot Noir
69
Which grand cru is Zind-Humbrecht’s “Clos Saint Urbain” Pinot Gris from?
Rangen de Thann Grand Cru
70
Where does the Jura region gets its name from?
the Jurassic era, because of the Jurassic Limestone and Marl soils found in the region
71
What is the standard appellation in the Jura?
Cotes du Jura AOP
72
What are the 3 main red grapes of the Jura?
Poulsard (Ploussard)
Trousseau
Pinot Noir
73
What are dry white wines from the Jura typically made from?
100% Chardonnay
74
What is Chardonnay known as in the Jura?
Gamay Blanc
75
What grape may be allowed in Jura dry whites with Chardonnay?
Savagnin (Naturé)
76
What is Savagnin known as locally in the Jura?
Naturé
77
What grapes are allowed in vin gris wines of the Jura?
```
Poulsard (Ploussard)
Trousseau
Pinot Noir
Chardonnay
Savagnin (Naturé)
```
78
What are 2 local specialty wines of the Jura?
vin jaune
| vin de paille
79
What grape is excluded from vin de paille wines?
Pinot Noir
80
What is the sole grape of vin jaune wines?
Savagnin
81
Besides Cotes du Jura, what are the 3 communal appellations of the Jura?
Arbois AOP
L’Etoile AOP
Chateau Chalon AOP
82
How many communes make up Arbois?
12
83
What is the only commune that may append its name to Arbois?
Pupillin
84
Which Jura appellation is the only white wine-only appellation?
L’Etoile AOP
85
Where does L’Etoile AOP gets its name from?
a local fossil shaped like a five-pointed star
86
What grapes are used for L’Etoile AOP wines?
Chardonnay
Poulsard (w/o skins)
Savagnin
87
What is the style of L’Etoile AOP wines?
oxidative whites that are bottled late
88
How long are vin jaune wines from Chateau Chalon AOP kept in barrel?
until December 15th of the sixth year following harvest
89
What develops on the wines surface in the barrel for vin jaune wines?
voile
90
What is a voile?
film-forming yeast that covers the wines surface similar to flor in Jerez
91
How are vin jaune wines described as?
aldehydic
with a nutty/curried flavor
delicate/dry on the palate
92
What is the difference between vin jaune vs. sherry?
vin jaune isn’t fortified and isn’t made using a solera system
93
What is the name of the bottle Chateau Chalon wines must be bottled in?
clavelin (62 cl bottle)
94
Which appellations in Jura are allow vin de paille wines under their label?
Arbois
L’Etoile
Cotes du Jura
95
How long are grapes for vin de paille wines left to dry?
min. 6 weeks after harvest
96
What is the minimum must weight of vin de paille wines?
320 g/L
97
What is the minimum alcohol content of vin de paille wines?
14%
98
How long are vin de paille wines aged?
min. 3 years before release with min 18 months in neutral wood
99
What is the methode traditionelle wine appellation in the Jura?
Cremant du Jura AOP
100
What is the Vin de Liqueur appellation in the Jura?
Macvin du Jura AOP
101
What is a vin de liqueur?
sweet, unfermented grape must fortified with aged Marc (distilled grapes)
102
How long must Macvin du Jura VdLs age for?
min. 10 months in oak after mutage
103
Name 4 top producers in the Jura
Pierre Overnoy
Jean-Francois Ganevat
Domaine de Pelican
Stephane Tissot
104
Poulsard vs. Trousseau
Poulsard has thinner skin, lighter body, higher acidity and red fruit
Trousseau has thicker skin, more tannin, less acidity than Poulsard and darker fruit quality
105
What 2 lakes moderate the climate of Savoie?
Lake Bourget
| Lake Geneva
106
What is Lake Geneva known as in France?
Lac Léman
107
What is the general appellation in Savoie?
Vin de Savoie AOP
108
What color grapes make up the majority of Vin de Savoie AOP?
White
109
What is the most common white grape in Savoie?
Jacquère
110
What 3 white grapes produce high quality wines in Savoie?
Altesse (locally, Roussette)
Roussanne (locally, Bergeron)
Chardonnay
111
What are the 3 main red grapes of Savoie wines?
Gamay
Mondeuse
Pinot Noir
112
Which cru in Savoie produces 100% Roussanne wines exclusively?
Chignin-Bergeron
113
What are the two 100% Altesse appellation in Savoie?
Roussette de Savoie AOP
| Roussette de Bugey AOP
114
What wines are produced in Seyssel AOP?
dry to mousseaux wines from either 100% Altesse or Molette
sparkling wines with min. 10% Altesse + Molette and Chasselas
115
What is the method ancestrale rose wine appellation in Savoie?
Bugey Cerdon
