Overview grapes and geography Flashcards
What wines/ regions are covered by the D4 syllabus?
France: Champagne Crémant d'Alsace Crémant de Bourgogne Loire Valley
Spain - Cava
Italy: Prosecco Asti Lambrusco Franciacorta Trentodoc
Germany England and Wales USA Chile Argentine South Africa Australia New Zealand
What are the main sub-regions of Champagne, their soil types, main Grand Cru villages, and predominant grapes?
- Montagne de Reims:
Mainly black grapes, some Chardonnay. Chalky soil at the 9 Grand Cru village locations (incl. Bouzy, Verzy both pinot) - Vallée de la Marne
Mainly Meunier on marl, clay and sandy soil, grand Cru: 2 villages (incl. Aÿ) - Côte des Blancs
Pure chalk, mainly white grapes, 6 Grand Cru villages (incl. Cramant, Les Mesnil - sur - Oger) - Côte de Sèzanne
Mainly Chardonnay, on clay/silt soil - Côte des Bar
about 25% of the vineyards, mainly Pinot Noir on Kimmeridgian calcareous marl
What grapes are used in Champagne?
Pinot Noir
Meunier
Chardonnay
Pinot Blanc
Arbanne
Petit Meslier
Fromenteau
What are the top two historical levels of hierarchy in Champagne?
Grand Cru (17 villages) Premier Cru (42 villages)
The village name can be added if 100% of the grapes are from that village
What Crémant appellations are covered by the syllabus?
Alsace
Bourgogne
Loire
What grape varieties are used in Crémant d’Alsace?
20% of plantings:
Pinot Blanc/ Auxerrois (tiny)
Riesling
Pinot Gris
Pinot Noir
Chardonnay (tiny, only in Crémant d’Alsace)
Emotion wines have to be 75% Chardonnay/ P. Blanc / P. Noir
What main areas produce grapes in Burgundy for crémant?
Chablis (around) Côte d'Or (flat vineyards) Hautes Côtes de Beaune Hautes Côtes de Nuit Mâconnais (Chardonnay) Beaujolais
What are the main grape varieties permitted for sparkling wines in Burgundy?
Min 30% content in Crémant de Bourgogne Blanc: Pinot Noir Chardonnay Pinot Gris (tiny) Pinot Blanc (tiny)
Gamay (20% max content)
Aligoté
Melon
What two top tiers of sparkling wine in Bourgogne?
Grand Eminent (only Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with Gamay for Rose, 36 months lees ageing)
Eminent (24 months lees ageing)
What appellations of the Loire are covered by the syllabus?
Crémant de Loire
Vouvray
Saumur
What grape varieties can be used for Crémant de Loire?
All the main varieties of Loire, excluding Sauvignon Blanc
Chenin Blanc (majority!) Cabernet Franc Cabernet Sauvignon Pineau d'Aunis (this and Cab Sav limited to 30%) Grolleau Noir and Gris Pinot Noir Chardonnay
What are the main areas of production for Cava?
Cataluña:
- Penedès (95% of plantings)
- Lleida
- Tarragona
Rioja
What grape varieties are used for Cava?
Macabeo (hard ‘c’, about 30% plantings)
Xarel-lo (about 25% plantings)
Paralleda (20%)
Chardonnay (9%)
Black varieties for Rosada: Garnacha Tinta Trepat Pinot Noir (also used for Blanc de Noir)
What three levels of cava quality are there?
Cava Gran Reserva (30 months lees)
Cava Reserva (15 months lees)
Cava (9 months lees)
What PDOs are there in Prosecco?
Prosecco DOC
Conegliano Valdobbiandene -Prosecco DOCG
Asolo Prosecco DOCG