Fundamentals Flashcards
Describe the impact the Celts, Phocaeans, Romans and Franks had in the expansion of wine culture in France
Celts - Credited with the invention of the rollable stackable wooden cask as of 350 BCE
Phocaeans - Greeks from Asia minor established a colony called Massalia (modern day Marseille) in 600BCE the goal was trade not conquest
Romans- brought in by the Phocaeans when they were threatened by the neighbours. Rome sent legionaries and established what is now Provence. Rome wasn’t satisfied with just holding the border and started pressing inland and planting vineyards as they went
By the 1st Century CE where had Romans established Vineyards
South West France
Bordeaux
Bourgogne
Loire
By the second century CE one region in France (occupied by the Romans) was producing enough wine to export, which one?
Alsace
When was Champagne first under vine? Who planted?
End of the 4th Beginning of the 5th BCE
Romans
What led to the church taking over wine growing?
The slow decline of the Roman empire
What was Gaul
The parts of France controlled by Celts
When Rome fell Gaul was was attacked by invaders, what tribes united and under who to take control?
Germanic tribes united under Clovis
T or F Clovis was successful in his conquest of Gaul?
True - He became what many consider the first king of France
According to Legend Clovis made a deal with God to convert to Christianity if he was victorious? Where did he make this deal?
Reims
How was Wine involved in Clovis making a deal with God?
Bishop Remi of Reims brokered the deal and blessed a cask of wine saying as long as the cask did not run dry Clovis would be successful.
Clovis was baptised where?
Reims
What are the two impacts of Clovis being baptized
1) being baptized in Reims forever established Champagne as a wine of celebrationb and Reims was where kings were coronated from now on
2) being baptized made France one religion- christianity
What name is derived from Clovis? How many french kings have taken this name?
Louis - 18
Where do ‘table manners’ come from?
Clovis introduced France to the concept of eating while sitting instead of reclining which was the Roman way and so by sitting at a table table manners were developed.
Where did the tradition of farming goats for cheese in the Loire come from?
In the 8th century power had passed to Charles Martel who pushed the moors back across the Pyrenees Charles held the line in Poitiers in the Loire and the Arabs left their goats behind.
When did Charlemagne assume the crown?
Late 8th Century
Where did Charlemagne conquer?
Italy (Lombardy)
Germany (Bavaria)
Was Charlemagne religious?
Yes he was deeply religious
Was Charlemagne supported by the church?
Yes due to his religious fervour while conquering he solidified the strong monastic network and the pope crowned him holy Roman emperor
What pope crowned Charlemagne holy Roman emperor?
Leo III
Why was Charlemagnes empire split?
Due to his death it was split amongst his grandsons
How many grandsons did Charlemagne have?
3
How did the Norseman impact France? And when?
Their constant attacks in the 9th and 10th century led Charles III to offer them a portion of his land in northwest France in exchange for peace - they accepted and Norseman became Norman (Normandy)
What system of government developed from the continued fragmentation of France?
Feudalism
As the feudal dukes and counts gained power how did this impact the throne
As a result of the dukes and counts gaining significant power the king of the Franks was no longer the dominant power in the land.
Describe Van Des Vendanges
As feudalism set in in the middle ages in an effort to simplify collection of taxes the (droit de ban) the right to stop or prohibit was put on the growing of grapes which made every grape grower stop growing or pick their fruit.
Many bans were removed following the French revolution which was not and why
Ban De Vendanges as it helped delay very consistent quality of product in a given year
Who was William the conqueror
Duke of normandy
Who was William the conquerors grandson?
Henry Plantagenet
Who did Henry Plantagenet marry?
Eleanor Duchess of acquitaine
Why was Henry Plantagenets marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine significant?
Their combined land holdings were significant, stretching from Spain up to Normandy and across to Auvergne
Two years after marrying Eleanor of Aquitaine Henry changed, what happened?
He became King Henry II of England
True or false France was united before becoming a country?
False
When did France become a country?
1179
How did France become a country?
