Loire Flashcards
What is important about the Loire River
all vineyards are along there and it helps warm the vineyards. In the early times, Loire was a major vital route for transporting wines up river since hte current be so intense traffic went in one direction, and 1/3 of the year the water was too low for travel. Boats caring wine was knonw as Gabarres, Sapines or auvergnates”. Loire means Liger which is Silt and Sediment due it’s sandbars.
What is Pay Nantais?
Lower Loire Valley.
What is Pay Nantais Climate?
Maritime
What is Anjou-Saumur, Touraine?
The middle Loire. To the west is Anjou-Saumur and to the east is Touraine
What is Anjou-Saumur, Touraine climate?
Maritime with continental influence
What is Centre Loire
To the east of Anjou-Saumur, Touraine
What is Upper Loire
Is the furthest east portion
What is the Centre and Upper Loire Climate
continental
The Loire is France’s longest river – approximately how long is it?
620 mi/1,000 km
Who was Elaenor of Aquitaine
Married Duke of Normandy who later became King, and owned a lot of France land. Help run the kingdom and due to her land, indirectly/directly England Monarch ruled the western part of france.
Why is Joan of Arc important to Loire
She met Dauphin (soon to be future King Charles the VII), and told him to take up arms with England.
What is Loire known for?
Chateaus like Amboise, Chambord & Blois. the noble and rich would create huge Chateaus for their hunting vacation in Loire’s deep forest
What happened in 1577?
In 1577, the Parliment of Paris said you can only buy wine 20 leagues outside of Paris, so they started planting around Orlean towards Blois.
What is Burnt Wine
Brandy derives its name from the Dutch word brandewijn (meaning “burnt wine”) and is a spirit distilled from wine or other fermented fruit juices. There are three main types of brandy: Grape Brandy is produced by the distillation of fermented grapes and aged in wooden casks.
How did the Dutch influence Loire?
They wanted more white grapes planted with high acid, like Folle Blanche for their Burnt Wine.
What happened in the French Revolution?
It was fought in the Western Loire, and Nantes and Angers suffered. They captured Saumur.
In which Loire Valley Château did Joan of Arc meet the Dauphin of France?
Chinon
What product did Dutch traders produce from grapes grown in the Loire Valley?
Brandewijn
Where do you find Melon De Bourgogne?
Pays Nantais, and it is used for 4 Muscadet AOC
Where do you find Chenin Blanc and Cab Franc?
Anjou-Saumur
What are Touraine main grapes?
Focus on Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc for Whites, Cabernet Franc, Cot and Gamay for Reds.
Where do you find Sauvignon Blanc?
Centre Loire, and most famous AOC is Pouilly Fume and Sancerre.
What is Val de Loire IGP
6 IGPS, and it is France’s largest IGP by area and covers the entire Loire. The only appellation that does that. 90% of wines are varietally labeled and 60% is white.
What are Loire Training Methods?
Guyot and Cordon
Loire calls Pinot Gris?
Malvoisie
If the AOC doesnt have explicit statement on sugar levels, what does it have to follow?
EU Still wine residual sugar regulation. Which is:
1. Sec: Sec means Dry in French. Wines labeled Sec – or Dry – contain less than 0.4% / 4 grams per liter (g/l) of residual sugar/R.S.
2. Demi-Sec: Demi-Sec – literally Half-Dry in French – means Medium Dry. Wines labeled Demi-Sec – or Medium Dry – contain between 0.4-1.2% / 4-12 g/l of residual sugar/RS.
3. Moelleux: Moelleux– literally Soft in French – means Medium Sweet. Wines labeled Moelleux – or Medium Sweet – contain between 1.2-4.5% / 12-45 g/l of residual sugar/R.S.
Doux: Doux means Sweet. Wines labeled Doux– or Sweet – contain more than 4.5% / 45 g/l of residual sugar/R.S.
What winemaking method is the same in Rose d’Anjou and Cabernet d’Anjou?
Fermentation is stopped by chilling to retain some sweetness.
Which of these are typical wine making techniques for white wine in the Loire?
Fermentation in temperature controlled vats & Lees Aging
Vineyards of Pays Nantais
Flat, which allows heavy atlantic influence to come through, low slopes and vineyards face south
Soils of Pays Nantais and Anjou-S
Massif Armoricain, soils: volcanic, igneous and metamorphic: mica schist transitioning to tuffeau. Free draining which is great since they have all the rivers, rain and ocean
Whats the largest AOC in Pays Nantias?
Muscadet AOC, covers the whole areas. 100% Melon de Bourgogne, and can have up to 10% Chardonnay as of 2021. Vineyards are flat, produces 20% of the Muscadet. From 2020 the AOC cannot label wines as sur lie.
Muscadet Coteaux De La Loire AOC
The smallest AOC within the Muscadet AOC and furthest from the ocean. the grapes are planted on hill sides on both the north and south of the Loire river. Must be 100% Melon de Bourgogne.
