Loire Flashcards
1
Q
What soil type is caillottes?
A
Pebbles of limestone-rich Portlandian marl
2
Q
What is passerillage?
A
Passerillage is the technique of allowing grapes to wither and dry on the vine by pinching/twisting the stalks to stop the flow of sap.
3
Q
What style of wine is Coteaux de Saumur AOC?
A
It is a semi-sweet to sweet wine that may or may not be affected by noble rot.
4
Q
Which sweet wine producing sub-region lies within the Anjou zone of production?
A
Layon
5
Q
What are the 3 distinct soil types in the Centre Loire?
A
Terres Blanches
Caillotes
Silex
6
Q
The Pineau de la Loire grape is more commonly known as?
A
Chenin Blanc
7
Q
Other than the Loire river, what are the other 2 primary rivers of the Lower Loire?
A
Sèvre Nantaise
&
Maine
8
Q
What style of wine is made in the Rosé-de-Loire AOC?
A
This is a dry rosé made anywhere in the middle Loire
9
Q
What 3 AOCs in the Centre Loire make white wine only?
A
- Pouilly-Fumé
- Pouilly-Sur-Loire
- Quincy
10
Q
Which Loire sub-regions have a wholly continental climate?
A
The Centre and Upper Loire
11
Q
What is the synonym for Cabernet Franc?
A
Breton
12
Q
What two Centre Loire AOCs are located on the Cher river?
A
Quincy & Reuilly (part)
Reuilly is two non-contiguous areas.
13
Q
What is the principle red grape of Touraine?
A
Cabernet Franc (Breton)
14
Q
What is mousseux?
A
means “frothy or bubbly;” a category of French sparkling wines
These are methode traditionelle wines with at least 3 atmospheres of p
15
Q
What Loire wine region is known for Kimmeridgean limestone?
A
The Centre Loire
16
Q
What defines the term fines bulles?
A
It translates to “fine bubbles” and is a general term for all Loire sparkling wines
17
Q
What category of Loire Sparkling wine does not have an aging requirement?
A
petillant
18
Q
The Muscadet grape is also known as?
A
Melon de Bourgogne
19
Q
What 2 grapes dominate the Middle Loire?
A
Chenin Blanc (Pineau de la Loire) &
Cabernet Franc (Breton)
20
Q
What style of wine is made in the Anjou-Coteaux de la Loire AOC?
A
Sweet, botrytized dessert wines
21
Q
The term “silex” refers to?
A
Flint soils found in the Centre-Loire
22
Q
What are the primary grapes of the Sancerre AOC?
A
Sauvignon Blanc & Pinot Noir
23
Q
Which Middle Loire AOC is a monopole?
A
Coulée de Serrant AOC
Owned by the Joly family; the estate only focuses on dry wines only
24
Q
What style of wine is made in the Cabernet d’Anjou AOC?
A
Off-dry to sweet rosé made from both Cabernets
25
What Loire wine is frequently aged *sur lie*?
Muscadet
26
What is *petillant*?
The term means "fizzy"
| These are Methode Traditionelle wines with 1 - 2.5 atmospheres of pressure
27
Where is Vouvray located?
Touraine (Middle Loire)
28
What style of wine is made in the Rosé d'Anjou AOC?
Off-dry rosé made primarily of Grolleau
29
What is *tuffeau*?
A porous chalk/limestone soil found in parts of the Middle Loire
30
What is *terres blanches*?
Kimmeridgian marl rich in oyster fossils found in the Centre Loire
31
The Folle Blanche grape is also known as?
Gros Plant
32
For what type of wine is Saumur known for?
sparkling
33
In which Loire sub-region is the Pays Nantais located?
Lower Loire
34
What are 3 primary grapes are grown in the Lower Loire?
1. Muscadet (Melon de Bourgogne)
1. Pinot Gris
1. Gamay
35
What area of the Loire has volcanic soils?
The Lower Loire
| Gneiss dominates the top soils, igneous rock the sub-soils
36
What is the primary white grape of the Centre Loire?