King Phillip Augustus was crowned King of France
When was the hundred years war
1337 - 1453
How did the hundred years war start
King of England refused to pay homage to the king of france
How did the hundred years war affect bordeaux
Having been in the hands of England for 300 years eventually the English abandoned Bordeaux and when Bordeaux realised this they surrendered and ended the war and it’s trade with england
Where did the word Claret come from?
When England controlled Bordeaux for 300 years it was common to.blend red and white grapes and not macerate the fruit so the English called the wine Claret coming from the French word for clear or brilliant.
How did champagne stumble upon sparkling wine?
One factor is during the Renaissance northern Europe entered a mini ice age and there were many decades that ferments would stop and then start in spring maybe with wines already bottled or casked. Hence bubbles
When did the thirty years war start?
1618
Why did the thirty years war start?
The rise of John Calvin in France and Martin Luther in Germany, their belief that pope was holy and that sale of I indulgences should be permitted. Many nobles converted to weaken the crown and war broke out
For the purpose of French wine what was the biggest impact of the thirty years war
Alsace was ravaged and changed hands from Germany to France
How did Champagne become enamoured by the court of Louis XIV
He was obsessed with food and all things novel and new and at this time the sparkling wines of champagne had just been invented
What were the two big scientific advancements of the 18th and 19th century for wine and whocmade them
Chaptalization (jean Antoine chaptal)
Discovery of Yeast ( Louis Pasteur (Jura))
Describe the Napoleonic code of inheritance
Meant everything you owned was divided evenly among your children
Was Napoleon’s code of inheritance adopted uniformly across wine regions?
No
How was the Napoleonic code of inheritance adopted differently in Burgundy vs Bordeaux?
Burgundians took it literally and divided their land whereas Bordeaux took it figuratively and divided shares in and kept land and whole
What gave birth to the Burgundian negociant?
The Napoleonic code of inheritance meant land owners had less and less and so would have to sell their fruit as they couldn’t make wine
In what year was the Bordeaux classification
1855
What was the Bordeaux classification initially?
A display of the top 87 Bordeaux wineries listed in order of auction price of their wines in a stand at the Exposition Universelle of 1855 in paris
How did phylloxera change the viticultural landscape of france
Essentially regrafting didn’t always work well so plantings of mouvedre went from 33% to 3% for example and you could not replant a vineyard by Layering (marcorrage) so once a vineyard was in rows it stayed that way
What was the difference in production between 1875 and 1889 why?
84.5 Million Hectolitres to 23.4 Million Hectolitres phylloxera and Mildews
Why was Champagne destroyed in WW1
It was the site of one of the wars most brutal battles. The line moved 90m in 4.5 years. 1/2 million soldiers died
What was a Weinfuhrer?
A German official sent to German occupied France to buy wines at prices set by Germans to then sell on the international market at huge profits.
List the administrative divisions of France from largest to smallest
Regions
Departments
Communes
What is an example of how administrative boundaries of France do not align with the wine regions of france
Southern Beaujolais belongs to the Rhone department of Auvergne Rhone Alpes while the northern portion belongs to the saone et Loire department
France has two basins name them and describe their location
Paris Basin - north
Aquitaine Basin South West
Define a massif
A landform that is resistant to erosion and so is often mountainous
France has two massifs name and describe them
Armorican massif
- west (left arm)
Central Massif
- central moving east to alps
Grabens are what?
Grabens are rift valleys caused by uplift of landmasses that collapse inward causing a valley
France has two important grabens with regards to wine regions which are they and which wine regions sit on them
Upper Rhine graben - Alsace
Saone Graben - Burgundy
For every how many metres in elevation do you get a 0.56C temperature drop
76
Why are Vineyards usually planted on slopes
In hot regions the slopes are cooler (aspect depending)
In cool regions slopes get less frost
Vines prefer free draining soils
The Rhone Valley was created by two geological features combining which were they and when did this happen?
The Rhone glacier slid west into France, collided with the massif central and then turned south deepening the rift valley.
Last ice age
Why is mid slope ideal?