Muscadet Cotes De Grandlieu AOC
within the Muscadet AOC. Flat vineyards, south of Nantes and around Lac Du Grand Lieu. The atlantic brings a touch of salinity to the wines.
Muscadet Sevre Et Maine AOC
within the Muscadet AOC. Most famous AOC, produces 75% of the muscadet. It is SE of the Nantes. 100% Melon de Bourgogne. Name comes from two rivers Sevre and Maine (tributaries).
What is Coteaux d’Ancenis AOC known for?
Pinot Gris, locally known as Malvoisie that is semi sweet wine.
Where can you find Grolleau Gris grapes within the Pays Nantias?
Fiefs Vendeens AOC
Where can you find Gamay in the Pays Nantias?
Coteaux d’Ancenis AOC and Pays Nantais
When a bottle is labeled sur lie in Pays Nanatais?
Sur Lie must be bottled between March 1 and December 31st of the year after harvest. Those with longer less aging such as Muscadet Sevre et Maine DGC, cannot put sur lie on their label.
Gros Plant du Pays Nantais AOC
This AOC dry white wines from the high acid Folle Blanche grape – locally known as Gros Plant.
Gros Plant du Pays Nantais may add sur lie to the label if the wine has undergone lees aging – see above.
What is Coteaux d’Ancenis AOC?
This little seen AOC makes red, white and rosé wines from an area that mostly overlaps Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire.
Whites are made in a semi-sweet – moelleux – style from Pinot Gris and are labeled Coteaux d’Ancenis Malvoisie. Malvoisie is the, confusing, local name for Pinot Gris.
Reds are mainly made from Gamay – although Cabernet Franc is also used.
Fiefs Vendeens AOC
This little seen AOC is to the south of Muscadet and makes red, dry white and rosé wines.
Fiefs Vendéens wines are always labeled with one of the AOC’s
five dénominations géographiques complémentaires/DGC:
Brem, Chantonnay, Mareuil, Pissotte or Vix.
Whites are mainly made from Chenin Blanc.
Reds from Brem and Pissotte are based on Pinot Noir.
Reds from Chantonnay, Mareuil and Vix are based on Cabernet Franc.
Rosés for all five DGCs are Gamay/Pinot Noir – blended in differing proportions.
Which AOC area of Pays Nantais produces the most wine?
Muscadet Sèvre et Maine
Which of these is the main grape used to make Muscadet wines?
Melon de Bourgogne
What does the Middle of Loire comprises of?
Anjou-Saumur and Touraine.
Anjou-Saumur is the biggest sub region of Loire.
What is Tuffeau?
known as Turonian chalk and was fromed during the late cretaceaus period. Soft and mailable in the ground but hardens with oxygen and so the chateaus of the loire are made from it.
Two geographical worlds collide in Anjou
Massif Armoricain (dark schist and sandstone, known as black anjou) and Paris Basin (white chalk “tuffeau” known as white anjou).
Grapes of Anjou-Saumur
White: p = Chenin blanc, Others Sauv B, Chardonnay and orbois/arbois.
rose: p: Grolleau Gris used for sparkling and rose. Sauvignon Gris known as Fie Gris in the Loire is used in the white wines of Haut Poitou.
red: P: Cab Franc. Grolleau Noir is the dominant grape used in off dry rose d’anjou. other: Cab Sauv, Gamay, Merlot, Pineau d’Aunis, Pinot Noir and cot.
Anjou AOC + Anjou Villages AOC
covers the ful region and 46 villages within Anjou AOC.
Anjou AOC sparkling wine:
A small amount of Anjou mousseux – or Fines Bulles – is produced.
- Whites are primarily Chenin Blanc – Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc can be blending partners.
- Rosés are made from any of the red and gris grapes permitted in Anjou – Grolleau Gris, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay, Grolleau, Pineau d’Aunis.
Savennieres AOC within Anjou-Saumur
white signature. within this AOC has Savennieres Roche Aux Moines AOC and Coulee De Serrant AOC.
Anjou Brissac AOC within Anjou-Saumur
richer reds
Saumur Champigny AOC within Anjou-Saumur
most famous reds
Sweet wines AOCs within within Anjou-Saumur
Anjou Coteaux de La Loire AOC, Coteaux de L’Aubance AOC and Coteaux de Saumur AOC. The sweetest is Coteaux Du Layon AOC and Bonnezeaux AOC
*Savennieres AOC alos makes some sweet wines.
Rose d’Anjou AOC
separate AOC that covers the same territory as Anjou AOC, it is only for rose wines in an off-dry style.
The main grape in the Rosé d’Anjou blend is Grolleau – Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay, Pineau d’Aunis are also permitted. There is no dominant production method.
Cabernet d’Anjou
separate AOC that covers the same territory as Anjou AOC, largest production of rose AOCs in Anjou. Perceptible sweetness - minimum residual sugar 1%. Cab franc and Cab Sauv.