France - Loire Valley Flashcards
What is the Climate type of the Loire Valley?
Maritime in the western part
Continental in the eastern part
What are the top white grape varietals of the Loire Valley?
Sauvignon Blanc
Chenin Blanc
Melon de Bourgogne (Muscadet)
What is the top red grape varietals of the Loire Valley?
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Sauvignon
Gamay
What is the longest river in France and what region is it located?
The Loire River it flows from east to west and it’s located in the Loire Valley
Where does the Loire River began?
Massif Central - a mountainous region in south central France
What are the top 2 producing 100% Sauvignon Blanc regions in the Loire Valley?
Pouilly - Fume
Sancerre
Where did Chenin Blanc get its name from?
Mount Chenin - small mountain located in the Loire River Valley
What area in the Loire Valley is dedicated to 100% Chenin Blanc wines?
The Middle Loire
Anjou - Saumar - Savennières
- dry white wines
Touraine - Vouvray
- dry to sweet white wines
What AOC region make the top dessert wines?
Coteaux du Layon
Subregions
- Bonnezeaux
- Quartes de Chaume
What is the top AOC in the Loire Valley for producing Cabernet Franc?
Anjou - Saumur - Chinon
What is Melon de Bourgonge?
- A white grape that originated in Burgundy but is now grown in the Loire Valley.
- Primarily grown in the western region of the Loire Valley in Pay Nantais in the AOC of Muscadet
- Also is called Muscadet
What is the nickname of the Loire Valley
The Garden of France
What is the furtherest western AOC in the Loire Valley?
Muscadet
What is the furtherest eastern AOC in the Loire Valley?
Sancerre and Pouilly - Fume
What are some other names for Chenin Blanc in the Loire Valley?
Pineau d’Anjou - Chenin Noir
Pineau de la Loire - Chenin Blanc
What are some other names for Cabernet Franc in the Loire Valley?
- Bouchet
- Breton
- Bouchy
What is the climate type of the Upper Loire (Central Vineyards)?
Cool - Continental
What is the major city in the Upper Loire (Central vineyards)?
Orleans
How did the Upper Loire get its name?
Cause it sets in the center of France, not in the center of the Loire Valley
Note:
Another name the Upper Loire is called: vins du Centre - wines from the center
What is the soil types of the Upper Loire?
Western: Silex (Flint) , Limestone (Caillotte)
Eastern: Kimmeridgan Limestone (Terre Blanches)
True or False
You can make red wines in Pouilly Fume?
False - it is only legal to make white wines in Pouilly Fume
What is the main red grape varietal for Sancerre?
Pinot Noir
What side of the Loire River does Sancerre set on?
Western Bank
What type of red wines are made in Sancerre?
- traditional dry wines
- Rośe
All made from the Pinot Noir and Gamay grape
What does Fume mean?
Smoke
What bank does Pouilly - sur - Loire set on?
The Eastern Bank
What is the name of the famous subregion in Pouilly - sur - Loire?
Pouilly - Fume
What is the dominate soil type in Pouilly - Fume?
Silex (Flint)
What is the main grape in Pouilly - sur - Loire?
Chasselas
What type of flavor does Pouilly - Fume wines give and what causes it?
Smoke flavor and due to the silex in the soil, that causes the flavor to have that smokey taste
What is the main city in Touraine?
Tours
Where does the weather shift in the Loire Valley from Maritime to Continental?
Touraines
What is the largest area in the Loire Valley?
Touraines with 150 AOC regions
What type of wines are produced in the Touraines?
Red
White
Rośe
What is the red grape varietal in Touraine?
Cabernet Franc
What AOC regions in Touraine produce Red wines?
Chinon, Bourgueil, St. Nicolas-de-Bourgueil
What is the white grape varietal used mostly in Touraines?
Chenin Blanc
What appellations in Touraines make white wine?
Vouvray
Montlouis
What area is known as the little sister of Vouvray and why?