Too high on the slope and it there’s less time for rain to absorb into soil, top low is too much
Soils are neither too deep nor too thin
In higher latitudes the sun is lower in the sky so ample sunlight hits the mid slope
Describe the 2 east facing benefits
Capture gentle early morning sun which helps to warm up the soils early and dry any dew minimising disease pressure.
Describe the pros and cons of South facing slopes
Most sun and most heat but their backs to cool northern winds. Can lack acidity
Describe the pros and cons of North facing slopes
Least sun and least heat most exposure to cool north winds.
Pros and cons of west facing slopes
Cool early mornings but very warm afternoon heat. Some varieties like Pinot do not like this big heat variation
What is the name for a river that flows into a Ocean or a lake
Fleuves
What is the name for a body of water that flows into another river
Rivieres
How do you tell what the left bank vs the right bank of a river is
Facing the direction of the river flow the left bank is on your left
Why does left bank or right bank of a river matter?
Often it comes down to aspect and the direction the banks face however in some regions like bordeaux and the loire it can be about soil type.
What river runs through the Loire Valley
Loire
What river runs through Champagne
Seine
What RIver runs through Burgundy
Saone
What River runs through Bordeaux
The Gironde river meets the Dordogne and flows into the Garonne
What river runs through the rhone valley
Rhone
What river runs through Chablis
Sereine
What two variables of soil contribute most to wine quality
Water Availability and Soil Fertility
Define a warm soil, give an example
A soil type that either reflects / absorbs heat or that has air pockets that heat up quickly. Gravel is a good example of both of these factors
Define a cool soil
A soil that either does not reflect heat and is so dense that it takes a lot of time and or energy to heat up. Clay is a good example of this
What ocean current affects the climate of western Europe
The gulf Stream
What are the three main climates of France
Maritime / Continental / Mediterranean
Describe a Maritime Climate
Small Diurnal, and Yearly Temperature Swings - Even Rainfall across the year - Frequent Storms
Describe a continental climate
Large Diurnal swings and yearly swings - Rain is moderate marginally more rain in warm months than cold. Winter rain often comes as snow
Describe a Mediterranean climate
Bigger daily and annual swings than Maritime but smaller than continental. Only two seasons rainfall is light to moderate and mainly around equinox and through winter.
What are the min max temperatures of photosynthesis
Min - 10 C
Max 35 C
When is a vine most productive photosynthetically speaking
20-30 C
If a vintage is exceedingly hot and or windy will the fruit be ripe or unripe? Explain
The fruit will be unripe as the vine will transpire more moisture through the stomata pores in the leaf and when this happens more than the available water supply the vine will shut down photosynthesis hence ripening will stop.
Describe how Europes mini ice age led to the creation of sparkling wine
A theory postulates that the mini ice age that europe experienced between the 16th century and 17th gave birth to sparkling wine as the harsh winters would stop ferments and then they would restart once in cask creating bubbles.
How did the winter freeze of 1956 affect the Loire Valley, Bordeaux and Rhone
Bordeaux lost all of its malbec and replanted with merlot
What region is impacted by the Mistral
Rhone Valley
Does the Mistral truly blow south
Technically the MIstral is the result of warm air in the mediterranean sea pulling the cold air above the north sea in an effort to equalise atmospheric pressure
What is the top speed of the mistral
96 kph
What is the ‘bon probleme’
THe name for global warming when it began as the french winemakers embraced it as it helped achieve ripeness.
What has been the impact of climate change in france
Increases in frost, floods and hailstorms plus increased average temperatures
Parents of Aligote
Pinot x Gouais Blanc
Parents of Auxerrois
Pinot x Gouais Blanc
Parents of Chardonnay
Pinot x Gouais Blanc
Parents of Chasselas
Unknown (Ancient)
What is noteable about Chasselas
In the 1800s all grapes in the country were characterized as early or late ripening. the reference point for this was the most widely planted grape of the time, chasselas
Parents of Chenin Blanc
Definitely related to Savagnin Blanc but parentage is still unknown.
