France Flashcards
amount of wine imported for consumption
3%
per capita consumption
18 gal
wine grape 1st planted
southern France by Greek traders, 600 BC
Roman invasion of Gaul spread viticulture and viniculture
Middle Ages
fall of Roman Empire - Renaissance in AD 1450, churches kept viticulture and enology alive in Gaul and the rest of Europe
During this time, wine was France’s most important exports.
Charlemange
roi des Francs à partir de 768; devient par conquête roi des Lombards en 774; couronné empereur à Rome par le pape Léon III le 25 décembre 800
brought stability to Gaul; introduced 1st wine laws, encouraged wine exportation
- no more stumping by feet –> wine press
- no more animal skin containers –> cooperage
1152
Eleanor (Aliénor) of Aquitaine
+
Henri of Anjou (later English King Henry II)
active exchange of wine and other goods; English began long-lasting appreciation of Bordeaux wines
the Dutch
shipment of Bordeaux wines to other northern ports, eg. Amsterdam
primogeniture
长子继承权, Napoleonic Code abolished it after French Revolution (1789-1791)
now all children of a landowner, including daughters, inherit equal amounts
did not affect quality / popularity of French wines
late 1800s
introduction of phylloxera when avid botanists in Victorian England collected specimens of American vines in the 1850s
devastated vineyards in Britain and then moved to the European mainland
origion of AOC
fraud became evident early 1890s
certain French place-names acquired panache, international demand rose
1911, riots, grape growers in Champagne –> gov. decree: the name “Champagne” can only be used if all grapes used are from there
revolution, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
沙托纳迪帕普, une commune française, située dans le département de Vaucluse et la région Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur
during Avignon papacy, John XXII built summer palace outside the city, on foundations of an old castle, tended to the old vineyard, began wine production in this region
red wine, after WWI, 1923, similar to 1911 Chamgpagne riots, est. grape varietals and techniques allowed, became model for national system
négociant
a merchant who acts as middleman b/t grape growers, producers, shippers
during Great Depression, bought cheaper grapes from outside areas, sold wine as sth far more expensive than merited
INAO
Institut national des appellations d’origine (des vins et eaux-de-vie)
est. 1935, under Ministry of Agriculture
since 2007: Institut national de l’origine et de la qualité
terroir
- soil
- sun exposure
- drainage of air & water
- shelter from elements (eg. wind, rain)
AOC
> 1/3 national production
- 100% approved grapes
- all grown w/i limited zone
- grapes picked at minimum sugar level; reach minimal must weight & alcohol level
- limit on yield per hectare
- approved methods: viticulture, viniculture
- wine bottled in the same AOC
- tasting test INAO, not necesarrily quality, but reflects character of AOC
grand / premier cru
w/i an AOC, rated vineyards w particularly impressive quality
QWPSR
Quality Wine Produced in a Specific Region
EU designation for VDQS and AOC / AOP wines; production method, management, geographical locations
fundamental role: differentiating quality wines from table wines
French Wine Laws
NOT to guarantee quality, but rather, making sure wines carrying a region’s name be typical of that region
protects grower / producer more than consumer
blend
vs
single varietal
blends: Mediterranean influenced zones
single varietal: cooler, continentally influenced regions
typical bottle shapes
cave (coopérative)
co-operated winery
récolte
vintage
récoltant
vine-grower (and, outside France, winemaker)
domaine
vineyard holding, Burgundy’s generally smaller-scale answer to château
propriétaire-récoltant
owner-vine-grower
Quality Designations
- Appllation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) = EU’s AOP; regulated in geographical origin, varietal make-up, production methods
- Indication Géographique Protégée (IGP): replacing Vin de Pays; non-traditional variaties and higher yields allowed
- Vin / Vin de France: replacing Vin de Table; variety and vintage may be stated
millésime
vintage year