Sauvignon Blanc
37
What style of wine is made in the Vouvray AOC?
Dry, off-dry and sweet white wines from Chenin Blanc
38
What is the principal grape used in rosé production in the Middle Loire?
Grolleau
39
What soil type gives wines a unique gun-flint/smoky finish?
silex
40
What are the primary red grapes of the Upper Loire?
Pinot Noir & Gamay
41
Savennieres is best known for?
Dry Chenin Blanc, but Moelleux and Doux versions are also produced
42
What is Touraine Primeur?
A wine made from Gamay using semi-carbonic maceration
43
What style of wine is made in the Coteaux du Layon AOC?
Sweet, botrytized dessert wine
44
What grape is used to make sweet wine in the Middle Loire?
Chenin Blanc
45
What grape variety is used in Cour-Cheverny AOC?
Romorantin
46
What are the grapes of the Chinon AOC?
Cabernet Franc (Breton) &
Chenin Blanc (Pineau de la Loire)
47
What style of wine is made in the Bonnezeaux AOC?
Sweet, botrytized dessert wine
48
What are the 9 DGCs/Crus of the Muscadet Sevre et Maine AOC?
1. Châteaux-Thébaud
1. Clisson
1. Gorges
1. Goulaine
1. Monnières-Saint-Fiacre
1. Mouzillon-Tillières
1. Le Pallet
1. Vallet
1. La Haye-Fouassière
49
How long must Loire Crémant spend aging on its lees?
12 Months (vs 9 months for most other regions in France)
50
The Gros Plant grape is also known as?
Folle Blanche
51
What are the two principle white grapes grown in the Lower Loire sub-region of Pays Nantais?
Melon de Bourgogne & Folle Blanche
52
Who introduced formal viticulture into the Loire Valley and in what century?
The Romans in the 1st century AD
53
Who was the power couple of the Loire in 1152?
Eleanor of Aquitaine & Henry Plantagenet
| Parents of Richard the Lionhearted
54
What did Jeanne d'Arc do in 1429 during the middle ages in Chinon in the Loire Valley?
She persuaded the Dauphin of France to defy the English.
| 1429, the Dauphin (heir apparent) was Charles VII
55
In the 15th to 17th century what did the French Nobility do in the Loire?
They began building the over 300 Chateaux along the Loire River (Golden Age)
56
What was the impact of Phylloxera on the Loire Valley?
The Loire Valley was one of the last areas to get hit and last to recover. This put the Loire Valley behind the other regions once they recovered
57
What are the advantages of having vineyards near a river?
Rivers will provide 2 - 4 degrees more warmth to the vineyards
58
From west to east what are the 5 sub-regions of the Loire Valley?
Pays Nantais
Anjou & Saumur
Touraine
Centre-Loire
Upper Loire
59
Describe the Loire river.
* Very shallow in general
* Depth can vary greatly
* Very difficult to navigate
60
What is the climate of the Lower Loire?
Maritime
61
What is the climate of the middle Loire?
Maritime with continental influences
62
What is the climate of the Centre-Loire?
Continental
63
What is the climate of the Upper Loire?
Continental
64
What region of the Loire is Pays Nantais in?
The Lower Loire
| Warming ocean influences with 2,000 hours of annual sunshine make it the warmest and sunniest area in the Loire
65
What is the main soil type in the Loire sub-region of Pays Nantais?
Gneiss, a metamorphic rock
| Very free draining which is good for this wet area
66
In the Loire what is the synonym for the Muscadet Grape?
Melon de Bourgogne
67
What grapes is Muscadet a cross of?
Gouis Blanc & Pinot
68
What are 4 key Muscadet AOCs in the Loire Valley?
1. Muscadet AOC
2. Muscadet Sèvre et Maine AOC
3. Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire AOC
4. Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu AOC
| Muscadet Sèvre et Maine has 9 DGCs.
69
Which of the Muscadet AOCs in the Loire Valley produces the most wine?