Chenin Blanc has the same DNA as a grape in Spain which one?
Agudelo
Is Clairette prone to oxidative notes or reductive notes?
Oxidative
Colombard Parentage
Chenin Blanc x Gouais Blanc
Gouais Blanc is still grown in one region, which
Champagne
Are Grenache Blanc, Noir and Gris all different varieties
No, they are the same with different outward expressions of their DNA
Melon de Bourgogne Parentage
Gouais Blanc x Pinot
Muscat a Petits Grains Parentage
Unknown
Muscat d Alexandrie Parentage
Muscat a Petits Grains x Axina de Tres Bias (A black skinned table grape)
Muscat Ottonel Parentage
Chasselas x Muscat Eisenstadt
Where is Muscat Ottonel Grown?
Alsace
Where is Muscat a Petits Grains Blanc grown
Alsace, Corsica, L-R, Provence, Rhone
Petit Manseng Parents
Unknown x Savagnin
How is Pinot Blanc related to Pinot Gris
A colour Mutation
What does Piquepoul Blanc mean in France
Lip Stinger
Riesling Parentage
Unknown x Gouais Blanc
Why is Marsanne favoured to Marsanne
Less prone to mildew and more consistent yields.
Sacy Parentage
Pinot x Gouais Blanc
Is Savagnin related to Pinot
Yes
Where is Semillon Native to
Sauternes
Sylvaner Parentage (hint where is it native(
Savagnin Blanc x Ostereichisch Weiss
Ugni Blanc Synonym
Trebbiano Toscano
Viognier Parentage
Mondeuse Blanche x Unknown
How is Gewurztraminer related to Savagnin Blanc
It is a pink skinned aromatic mutation
Is Pinot Gris related to Pinot noir
Yes, colour mutation
Synonym for Savagnin Rose
Klevener
How is Savagnin Rose related to Gewurztraminer
It is the stepping stone from Savagnin Blanc, so same colour mutation as Gewurz but not aromatic
Cabernet Francs Place of origin
Basque Country Spain
What is Cab Francs Synonym in Loire Valley
Breton
Cabernet Sauvignons parentage
Cab Franc and Sauvignon Blanc
Carignan’s place of origin
Spain
Carmeneres Parentage
Cabernet Franc x Gros Cabernet
Cesar Parentage (honk)
Pinot x Gansfusser
Where is Cesar Grown
Bourgogne
Where was Malbec (Cot) native to
Cahors
Malbecs Parentage
Prunelard x Magdeleine Noire des Charentes
Gamay Noir A Jus Blanc Parentage
Gouais Blanc x A member of the pinot fam
Where is Grenache Noir native to
Spain
Merlot parentage
Magdeleine Noire des Charentes x Cabernet Franc
Is Meunier related to Pinot?
Yes but unlike, Gris and Blanc it is not a phenotypic variant it is chimeric so its flesh is identical to Pinot Noir but its skin is something different
Where is Pinot most likely native to
Jura
Syrah Parentage
Mondeuse Blanche x Dureza
Why do good vintages come in pairs
The buds for next year are grown the same vintage s the current fruit. So good vintage makes good fruit and good buds
What Pruning method means fan in French
Eventail
Which pruning method has two Guyot arms but in the same direction
Valee de La Marne
Where would you find the Chablis training method
Champagne for Chardonnay
What is Lutte Raisonee
Reasoned FIght
How does yeast create flavour
Most flavour precursors are bound to sugar molecules. the precursors must be cleaved off the sugar molecule in order to become volatile, each yeast strain wild or cultured has its own set of enzymes and ratio of enzymes that work with specific molecular bonds.
who are the two people responsible for the AOC legislation
Capus & Boiseaumarie
What is a cahier des charges
A set of rules that defines the production of an AOC ( Isaac need to study this more)
Whats the name of the organisation that oversees the AOC system
Institut national de l origine et de la qualite
Why was origin and production standards codified into law
Due to the rampant wine fraud. Soft vintages in burgundy saw the blending of rhone wines. Bordeaux regularly blended with wines from southern france
