Loire Flashcards
What are three distinct soil types of the Centre Loire?
Terres Blanches, caillottes, and silex (flint)
What two Centre Loire AOCs are located on the Cher River?
Quincy and Reuilly
What is “Passerillage”?
The technique of allowing grapes to wither and dry on the vine.
What is Touraine Noble Joué?
A vin gris made primarily from Pinot Meunier.
What grape is used to make sweet wine in the Middle Loire?
Chenin Blanc
What are the primary grapes of the Chinon AOC?
Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc.
What style of wine is Anjou Coteaux de Saumur AOC?
Sweet, botrytized dessert wine
What area of the Loire has volcanic soils?
The Lower Loire
Gneiss dominates the top soils, igneous rocks the sub-soils.
What does the term “silex” refer to?
Silex are flint soils found in Centre Loire
What Centre Loire AOC produces wines from Chasselas?
Pouilly-Sur-Loire
What is the principal white grape of the Centre Loire?
Sauvignon Blanc
What style of wine is made in the Coteaux du Layon AOC?
Sweet, botrytized dessert wine
What defines “Mousseux”?
The term means frothy or bubbly. These are méthode traditionelle wines with at least 3 atms of pressure
What style of wine is made in the Anjou Coteaux de la Loire AOC?
Sweet, botrytized dessert wine
What defines “caillottes”?
Little limestone pebbles; one of the three soil tupes of the Centre Loire
What style of wines are produced in Layon?
Sweet wines affected by Botrytis
What is the primary white grape of the Centre Loire?
Sauvignon Blanc
Muscadet is also known by which other name?
Melon de Bourgogne
How long must Loire Crémant spend aging on its lees?
12 Months (note most french regions require just 9 months lees aging for crémant)
What is the difference between Cabernet d’Anjou AOC and Cabernet de Saumur AOC?
Cabernet de Saumur is drier. It can contain a maximum of 0.7% sugar, while Cabernet d’Anjou must contain a minimum of 1% sugar.
What is the principal grape used for rosé production in the Middle Loire?
Grolleau
Which Middle Loire AOC is a monopole?
Savennières Coulée de Serrant
Which three AOCs in Centre Loire make white wine only?
Pouilly Fumé, Pouilly-Sur-Loire, Quincy
What are the three crus of the Muscadet Sèvre et Maine AOC?
Clisson, Gorges, and Le Pallet
What defines “terres blanches”?
A marl that is rich in oyster fossils, one if the three soil types in Centre Loire.
The Pineau de la Loire grape is more commonly known as:
Chenin Blanc
What grape variety is used in the Cour-Cheverny AOC?
Romorantin
Which sweet wine producing sub-region lies within the Anjou zone of production?
Layon
What Loire sub-region has a wholly continental climate?
The Centre and Upper Loire
What is a Loire synonym for Cabernet Franc?
Breton
What is “Breton”?
A synonym for Cabernet Franc in the Loire Valley
The Folle Blanche grape is also known as:
Gros Plant
The Gros Plant Grape is also known as:
Folle Blanche
What Loire winegrowing region is known for Kimmeridgean limestone?
The Centre Loire
What is Touraine Noble Joué?
A vins gris made primarily from Pinot Meunier
What style of wine is made from the Rosé de Loire AOC?
Dry rosé made anywhere in the Middle Loire
Other than the Loire RIver, what are the two other primary rivers of the Lower Loire?
Le sèvre Nantaise and La Petite Maine
What are the primary red grapes of the Upper Loire?
Pinot Noir and Gamay
Where is Vouvray located?
Touraine, Middle Loire
What style of wine is made in the Rosé d’Anjou AOC?
Off-dry rosé made primarily from Grolleau
What three white grapes are grown in the Lower Loire?
Muscadet (Melon de Bourgogne)
Folle Blanche (Gros Plant)
Pinot Gris
What are the three distinct soil types of the Centre Loire?
Terres Blanches, caillottes, and Silex (flint)
From West to East name the 4 distinct viticultural sections
Lower Loire
Middle Loire
Centre Loire
Upper Loire
What percentage of Loire wine production is AOC status?
75%
The Loire River flows North at first before turning West at which city?
The Loire River turns West at Orleans
Temperatures near the Loire River are warmer or cooler than the surrounding areas?
Temperatures near the river are an average of 2 to 4 degrees F warmer on any given day.
How far into the Loire Valley region do Oceanic Influences spread?
Gulf Stream breeze is funneled upriver all the way to Orleans.
Describe the climate of the Pays Nantais/Lower Loire sub-region.
Maritime Climate.
Describe the climate of the Anjou, Saumur, & Touraine / Middle Loire sub-region.
Maritime climate with continental influences.
Describe the climate of the Centre and Upper Loire sub-regions.