Muscadet Sèvre et Maine AOC
| 75% of all Muscadet bottled/ 90% *sur lie*
70
In the Loire Valley which of the Muscadet AOCs cannot be labeled *sur lie*?
The 9 DGCs of Muscadet Sèvre et Maine
71
What are the lees?
Dead yeast cells
72
What characteristics are added to the wine if it is left in contact with the lees?
added creaminess to the mouthfeel; bready/yeasty notes
73
What are the 4 main areas in the Middle Loire?
Anjou
Layon
Saumur
Touraine
74
What are the synonyms of Chenin Blanc in the Loire Valley?
Pineau de la Loire/Gros Pineau
75
What are the 2 main soils of the Middle Loire?
**West:** dark schists & sandstone ("black Anjou")
**East:** tuffeau (white, Turonian chalk)
76
Name the three most respected Cabernet Franc AOCs of all of the Loire Valley.
Chinon AOC
Bourgueil AOC
Saint-Nicholas-de-Bourgueil AOC
77
What are the sweet Chenin AOCs in the Middle Loire?
1. Coteaux du Layon
1. Chaume Premier Cru
1. Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru
1. Bonnezeaux
1. Coteaux de l'Aubance
1. Anjou-Coteaux de la Loire
1. Saviennières
1. Savennières Roche au Moines
1. Coulée de Serrant
78
Which of the sweet Layon AOCs has the highest minimum RS requirement?
Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru AOC
79
What are the names of the 3 AOCs in Savennières in the Loire Valley?
Savennières AOC
Savennières Roche aux Moines AOC
Coulée de Serrant AOC
80
Which of the Savennières AOCs is a *monopole*?
Coulée de Serrant
81
What white grapes are grown in Valençay AOC and Cheverny AOC on the east side of Touraine?
Sauvignon Blanc & Sauvignon Gris
82
What are the 3 rosés and their sweetness levels in the Loire Valley?
Rosé de Loire - max .3% RS (dry)
Rosé d'Anjou - min .7% RS (off-dry)
Cabernet d'Anjou - min 1% RS (off-dry to m-sweet)
83
T or F? Rosé in the Loire Valley can be made by both *saignée* and direct press methods
True
84
What grape is permitted in Rosé de Loire but not Rosé d'Anjou?
Pinot Noir
85
What grape variety is allowed in Rosé d'Anjou but not Rosé de la Loire?
Côt (Malbec)
86
What is the difference between Petillants, Mousseux and Crémant de la Loire?
The pressure and aging:
**Petillant** - 1 -2.5 atms
**Mousseaux** - min 3 atms; less production standards than Crémant
**Crémant** - 6 atms min; 12 month on lees plus 1 month aging (Only in Loire)
87
What are the 2 biggest AOC areas in the Centre Loire?
Sancerre AOC & Pouilly-Fumé AOC
88
What are the sparkling wines in the Loire?
1. Crémant de Loire
1. Saumur Mousseaux
1. Vouvray Pétillant/Mousseaux
1. Montlouis-sur-Loire Pétillant/Mousseaux/Pétillant Originel
1. Anjou Mousseaux
1. Touraine Mousseax
89
What are the 3 soil types of the Centre Loire?
Terres Blanches - Limestone rich marls
Caillottes - Limestone gravels
Silex - Flint
90
What are Kimmeridgean soils?
Limestone rich marls
91
What are the principle grapes and sweetness levels of the following Centre Loire AOC's?
Sancerre
Pouilly-Fume
Pouilly-Sur-Loire
Menetou-Salon
Reuilly
Quincy
**Sancerre:** Sauvignon Blanc (white) Pinot Noir (red) - Dry
**Pouilly-Fume:** Sauvignon Blanc - Dry
**Pouilly-Sur-Loire:** Chasselas - Dry
**Menetou-Salon:** Sauvignon Blanc (white) Pinot Noir (red) - Dry
**Reuilly:** Sauvignon Blanc (white), Pinot Noir (red), Pinot Noir & Pinot Gris (rosé) - Dry
**Quincy:** Sauvignon Blanc - Dry
92
How long is the Loire River?
more than 620 miles
93
During the middle ages the Loire valley became the dividing line between who?
