France: Rhone Valley Flashcards
What is the climate of the Northern Rhone
Continental
What is the climate of the Southern Rhone?
Mediterranean
What soils are found in the Nothern Rhone?
Granite and Schist
Northern or Southern Rhone: known for its steep hillside vineyards.
Northern Rhone
Northern or Southern Rhone: known for rolling hills.
Southern Rhone
What soils do you find in the Southern Rhone?
GALETS, alluviums, and limestone
What is the name of the fierce wind that pummels through the Northern Rhone?
The Mistral
Northern or Southern Rhone: vines are usually bush-trained (gobelet) to provide shade and conserve water.
Southern Rhone
Northern or Southern Rhone: vines are trained via stakes in the ground (echalas trellis).
Northern Rhone
True or False: modern plantings in the Southern Rhone Valley are trellised instead of bush-trained.
True. Depending on economics.
True or False: wines of the Southern Rhone are usually co-fermented.
False. Co-fermentation is more common in the Northern Rhone.
True or False: wines of the Southern Rhone are often blends.
True
What are the three main white grapes of the Northern Rhone?
Viognier
Marsanne
Rousanne
What is the primary red grape variety of the Northern Rhone?
Syrah
What are the primary red grape varieties of the Southern Rhone?
Grenache
Mourvedre
Cinsault
Name 3 main white grapes used in the Southern Rhone.
Grenache Blanc
Bourboulenc
Picpoul Blanc
Clairette Blanche
Name the Cru AOCs of the Northern Rhone and what styles of wine do they produce?
Listed north to south:
Cote-Rotie
-Red
Condrieu
-White
Chateau-Grillet (within Condrieu)
-White
Saint-Joseph
-Red & White
Crozes-Hermitage
-Red and White
Hermitage (within Crozes-Hermitage)
-Red and White
Cornas
-Red (syrah only)
Saint-Peray
- white
What is the primary grape of Condrieu AOC?
Viognier
What is the primary grape of Cote-Rotie AOC?
Syrah
What are the primary grapes of Saint-Joseph?
Syrah (red)
Marsanne (white)
Roussanne (white)
Which Southern Rhone Cru AOC only produces rose?
Tavel AOC
Which Southern Rhone AOCs produce Vin du Naturels?
Rasteau AOC and Baumes-de-Venise AOC
Which Southern Rhone AOCs produce red blends based on Grenache?
Chateauneuf-du-Pape AOC
Gigondas AOC
Vaqueyras AOC
Lesser knowns:
Vinsobres AOC
Cairanne AOC
Lirac AOC
List the following from lowest elevation to highest elevation:
Cotes-du-Rhone Villages
Cru AOCs
Cotes-du-Rhone AOC
Cotes-du-Rhone AOC
Cotes-du-Rhone Villages
Cru AOCs
What is the minimum % of Grenache allowed in Southern Rhone red wines?
30%
What is the minimum alcohol % of Chateauneuf-du-Pape?
12.5%
What does it mean when the Papal Crest is embossed on a bottle of Chateauneuf-du-Pape?
That the wine is estate-grown