Continental Climate.
The city of Nantes lies within which Loire Valley sub-region?
Nantes is located in the Lower Loire, it is also known as the Pays Nantais.
What cities does the Middle Loire sub-region lie between?
The Middle Loire Vineyards lie between the cities of Angers and Tours.
What names are given to the wine producing regions surrounding Angers and Tours?
Anjou and Touraine.
Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé are both located in which Loire Valley sub-region?
Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé are both located in the Centre Loire.
Which Loire Valley sub-region produces the most obscure bottling, rarely seen outside France?
The Upper Loire.
Late harvest wines and crémant require which type of harvesting?
Late Harvest Wines and Crémant require hand harvesting.
Which grape is the only used for dessert wine in the Loire Valley?
Chenin Blanc is used for all dessert wines in the Loire Valley.
What are the two ways of making Rosé in the Loire Valley?
Direct Press and Saignée.
Describe the process of making rosé wine with the Direct Press method.
Grapes are sent to press from harvest where they spend 1 - 4 hours in press picking up a gentle pink pigment.
Describe the process of making rosé wine with the Saignée method.
Grapes are crushed as in the making of Red win and the skins and juice remain in contact for approximately 12 hours.
The free run juice is then racked off.
Loire Sparkling wines are all made using which method?
All Loire Valley sparkling wines are made using the Méthode Traditionelle.
What does Fines Tulles refer to?
Fines Tulles means Fine Bubbles and is a term for any sparkling wines.
Which two rivers bisect the Lower Loire?
The Sévre and Maine Rivers bisect the Lower Loire.
What is gneiss?
Gneiss is a very porous rock found in the topsoils of the Lower Loire.
Most of the subsoils of the Lower Loire are made from what?
Most of the sub-soils of the Lower Loire are crystalline (quartz) which are very high in mineral content.
What is Muscadet’s parentage?
Muscadet is a Pinot x Gouais Blanc cross.
How many AOCs are in the Lower Loire making exclusively wines from Melon de Bourgogne (Muscadet)?
There are 7 AOCs in the Lower Loire elusively producing Muscadet.
What AOC encompasses the entire Pays Nantais and is responsible for 20% of the Muscadet produced?
Muscadet AOC
Located North of Nantes on both sides of the Loire River this is the smallest Muscadet AOC.
Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire AOC
Which regional Muscadet AOC is located SW of Nantes along the Lake Grand-Lieu and produces fresh, fruity wines?
Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu AOC.
Which regional Muscadet AOC is responsible for 75% of all the AOC Muscadet bottled and is located South and East of Nantes?
Muscadet Sèvre et Maine AOC.
What are the three terrors within Muscadet Sèvre et Maine identified as Crus?
Gorges, Clisson, and Le Pallet
The Middle Loire is dominated by which two grape types?
Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc.
Which Loire Valley growing area includes Anjou, Layon, Saumur, and Touraine?
Middle Loire.
Anjou is scattered around which town?
Angers.
Put these Middle Loire Sub-Regions in order from West to East: Layon, Saumur, Anjou.
Anjou, Layon, Saumur.
Approximately half of the production of Anjou is what?
Approximately half the production of Anjou is rosé.
Layon technically lies within which other zone of production?
Layon lies within Anjou.
Layon is planted along the banks of which river?
Layon is situated on the banks of the ……Layon River
Layon is known for what type of wine?
Layon is famous for its sweet wines.
What city does the growing area of Saumur surround?
Saumur surrounds the city of…..Saumur
Who is the largest producer of sparkling wine in the Loire?
Saumur is the largest producer of sparkling wine in the Loire.
Which growing area is located around the town of Tours?
Touraine is located around the town of Tours.
Describe the climate of the Middle Loire.
The middle Loire experiences dual climates with Maritime influences of the Lower Loire and Continental influences of the Centre & Upper Loire.
Pineau de la Loire is better know as______?
Chenin Blanc
What is Chardonnay’s role in the Middle Loire?
Chardonnay is primarily used in sparkling wine production in the Middle Loire.
Breton is better know as ________?
Breton is a synonym for Cabernet Franc.
Cabernet Franc is the principal red grape variety of the Middle Loire but it is actually native to where?
Spanish Basque Country.
Which middle Loire red grape is being described here?
- Less widely planted than Cabernet Franc.
- Late ripening
- Requires warm soils and a long growing season.
- Typically used in blends
Cabernet Sauvignon
What is Gamay’s role in the Middle Loire?
Gamay is used in sparkling, red, and rosé blends.
What is Pinot Noir’s role in the Middle Loire?
Used in Sparkling, red, and rosé blends.
What is the principal grape used for Middle Loire Rosé production?
Grolleau.
Which Middle Loire grape is being described here?
