Fundamentals Flashcards
Which people are credited with the invention of the water tight, rollable, stackable wooden cast for the storage and transport of the foodstuffs, a vessel they utilized as of 350 BCE?
The Celts who settled in a significant portion of France circa 1200 BCE.
What mathematical shape France is affectionately referred to?
L’Hexabone (the hexagon) due to its six-sided shape.
What increasingly damaging climatic condition Bourgogne has been beset with due to global warming?
And what condition has been experienced in Rhone and Lauguedoc in 2003 and 2018/2019 respectively?
- Hailstorms
- Floods
Which people established the vineyards in South-West France, Bordeaux, Bourgogne and the Loire by the 1st Century CE?
The Romans
What three scourges caused drastic reduction in total production, an exodus to other countries starting from 1850s?
- Powdery Mildew/Oidium
- Phylloxera (1863)
- Downy Mildew/Peronspera (1882)
What was a by-product of Mini Ice Age Northern Europe experienced especially cold periods in 1650, 1770 and 1850 as far as vinifcation was concerned?
It resulted in incomplete fermentations which resuscitated in spring, setting the stage for the development of sparkling wines.
Which grape variety took poorly to American rootstock and its planting dropped to 3% from 33% in the Southern Rhone?
Mourvedre
What river is the longest in France?
The Loire River approximately 620 mi/1,000 km
How many administrative regions France is divided into?
13
What are beneifts of the Mistral ? (up to 3)
The Mistral chases away clouds, dust and diesase producing humidity to deliver sunny skies, dry weather and clear air.
True or False:
Most quality vineyards are planted on shallow, moderately fertile soils.
True
What resulted after the Cathars crusade?
Cathars lived in an area along the Mediterranean but were considered to be heretics. Pope Innocent III initiated a formal crusade against them in 1209, slaughtering men, women and children. The land they occupied Occitania was annexed into the growing nation of France.
What is the prevailing wind that blows across much of France reaching as far inland as Champagne in the north and Languedoc in the south?
Westerlies
What two south winds that Languedoc and Roussilon experience?
- Marin
- Autan
How did the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) impact Alsace?
The Thirty Years War resulted from the Protestant Reformation movement and again decimated Europe’s population. Alsace previously quite prosperous was ravaged. In the peace treaty that followed Alsace became a northeastern vineyard of France rather than a southwestern vineyard of Germany and the French king gave land grants to whoever would settle there.