The Latin influenced south & Celtic/Germanic north
94
Who maintained the vineyards of the Loire Valley from the middle ages to the 17th century?
The Augustinian and Benedictine monks
95
Who were the key customers for Loire wine during the 1600s?
England and the Netherlands
96
What were the seven first Loire AOCs to receive AOC status in 1936?
1. Muscadet Sèvre et Maine AOC
1. Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire AOC
1. Anjou AOC
1. Saumur AOC (white only)
1. Vouvray AOC
1. Sancerre AOC (white only)
1. Quincy AOC
97
What are the Loire Valley's wine production stats? (AOC, IGP, and Vins Sans IG percentages)
AOC - 83.5%
(Val de Loire) IGP - 9%
Vins Sans IG - 7.5%
98
Where is the Loire Valley wine region located?
north of Bordeaux
south of Normandy
east of the Atlantic Ocean
west/southwest of Bourgogne
99
How does the gulf stream effect impact the Loire?
Mild & warm air reaches all the way to Orleans on the soft gulf stream breeze.
100
Is chaptilization allowed in the Loire Valley?
Yes, but only in certain years and under certain circumstances
101
What is the only grape allowed for dessert wines in the Loire?
Chenin Blanc
102
Vineyards flanking a river are how much warmer than vineyards that do not?
2-4 degrees
103
T or F? Most Loire Valley sparkling wine is made according to the *méthode traditionelle*.
True
104
Where are the vineyards located in the Lower Loire Valley?
6 - 60 miles from the coast on flat or slightly south facing plots
105
What is the type of soil in the Lower Loire?
* Soils are derived from rock of ancient and complex origin (volcanic, igneous, metamorphic).
* The are predominantly acidic (gneiss & mica schist).
* Free-draining with mineral nuances.
106
Savennières AOCs are located in what Loire sub-region?
Anjou
107
T or F? Chardonnay is grown in the Loire Valley.
True
108
T or F? Sancerre produces red wine from Gamay?
False
109
Does Cour-Cheverny produce white wine from Sauvignon Blanc?
No, it uses Romorantin
110
What are the synonyms for the following grapes:
* Muscadet
* Chenin Blanc
* Malbec
* Cabernet Franc
* Gros Plant
Muscadet: Melon d' Bourgogne
Chenin Blanc: Pineau de la Loire/Gros Pineau
Malbec: Côt
Cabernet Franc: Breton
Gros Plant: Folle Blanche
111
What area is the single largest producer of sparkling wine in the Loire?
Saumur
112
T or F? Romorantin is a red grape.
False
113
Where is the Reuilly AOC located and on top of what type of soil?
It flanks the Cher River on top of Kimmeridgean soil
114
Sancerre AOC produces what type of wines?
White, red and rosé
115
Quincy AOC only makes whites from what 2 grapes?
Sauvignon Blanc & Sauvignon Gris (minor blending partner)
116
Pouilly-Fumé AOC only makes whites from what grape?
Sauvignon Blanc
117
T or F? All Loire Valley AOCs are permitted to make crémant.
False
118
What are the wine areas of the Loire valley from west to east?
Pays Nantais
Anjou
Layon
Saumur
Touraine
Centre-Loire
Upper Loire
119
Gneiss and igneous/volcanic rock is found in what part of the Loire Valley?
Pays Nantais
120
T or F? Reuilly makes red, white and rosé wines.
True
121
What is the climate of the Centre Loire?
Continental Climate
| Largest diurnal and seasonal temperature swings of the 4 Loire sub-regions
122
T or F? The dominant red grape of the Middle Loire is Cabernet Sauvignon.
False it is Cabernet Franc
123
Rosé de la Loire is always dry?
True
124
Of the 3 sparkling methods - Petillant, Mousseaux & Crémant which has the longest aging requirements?