- Indigenous to the Middle Loire.
- Principal grape for Rosé production.
- Also incorporated into red and rosé blends.
- Also known as Groslot
Grolleau
What does tuffeau refer to?
Tuffeau is a soil type also known as Turonian Chalk.
The sweet appellations of Anjou plus the three Savennières AOCs are all on which soil type?
Schist.
Name the three rosés produced in Anjou.
- Rosé de Loire AOC
- Rosé d’Anjou AOC
- Cabernet d’Anjou AOC
Rosé de Loire sources its fruit from where?
Rosé de Loire can source its fruit from anywhere in the Middle Loire.
Rosé de Loire is dry, sweet, or either?
Rosé de Loire is always dry.
Rosé d’Anjou sources its fruit from where?
Rosé de Anjou sources fruit from Anjou and Saumur.
How much minimum residual sugar must be in Rosé d’Anjou?
0.7% or 7g RS
What is the principal red grape used for Rosé de Anjou?
Grolleau is the principal grape used in Rosé de Anjou.
Cabernet d’Anjou sources fruit from where?
Cabernet d’Anjou may source its fruit from Anjou and Saumur.
Cabernet d’Anjou is made from which grapes?
Cabernet d’Anjou is made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.
Cabernet d’Anjou must contain how much RS?
Cabernet d’Anjou must contain 1% or 10g RS by law.
Place these Rosé AOCs from the Middle Loire in order from dry to sweet
- Rosé de Loire
- Cabernet d’Anjou
- Rosé d’Anjou
- Rose de Loire
- Rosé d’Anjou
- Cabernet d’Anjou
Most sweet wines from Anjou come from where?
Most sweet wines from Anjou come from the Layon area.
Layon sweet wines are made from what grape?
Chenin Blanc
Anjou Coteaux de la Loire produces what kind of wine?
Anjou Coteaux de la Loire produces sweet, botrytized wines.
Bonnezeaux AOC produces what?
Bonnezeaux AOC produces sweet wine from Chenin Blanc grapes given long hang time and are affected by botrytis.
What does Coteaux du Layon AOC produce?
Coteaux du Layon AOC produces sweet wine from Chenin Blanc grapes given long hang time and are affected by botrytis.
What does Coteaux du Layon + (village) AOC produce?
Coteaux du Layon + (village) AOC produces sweet wine from Chenin Blanc grapes given long hang time and are affected by botrytis.
What does Coteaux du Layon Chaume 1er Cru produce?
Coteaux du Layon Chaume 1er Cru produces sweet wine from Chenin Blanc grapes given long hang time and are affected by botrytis.
What does Coteaux de l’Aubance AOC produce?
Coteaux de l’Aubance AOC produces sweet wine from Chenin Blanc grapes given long hang time and are affected by botrytis.
What does Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru AOC produce?
Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru AOC produces sweet wine from Chenin Blanc grapes given long hang time and are affected by botrytis.
Which bank of the Loire River is Savennières located on?
Savennières is located on the right bank of the Loire River.
What grape(s) is used in Savennières AOC?
Chenin Blanc
What is the soil composition of Savennières?
Schist, slate, and clay soil
What grapes are included in Touraine AOC Blanc?
Sauvignon Blanc AOC (at least 80%) and Sauvignon Gris (up to 20%)
Can Touraine AOC rose be a blend?
Yes, in fact it must be. No more than 70% of the blend can be any one grape.
Minimum of 2 of the following must be included:
Cab Sauv, Cot, Gamay, Grolleau, Pinot Meunier, Pinot d’Aunis, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir.
Touraine AOC rouge is predominantly made from what grapes?
Touraine AOC rouge wines are predominantly made from Cabernet Franc and Côt.
Mesland, Amboise, Azay-le-Rideau, Oisly, Noble Joué, and Chenonceaux are all sub-zones of which AOC?
They are all sub-zones in Touraine AOC
Côt is a synonym for which grape?
Côt is a synonym for Malbec
Auvernat Blanc is a synonym for what grape?
Auvernat Blanc is a synonym for Chardonnay.
Gris Meunier is a synonym for what grape?
Gris Meunier is a synonym for Pinot Meunier.
Auvernat Noir is a synonym for what grape?
Auvernat Noir is a synonym for Pinot Noir.
Bourgueil AOC
Bourgueil AOC is located in Touraine in the Middle Loire
Dry red and rosé wines made primarily from Cabernet Franc are produced.
St.-Nicolas de Bourgueil AOC
Located to the West of Bourgueil AOC on warmer soils. Located in Touraine in the Middle Loire.
Dry red and rosé wines made primarily from Cabernet Franc are produced.
Volumetrically speaking, what is the largest red AOC in the Loire?
Chinon AOC
