Climates and Terroirs Flashcards
Bordeaux Climate
Moderate Maritime
Atlantic ocean to the west - cooling
Gentle heat through summer, sufficient rainfall, dry and warm autumns
Les Landes pine forest profects Left Bank from storms
950mm of rain per year, can cause poor fruit set at flowering, can increase diesase, at veraison can lead to unripe fruit, at harvest can dilute flavours
High vintage variation
Burgundy Climate
Chablis: continental with cold winters and warm summers
Cote d’Or, Cote Chalonnaise, Maconnais: moderate continental
Morvan hills to west of Cote d’Or protect from rain
700mm rainfall
Dry autumns, harvest rain is a risk
Maconnais warmer and drier
Beaujolais Climate
Continental, warmer than the rest of Burgundy
740mm per year rainfall
Saone River moderates
Cold Mistral winds can affect floering in cold, damp early summer and can damage leaves and grapes at end of ripening (Gamay has thin skins)
Low trained vines to prevent wind danaged
Alsace Climate
Continental Climate
Warm, sunny, and dry from Vosges Mountain rain shadow
600mm of rain per year
summer drought can be an issue, and there is no irrigation for AOC wines
Some rain risk during flowering and fruit set.
Loire Climate
Pays Nantais: Cool maritime, with cool springs, warm and humid summers, and rain through the growing season. Especially a risk during flowering and harvest .
Spring frosts can be a problem despite maritime climate.
Anjour-Saumur and Touraine: Becomes more continental the more inland you go. Anjour-Saumur is more maritime, while Touraine is continental with cold winers and warm summers. Both have 700mm of rainfall. Rain risk at flowering and fruit set, and harvest.
Central vineyards: the most continental.
Rhone Valley Climate
Northern Rhone: Moderate Continental with cold winters and warm summers. Adequate rainfall in autumn and winter. Cold Mistral from the north reducing fungal disease and decreases vine vigour and yield.
Southern Rhone: Warm Mediterranean with mild winters and warm sunny summers and autumns. Drought can be a problem and there are fewer hills to protect from the Mistral.
South of France
Languedoc: Mediterranean, with high sunshine, rain below 600mm, very warm summers. Low moisture and cool, dry Tramonte wind reduce fungal disease.
Roussillon: warm, windy, Mediterranean, 500-600mm rainfall (moderate), high sunshine hours, high winds and low rainfall mean less fungal disease (but also yield and therefore income).
Provence: Warm Mediterranean with adequate rainfall and the Mistral providing a cooling influence (but can interrupt flowering & fruit set and therefore yield). Some altitudes up to 400m help moderate the heat.
Southwest France
South of Bordeaux, more Atlantic influence as the land is flat.
Bergerac, Monbazillac, and Cahors (only 200mm of rain) have less Atlantic influence, warmer climates, and less rain
Madiran: 1000 mm of rainfall, some Atlantic influence
Jurancon: mild, humid climate with 1200mm of rainfall that can affect flowering and fruit set.
Jura
Moderate Continental with relatively high rainfall (1100mm). Early summer rain can threaten flowering and fruit set. Excessive rain means more work in the vineyard, more weeds, and fungal disease is a hazard. Hail and spring frost are also hazards.
Germany
Cool continental. Rivers are a moderating influence, as is altitude. Spring frosts are a major risk. 500-800mm of rainfall, mostly during the growing season. Long dry autumns.
Austria
Cool continental. Cool northerly winds in the northern regions (Weinvertal) and warmer Adriatic breezes in the south. Eastern regions (Burgenland) influenced by warmer climate, with cool Alpine breezes in the west.
Hazards include spring frosts and hail (in Steiermark especially.)
Tokaj
Moderate Continental. warm summers and cold winters, sheltered from coldest breezes by the mountains.
Must have southern, south-eastern, or south-western slopes for sunshine exposure, since altitude is so high. 1400-1500 sunshine hours in the growing season.
Rainfall 400-500mm per year, mostly during growing season. No irrigation permitted.
Warm and dry autumns. Fog and sunny afternoons ideal for botrytis.
Tisza and Bodrog rivers meet in Tokaj - often flood to create marshes.
Greece
Mediterranean with long hot summers. Inland, more continental. Spring frosts a hazard in northern regions.
Varied climate/weather in each region. Santorini is dry, but other regions 400-700mm of rain per year.
