Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

John Alanis Certified Sommelier > Loire Valley > Flashcards

Loire Valley Flashcards

Study

1
Q

Loire White Grapes

A

Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Melon

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Loire Red Grapes

A

Pinot Noir, Gamay,
Cabernet Franc, Côt (Malbec)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Location of Loire Valley

A

Sancerre is 126 miles almost due south of Paris, while Nantes is 239 miles southwest of
Paris. The distance between Chablis and Sancerre is only 56 miles.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Central Vineyards Bodies of Water

A

Cher River, Loire River

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Touraine Bodies of Water

A

Loir, Cher, Indre, and Vienne rivers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Anjou Bodies of Water

A

Loir and Layon Rivers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Pays Nantais Bodies of Water

A

Sevre and
Maine Rivers, Lac de Grand-Lieu, Atlantic Ocean

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Major Loire Valley Cities

A

Major cities from east to west, Nevers, Orléans, Blois, Tours, Poitiers, Angers, Nantes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Central Vineyards Soil

A

Kimmeridgian clay (called terres blanches, the same formation that
is found in Chablis), caillottes (fossils), silex (flint rich).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Touraine Soil

A

Tuffeau (limestone), clay, varennes (sand and alluvial)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Anjou-Saumur Soil

A

volcanic and blue schist in Savennières, sandstone and schist on the
Layon river, tuffeau near saumur, iron-rich limestone near Saumur-Champigny

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Pays Nantais Soil

A

granite, clay, gneiss.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Loire Valley White Wines

A

This region makes more white wines than any other wine region and is second in sparkling
wine production to Champagne.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Loire Valley Wine Styles

A

The Loire Valley makes every type of wine from dry to sweet, sparkling, and sometimes
fortified (although this is not widely marketed).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Loire Valley in all regions is especially known for

A

The Loire Valley, in all subregions, is known for high acid whites.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Oak Influence in Loire Valley

A

This region has never had the financing or acclaim as Bordeaux, so they tend to use little to
no new oak and focus on varietal purity.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

High Limestone content creates

A

The high limestone content of the region naturally creates wines with high acidity.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Loire Valley Red Wine Characteristics

A

Red wines tend to be medium-bodied and perfumed- lots of Cab Franc

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Loire Valley Sauv Blanc Characteristics

A

Sauvignon Blanc classically grassy and mineral-driven,

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Loire Valley Chenin Blanc Characteristics

A

Chenin Blanc will be
any style but with the characteristic lanolin, bruised apple, and chamomile notes (Chenin
naturally oxidizes easily and these notes will be present).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Loire Valley Sweet Wines

A

Sweet wines, botrytized or not, will have pure fruit characteristics and be aged in neutral
oak

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Cremant de Loire AOP

A

can be white or rosé, and from any varietals except Melon.
Minimum 9 (Tony Romo) months on lees, aged 12 (Roger Staubach) months before release.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Rosé de Loire AOP

A

Dry rosé from any red grape variety in the Loire.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Central Vineyards Climate

