France Flashcards
Identify the quality levels of french wine.
Vignobles de France or Vin de Table de France. The next is Indication Geographique Protegee formerly Vin de Pays. The next is Appellation d’Origine Protegee formerly Appellation d’Origine Controlee. Vin de Limite de Qualite Superier was on the step to AOP classification but is now being disassembled.
Define negociant.
Someone who buys grapes or wines and blends or bottles themselves under their own label. Can be very involved or barely so.
Identify the AOCs of Alsace.
Cremant d’Alsace, method traditional, usually pinot blanc blend. Grand Cru, usually 100% single varietal but blends are allowed however 2 blended grand cru vineyards are not allowed. Alsace AOC, Vin de Table AOC, Vine de Pays AOC.
Identify 3 things that an AOC may regulate.
Origin of grapes, grape species, harvest dates, yield, viniculture and viticulture techniques, alcohol and sugar levels, classifications.
Name the “noble grapes” of Alsace.
Pinot gris (aka tokay d’alsace), muscat, riesling, gewurztraminer, sylvaner in zotzenberg.
Describe the typical style of Alsatian wines.
Alsatian wines are typically aromatic still whites, a little boozier, drier, and riper than their german counterparts.
Define Vendange Tardive.
Vendange Tardive is a late harvest wine, richer and full bodied in style, sometimes sweet but not always. ALways only noble grapes, sometimes not always grand cru.
Define Selections de Grains Nobles
Selections de Graines Nobles are dessert wines from botrytised grapes, noble grapes only. Can be grand cru as well.
Identify a sparkling AOC wine of the Loire.
Cremant de Loire, rose de loire, saumur mousseaux, Vouvray.
Describe a synonym for the grape called Muscadet.
Melon de bourgogne, typically sur lie.
Describe the best area for Muscadet.
Sevre-et-maine, 65% of all muscadet production.
Identify the grapes of Sancerre and another AOC making similar wine.
Dry whites from Sauvignon Blanc, almost exactly the same as Pouilly fume, usually slightly higher in altitude. Sometimes close to Chablis.
Identify the grape of Vouvray and the other sub regions using this grape.
8 communes which produce whites from Chenin Blanc, both in Touraine. Savennieres, Montlouis- sur-Loire both also uses Chenin Blanc.
Name the AOC of Coulee de Serrant and Roche aux Moines and its sub region.
Both in Savenierres, making Chenin BlancClos de la Coulee de Serrant AOC from Nicholas Joly. La Roche aux Moines AOC from 3 owners.
Describe Kimmeridgian, Tuffeau, and Silex soils.
Kimmeridgian is a limestone and fossil based soil, full of crushed oyster shells. Silex is flinty. Tuffeau is harder white limestone.
Offer two wines from different Loire AOCs for cabernet franc.
Chinon AOC, Bourgueil AOC, St. Nicholas de Bourgueil AOC, Cheverny, Couer de Cheverny.
Suggest two AOCs for botrytized Loire wines.
All under Coteaux du Layon AOC: Quarts de Chaume, Loire’s first grand cru. Bonnezeaux, and Coteaux du Layon Village all have botrytised wines.
Name the sub-regions of Burgundy.
Chablis, Cote de Beaune, Cote de Nuits, Cote Chalonnaise, Maconnais, Beaujolais.
Describe the sparkling wine of Burgundy.
Cremant de Bourgogne, usually a blend of pinot gris, pinot noir, pinot blanc, chardonnay, sacy and others.
Name the still wine regional AOC of Burgundy.
Bourgogne AOP.
Mention the best type of soil in the Chablis region.
Kimmeridgean, the limestone and oyster based soil.
Discuss features of the main white grape of Burgundy.
Chardonnay. chameleon.
Name the AOC for Sauvignon Blanc in Burgundy.
Saint Bris.
Describe the portion of the Cote d’Or best known for whites.
Cote de Beaune.
Suggest a GC Chablis. Suggest 1 GC Cote de Beaune with vtg and producer. Suggest 1 Cote de Nuits with vtg and producer.
WIlliams Fevre 09 Vaudesir Grand Cru Chablis. Domaine Laflaive GC Montrachet from Puligny Montrachet 09. DRC 09 from village of Vosne Romanee.
Briefly discuss the history of the area: monks, napoleonic law, etc.
After the fall of rome, much of the land was given to the Cistercian and Benedictine monks. They were the ones who began to not only make wine but keep record of the production and also of the results of different vineyard. It was here that the development of a terroir driven wine was conceived. After the French Revolution in 1789, the anti aristocracy, anti papal french republic sold of much of the land to the wealthier merchant class. Napoleonic code is instated in 1804, ending primageniture and making it so parcels of land become so divided.
Name the portion of the Cote d’Or best known for reds.
Cote de nuits.
State what is different about Corton and Musigny compared to the other Grand Cru of their respective districts.
Corton is the only grand cru in the Cote de beaune which makes a grand cru red and Musigny is the only grand cru in the cote de nuits which makes a grand cru white.
Explain the background of the hyphenated village names.
Beginning in Gevrey- Chambertin, in 1848, the village of Gevrey tacked on the name of its most famous vineyard, so as to increase its popularity. When it worked, other villages did the same. The commune aoc will be the double barrel name but the vineyard or grand cru will only carry the vineyard name.
Name AOCs of the Cote de Beaune
Aloxe- Corton Beaune, Pommard, Volnay, Chassagne Montrachet, Meursault, Puligny Montrachet, St. Aubin, Pernand- Vergelesses, Savigney-les-Beaune, Monthelie, Santenay, Auxey- Duresses.
Discuss marl soil in the context of the growing of Pinot Noir.
Marl is a combination of limestone and clay, Pinot does well on limestone and the clay helps hold on to some water which is necessary in Burgundy where dry farming is ecouraged.
State the rules concerning production of Bourgogne Passetoutgrains.
One third Pinot Noir, 2/3 of Gamay.
Suggest top vintages for your guests since 1990.
2005, 2009.
Suggest wines from the AOC of the Cote Chalonnaise.
Mercurey, Givry, Rully, Bouzeron (Aligote), Montagney. Whites only are Montagny and Bouzeron’s Aligote.
Suggest wines from the well known AOCs of the Maconnais.
Macon, Macon Villages, Macon Superieur with Village designation (27 out of 84), St. Veran, Vire- Clesse, Pouilly Fuisse, Pouilly Loche, Pouilly Vinzelles.
Discuss the character of the red grape of Beaujolais.
Gamay which loves granite soil.
Describe the production/ style difference of Beaujolais Nouveau.
Beaujolais Nouveau, released the 3rd Thursday of every November is a fresh light style of wine. In order to get the wines out in time for this release date, sometimes quality is sacrificed. The wine is carbonically maceration, or undergoes whole cluster fermentation with stems and skins and all. This crushes the grapes at the bottom first, and there the fermentation is started. Soon enough the yeasts begin to make their way inside of the grapes where the fermentation begins in side of the fruit until the energy conversion make the grapes explode. THis gives the wine some structure and rich fruit character but at its worst can taste like banana syrup.
Propose a cru beaujolais to your guest along with a vintage and producer.
Morgon from Foillard, 2009.
State the best soil type of Beaujolais.
Granite.