Montlouis - they produce a lesser quality Chenin Blanc than Vouvray
What is the most common style of Vouvray made?
Medium Dry
True or False
Almost all Medium -sweet Vouvray wines are the product of Botrytis Cinerea “Noble Rot”
True
What champagne method to they use in Vouvray to make their sparkling wines?
Mèthode Traditionnelle
A fully carbonated wine from Vouvray is called
Mousseaux
Sparkling wines with more of a slightly fizzy carbonation are called?
Pètillant
True or False
Chinon only produces red wines?
False
Chinon makes red wines from Cabernet Franc and a little Cabernet Sauvignon
Chinon makes white wines from Chenin Blanc
True or False
Wine produced in Saumar may be bottled under the Anjou Appellation?
True
Coteaux du Layon produces what types of grapes
Chenin Blanc
Pouilly Fume produces what type of grapes?
Sauvignon Blanc
Bourgueil produces what kind of grapes
Cabernet Franc (Petit Breton)
Muscadet Sèvre - et- Maine produces what type of grapes?
Melon du Bourgogne
Cour - Cheverny produces what kind of grapes?
Romorantin
Menetou - Salon is located in what region of the Loire Valley?
Central Vineyards - Upper Loire
Name an appellation that produces sweet wines within the Coteaux du Layon?
Quarts du Chaume
What is the dominant soil of Vouvray?
Tuffeau rocks - a type of limestone that forms the face of the cliffs in Vouvray
What type of wines does St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil produce?
Red wines
What is the main grape of Pouilly-sur-Loire?
Chasselas
Pinot Noir produces what kind of wine in the Central Vineyards?
Sancerre Rouge
Savennieres is located in what region of the Loire Valley?
Anjou
What is the Primary red grape of Chinon?
Cabernet Franc (Breton)
Savennieres
Quarts de Chaume
Bonnezeuax
Coteaux du Layon
Coteaux de l’Aubance
Are all appellation in what part of the Loire Valley?
Anjou - Saumar
What is the main in the appellation of Anjou - Saumar?
Anjou
What are the Primary White Grape Varieties of Loire Valley
Chenin Blanc
Melon de Bourgogne (Muscadet) note: Muscadelle is a grape from Bordeaux! DO NOT CONFUSE!!!!
Sauvignon Blanc
What are the 4 regions of the Loire Valley
- Pay Nantais - Lower Loire
- Anjou - Saumur - Middle Loire
- Touraine - Middle Loire
- Central Vineyards - Upper Loire
What is Frances longest river and where does it flow
The Loire River - 629 mile river that starts in the Massif Central to the Atlantic Ocean
What is the French name of the Loire Valley
Jardin de la France - “Garden of France”
What region in France produces the most white wines
Loire Valley
What region is second only to Champagne in sparkling wine production
Loire Valley
What are some secondary grapes of Loire Valley and where are they grown
Orbois - Touraine AOC, Cremant de Loire, and Vin de Pays du Loir et Cher
Romorantin - Cour - Cheverny AOC
Chardonnay - all over Loire Valley
Gros Plant ( Folle Blanche) - western Loire Valley
Chasselas - Pouilly - sur - Loire
What is the alternate name of Pineau d’Aunis
Chenin Noir
What is the main city in Pays Nantais
Nantes
What is the main grape of Pays Nantais
Melon de Bourgonge (Muscadet) ⚪
Muscadet AOP
Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire AOP
Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu AOP
Muscadet Sèrve-et-Maine AOP
These are the 4 appellations for what region in Loire Valley
Pays Nantais
What is the average abv for wines from Pays Nantais and why
12% abv or below
- to ensure lighter, fresher character
Of the 4 appellations of Muscadet, which one accounts over 80% of Muscadet production
Muscadet Sèrve-et-Maine AOP
What are the main rivers of Pays Nantais
Loire River
Maine River
Sèrve River
What are the main rivers that have a major influence on the wines from Muscadet Sèrve-et-Maine
Maine River
Sèrve River