A

a true
continental climate with cold, snowy
winters, and warm, dry summers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Two Major Grapes in Central Vineyards
Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir
26
Two Major Central Vineyards AOPs
Pouilly-Fumé and Sancerre
27
Pouilly-Fume Wine Styles
Pouilly-Fumé is for white wines only
28
Sancerre Wine Styles
Sancerre allows red and rosé from Pinot Noir, and whites from Sauvignon Blanc.
29
Characteristics of Central Valley White Wines
The whites of these regions are steely, herbaceous, and mineral-driven, but with rising regional temperatures can sometimes take on more ripe tropical fruit and pineapple-like Sauvignon Blanc from Bordeaux.
30
Soil types in Central Vineyards
silex (flint), terres blanches (Kimmeridgian clay), and caillottes (stony, fossils)
31
Famous producer of Pouilly Fumé
Didier Dagueneau
32
Orléans AOP
allows Chardonnay and Meunier
33
Orléans-Clery AOP
reds only from Cabernet Franc
34
Touraine Climate
continental with oceanic influences, the winters are not as cold as the Central Vineyards, and Touraine tends to receive more rain and humidity
35
Botrytis in Touraine
This region is a major confluence of rivers, creating numerous pockets of different terroirs and areas that are great for botrytis
36
Three tributaries of Loire River in Touraine
Indre, Cher, and Vienne
37
Major soil types in Touraine
The major soil types here are tuffeau or limestone outcroppings and varennes (sandy alluvial) which help the varieties maintain high acidity, even in warm vintages.
38
Styles of Wine in Touraine
vary from dry red and white, rose, to off-dry and sweet wines
39
Chinon AOP
dry whites from Chenin Blanc, dry reds and rosés from Cabernet Franc
40
Bourgueil AOP
dry reds and rosés from Cabernet Franc
41
Saint-Nicholas-de-Bourgueil AOP
dry reds and rosés from Cabernet Franc
42
Vouvray AOP
Dry to sweet, and sparkling white wines from Chenin Blanc
43
Montlouis-sur-Loire AOP
Dry to sweet, and sparkling white wines from Chenin Blanc
44
Touraine AOP
Encompasses five villages that all make wine from either Sauvignon Blanc or Chenin Blanc. Today wines have to be based on Sauvignon Blanc for whites unless they are village designated. All red varieties are allowed for rosé, and each village makes a different style red wine mainly from Côt (Malbec) or Gamay
45
Anjou-Saumur
The climate here is more maritime, with slight continental influences. Rot is an issue from wet springs and falls, and winters are cold but without the same freezing temperatures
46
Grapes in Anjou-Saumur
Chinon Blanc (Pineau de la Loire) dominates here with Cabernet Franc
47
Soils in Anjou-Saumur
blueschist, gravel, sand, and alluvial with small mixes of tuffeau
48
Anjou-Saumur bodies of water
The major tributaries of the Loire here are the Loir and the Layon. The Layon is shallower and warmer, which creates the perfect morning mist for botrytis
49
Anjou AOP Wine Styles
dry to sweet whites, reds, rosé, sparkling, and sparkling rosé wines are made from every allowable grape varietal. This is the “umbrella” AOP either for mass production or declassification
50
Anjou Villages (and Brissac) AOPs
dry reds only from Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon
51
Savennières AOP
dry to sweet wines from Chenin Blanc, some of the longest-lived examples come from here
52
Two AOP's within Savennières AOP
Coulée de Serrant (made famous by Nicholas Joly for biodynamics) and Roche aux Moines
53
Coteaux du Layon and Coteaux de l’Aubance AOPs:
medium-sweet to sweet wines (botrytis infected) from Chenin Blanc.
54
Bonnezeaux and Quarts de Chaume AOPs:
Both located in Coteaux du Layon. The richest dessert wines from the Loire, these are from Chenin Blanc and have high minimum residual sugar requirements. Will be infected by botrytis, and declassified in bad vintages.
55
Saumur AOP
dry white wines from Chenin Blanc, rosé and reds from Cabernet Franc. Sparkling wines from any allowed varietal
56
Saumur-Champigny AOP
Red wines only from Cabernet Franc
57
Pays Nantais Grape
The Pays Nantais claim to fame is a light, high acid white grape that used to be called Melon de Bourgogne- now it's just called Melon
58
Pays Nantais Climate
true maritime climate with little temperature variation throughout the year, and frost and rot can be a major issue in the spring and fall
59
Lees Aging in Pays Nantais
give the wines much more richness if they aged it on the fine lees
59
Bodies of Water for Pays Nantais
The major rivers that meet the Loire are the Sèvre and Maine, with the Atlantic ocean being a major influencing factor
59
Sur Lie
adding “sur lie” to the labels if the wine was bottled directly off the lees between March 1st and November 31st the year after harvest. If the wine is aged on the lees any longer (which some AOPs require) the term “sur lie” can no longer be used on the label.
60
Soils in Pays Nantais
schist, silica, clay, and granite
61
Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine AOP
has three subzones: Clisson, La Pallet, and Gorges
62
Other Pays Nantais AOP's
Other AOPs to know are the overarching Muscadet AOP, Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire AOP, and Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu AOP

John Alanis Certified Sommelier (22 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions