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Certified Sommelier > France - Alsace > Flashcards

France - Alsace Flashcards

1
Q

Explain the climate of Alsace

A

The Vosge mountains create a rain shadow effect causing Alsace to have a Continental Climate and to be one of the driest wine producing areas in France.

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2
Q

Name the two best know vineyard towns of Alsace

A

Ribeauville and Riquewihr

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3
Q

What town is known as the business center of Alsace

A

Colmar

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4
Q

In what year was the AOC system introduced in Alsace

A

1965

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5
Q

What is the local soil type found throughout the region in Alsace?

A

Gres de Voges-pink sandstone

also geological mosaic of granite, limestone, schist, clay, gravel, chalk and loess exist.

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6
Q

Explain the style of Alsace wines

A

The wines are made by very natural methods and are not so highly fined or filtered as their German counterparts. They always have a mineral character and frequently display an oily texture on the palate. The wines are exceedingly fragrant, minerally with a complexity of flavours, and at least a light spiciness.

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7
Q

True of false:

Chaptalization is permitted in al wines but Vendagne Tardive (VT) and Selection de Grains Noble (SGN)

A

True

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8
Q

AOC Alsace

A

Must have a minimum alcohol content of 8.5 and must be made from one of the permitted grape varieties or a blend of two or more of these.

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9
Q

What are the permitted grape varieties for Alsace AOC

A 
Riesling
Gewurztraminer
Pinot Gris
Muscat
Sylvaner
Pinot Blanc (Clevner or Klevner)
Pinot Noir
Chasselas (Gutedel)
Auxerrois
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10
Q

What are the two départements of the région of Alsace?

A

Bas-Rhin in the north (main city Strasbourg)

Haut-Rhin in the south (main town Colmar)

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11
Q

Pinot Blanc may be a blend of?

A

Pinot Blanc with Auxerrois, Pinot Gris and/or Pinot NOir.

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12
Q

Pure Pinot Blanc is usually sold under the label?

A

Clevner or Klevner

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13
Q

Gentil is a blend of?

A

Two or more grape varieties and contains a minimum of 50% Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris and/or Muscat (noble varieties) but is not an AOC. The base wines must be vinified separately

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14
Q

What are the noble varieties?

A

Riesling
Gewurztraminer
Pinot Gris
Muscat (Muscat Blanc a petits Grains, Muscat Rose a petits Grains or Muscat Ottonel)

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15
Q

What does the term Edelzwicker mean

A

Noble mixture is a blend of two or more of the noble varieties. Usually an inexpensive blend which does not need to be vintage dated.

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16
Q

When were the Alsace Grand Crus AOP’s designated

A

1975 - Single vineyard Schlossberg
1983 - Another 24 Grand Crus followed
1992 - An additional 25 Grand Crus are established
2007 - The 51st Grand Cru “Kaefferkopf” is added to the system

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17
Q

How many Grand Cru AOP’s are there in the Alsace

A

51

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18
Q

True or False:

Hand harvesting is mandatory for all Grand Cru wines

A

True

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19
Q

What is the minimum alcohol content for Riesling and Muscat Grand Cru wines

A

11%

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20
Q

What is the minimum alcohol content for Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris Grand Cru wines

A

12,5%

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21
Q

What grape variety has been excepted for the Grand Cru of Zotzenberg?

A

Sylvaner. A blend of Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Sylvaner is also permitted.

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22
Q

What blend is permitted for the Grand Cru of Altenberg de Bergheim

A

The noble varieties may be blended with Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir

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23
Q

AC Cremant

A

The appellation for sparkling wine, which has a secondary fermentation in the bottle (champagne methode).

The permitted varietals are:
Auxerrois
Pinot Blanc
Pinot Gris
Pinot Noir
Riesling
Chardonnay

Pinot Blanc is a good and common base for Cremant de Alsace, Riesling gives the strongest flavour, Pinot Noir is used for the Rose style

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24
Q

What is the smallest Grand Cru of Alsace?

A

Knazlerberg (3ha)

25
Q

What is the biggest Grand Cru of Alsace?

A

Schlossberg (80ha)

26
Q

What is Klevener de Heilingenstein Klevener?

A

The Alsatian name for the Savagnin Rose grape, which is slightly less pungent and spicy than Gewurztraminer and is grown in the village of Heiligenstein, but no replanting of this grape will be permitted after 2021

27
Q

Vendange Tardive (VT)

A

May be added on the label. The grapes are left on the vine in a good year with a warm autumn to allow the grapes to become overripe and attract Botrytis Cinerea. Only the noble varieties may be used for these wines. It can range from dry to sweet and is of a very high quality, among which Gewurztraminer is the most common example. Generally high in alcohol with a honeyed bouquet.

Min sugar content at harvest must be:

235 g/L for Riesling and Muscat grapes
275 g/L for Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris grapes

Chaptalization is not permitted!

28
Q

Selecton de Grain Nobles (SGN)

A

The grapes are left on the vine to become overripe, some of them are attacked by Botrytis Cinerea to give pourriture noble or noble rot and are picked in tries as in Sauternes.

Min sugar content at harvest must be:

276 g/L for Riesling and Muscat
306 g/L for Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris

SGN wines are only made in exceptional years. Chaptalization is not permitted

29
Q

Grand Cru AOC

A

Are required to show the name of the vineyard and the vintage on the label. If the wine is sold by the grape name, the wine must by law made from 100 procent of that varietal, with the exception of Pinot Blanc which may be blended partly or solely with Auxerrois.

30
Q

Mouelleux

A

Must be stated on the label of any wine which has a minimum of 12g/L of residual sugar, other than Riesling wines for which the minimum is 9g/L. If the acid content is more than 6g/L, the minimum residual sugar is 18g/L

31
Q

Chasselas

A

Grape variety that is not as highly exported as the other grape varieties. No new plantings of this variety are permitted.

32
Q

What is ‘Pinot’ in Alsace?

A 
A wine made from one or more of the following varieties:
Pinot Blanc
Pinot Gris
Pinot Noir (vinified white)
Auxerrois
33
Q

What is AOC Alsace Communale?

A

New sub-zones (2012) where certain varieties grown in the sub-zone can list this geographic origin on the label. There are 13 sub-zones.

34
Q

What are the 13 sub-zones listed as AOC Alsace Communale? Which are designated for white wine, which for red, and which for both?

A 
Blanc Wines only: 
Blienschwiller, 
Côtes de Barr, 
Klevener de Heiligenstein, 
Scherwiller, 
Vallée Noble, 
Val Saint Grégoire, 
Wolxheim, 
Coteaux du Haut Koenigsbourg, 
Bergheim

Rouge Wines only:
Ottrott,
Rodern,
Saint-Hippolyte

Blanc and Rouge Wines:
Côte de Rouffach

35
Q

Which 5 Alsace communes can produce Klevener de Heiligenstein?

A

Heiligenstein itself, Bourgheim, Gertwiller, Goxwiller, and Obernai.

36
Q

What is Schillerwein as produced in Alsace?

A

A rosé-style wine made from Pinot Noir, also called ‘clairet’.

37
Q

What is the driest city in France?

A

Colmar, Capital of Haut-Rhin

38
Q

What percent of AOP wine in Alsace is white?

A

90%

39
Q

what is the former name of Pinot Gris is Alsace?

A

Tokay d’Alsace, or Tokay Pinot Gris

40
Q

Synonyms for Chasselas in Alsace

A

Gutedel

41
Q

True or False:

Generally the premier wines originate in the Bas-Rhin and over 2/3 of Alsace’s Grand Cru vineyards are located in that département.

A

False; Haut-Rhin

42
Q

True or False

Steeper mountain slopes are generally composed of schist, granite, and volcanic sediment.

A

True

43
Q

The lower slopes sit on a ___ base.

A

Limestone

44
Q

What type of soil is found in the plain at the base of the mountains?

A

Richer alluvial clay and gravel soils

45
Q

Even if bottled as a single variety, Auxerrois maybe accorded what title on the label?

A

Pinot Blanc

46
Q

What is the most planted grape in Alsace?

A

Riesling

47
Q

Alsatian AOP las mandates from 2008 forward, that standard Riesling wines must be ___ in style.

A

Dry

48
Q

Compare Muscat and Gewurtzraminer.

A

Both highly aromatic; Muscat shows fragrant floral and grapey notes whereas Gerwurtzraminer tends toward perfumed, sweet spices, and tropical fruit. Both are lower in acidity, but Gewurtzraminer is higher in alcohol and more likely to be off-dry.

49
Q

What is a synonym for Savagnin?

A

Klevener

50
Q

Savagnin Rosé (or Klevener de Heiligenstein) is ___ intensely aromatic than Gewurtzraminer but ___ in acidity.

A

Less; Higher

51
Q

Which producer is one of the staunchest advocates of using the field blend approach as a means of emphasizing Alsatian terroir?

A

Marcel Deiss

52
Q

True or False

It is required by law that Grand Cru AOP wines are produced only from the noble Alsatian grapes and are typically single-varietal wines.

A

False; it is no longer required by law

53
Q

Which Grand Crus may blend according the certain prescribed proportions?

A

Altenberg de Bergheim and Kaefferkopf

54
Q

What happened to the actual number of Alsace Grand Cru AOPs in 2011? What was the significance?

A

Increased from 1 to 51 as each vineyard received its own appellation and cahier des charges, pivoting from the Chablis model to that of the Côte d’Or. This shift may ease further restrictions or expansions of the grape varieties, yields? And techniques allowed for each Grand Cru

55
Q

True or False:

Some producers choose not to utilize Grand Cru labeling.

A

True, some producers feel the politics of vineyard selection outweighed the specificity of the site

56
Q

Trimbach traditionally released their Riesling Clos-Ste-Hune as ___ AOP without any mention of the large ___ on the label.

A

Alsace AOP; Rosacker Grand Cru

57
Q

___ may contribute to the Cremant d’Alsace AOP, although ___ is the workhorse for these sparking wines.

A

Pinot Noir; Pinot Blanc

58
Q

True or False:

Sparkling wine production has developed into a profitable and expansive pursuit for Alsatian houses.

A

True; They command nearly a quarter share of the appellation’s output

Certified Sommelier (35 decks)

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