Crémant
125
T or F? Vouvray and Montlouis-Sur-Loire are white only AOC's?
True
126
Most of the sweet wines of Anjou flank what river?
Layon
127
Describe Crémant in the Loire Valley.
* Made according to the méthod traditionelle
* Must spend 12 months aging *sur lie* plus 1 month in the bottle before release
* Only Loire sparkling wine with regulations concerning pressings
128
Describe *mousseux* in the Loire Valley.
* Made according to the méthode traditionelle
* Has a min of 3 atms of pressure
* Most have 9 months *sur lie*
* Mousseux means "frothy and fizzy"
129
Describe *petillant* in the Loire Valley.
* Made according to the méthod traditionelle
* Sparkling wine with about 1/2 the pressure as Mousseux or Crémant
* Delicate sparkling with 1-2.5 atms
* Petillant means fizzy
130
T or F? In the Vouvray AOC the sweet wines must be affected by botrytis.
False it is optional
131
By volume, what is the largest red wine producing AOC in the Loire Valley?
Chinon AOC
132
Describe the Savennières area within the Middle Loire.
* Located on the right bank
* Has slate, schist, volcanic rock, and aeolian (wind-blown) soils
* Produces Frances most age-worthy whites
133
What are the 3 AOCs along the Layon River that produce sweet wine from botrytized Chenin Blanc?
1. Coteaux de Layon AOC (6 DGCs + Chaume Premier Cru)
1. Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru AOC
1. Bonnezeaux AOC
134
What is the best sun exposure direction for vineyards in the Middle Loire?
South
135
What type of climate does the Middle Loire have?
Maritime with climate from the Lower Loire with continental influences toward the Centre and Upper Loire.
136
What is Layon famous for in the Middle Loire?
Sweet wine production
137
What style of wine is made in the Chaume and Quarts de Chaume AOCs?
Sweet, botrytized dessert wine
138
What is Touraine Noble Joué?
A *vin gris* made primarily from Pinot Meunier, Noir, and Gris.
139
What Centre Loire AOC produces wines from Chasselas?
Pouilly-Sur-Loire
140
Describe the Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire AOC.
It is the smallest of the Muscadet AOCs and the furthest from the ocean.
| Northest of Nantes on both sides of the Loire River; DGC Champtoceaux
141
What area does the Muscadet AOC cover and what percentage of Muscadet does it produce?
Muscadet AOC covers all of the Pays Nantais
| It produces 20% of the Muscadet
142
What are the red grapes grown in the Lower Loire?
Gamay (5% plantings)
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Sauvignon
Négrette
Pinot Noir
143
What are the secondary white grapes in the Lower Loire?
Chardonnay
Folle Blanche
Chenin Blanc
Colombard
Montils
Sauvignon Blanc
144
What are the 2 primary grapes of the Lower Loire?
1. Melon de Bourgogne (Gouais Blanc x Pinot cross from Bourgogne)
2. Folle Blanche aka Gros Plant (Gouais is one of its parents)
145
What are the autumns like in the Lower Loire Valley?
warm and mild
146
What are the summers like in the Lower Loire Valley?
warm and sunny with occassional rainstorms
| Humidity can cause rot and mildew outbreaks
147
What are the springs like in the Lower Loire Valley?
Springs are cool, damp, often cloudy
| April frosts are a threat.
148
What are winters like in the Lower Loire Valley?
mild and quite damp
149
What are the hallmarks of a maritime climate?
less significant seasonal temperature changes & rainfall more evenly spread throughout the year
150
What is the largest AOC in the Pays Nantais by size (acreage)?
Muscadet AOC
| But only responsible for 20% of all the Muscadet produced
151
T or F? All Muscadet AOCs can age their wines *sur lie*.
False
| Muscadet AOC is not permitted to produce wines *sur lie.*
152
T or F? Anjou AOC Gamay can also be vinified as *primeur*
True - and launched the 3rd Thursday of November of the same year the grapes were harvested.
