Provence Flashcards
Where is Provence
Far South East of France
East of Rhone Valley
South West of Alps
Name the 5 DGCs (restricted area of production) within Cotes de Provence AOC
Fréjus, La Londe, Notre-Dame des Anges Pierrefeu, and Ste-Victoire.
Name the 9 Provence AOCs
1 Cotes de Provence
2 Coteaux d’aix-en-provence,
3 Bandol,
4 Les baux de provence,
5 Bellet,
6 Cassis,
7 Palette,
8 Coteaux varois en Provence.
9 Pierrevert
What else is Provence famous for?
Tourism
Culture/Arts
Italian influence
What are the 6 steps towards Provence rose category leader?
1 Who introduced vines
2 Who kept vines going in Middle Ages
3 Which country ruled and influenced the region
4 What was the best and worst bits of 19c
5 In 20c there were co-ops but alos what was introduced?
6 Where is market leader for rose
1 Romans introduced vines…or was it Phoceans?
2 Middle ages - clergy and nobility nuture wine industry
3 Ruled under Eastern Med - Italian influences - Genoa/Sardinia
4 Victory over Phylloxera in 19c and railway to Northern Europe
5 20c co-operatives and AOC Cotes de Provence, AOC Couteaux Aix de Provence and then AOC Coteaux Various de Provence
6 Promotion of rose to market leader local demand for a dry wine refreshing enough to be drunk on a hot summer’s day but which still bears some relation to the red wine
Describe the general climate of Provence
Mediterranean
Mistral, predominantly cold, dry winds blowing from the North.
Sunny
Little rain primarily falls during spring and autumn.
Describe the topographical features of Provence
Sub alpine hills
Coast
Which are the mountains and soils for Provence St Victoire
Sainte-Victoire Mountain. Sainte-Baume=
The poor, relatively shallow soil here, formed of limestone and clay sandstone,
Which are the 3 tyoes of soils for Frejus
3 Types
Red soil of sandstone;
Loamy-clay;
Sandy
What are the features and soils for La Londe
coastal headland, to the southWest of the Massif des Maures. The vines grow across from the sea,
Bit of a mix of soils - sand and limestone
What are the features and soil for Pierrefeu
Western part of Côtes de Provence,
to the South are the Massif des Maures .
The soil of this region can be divided into three main categories: the
red sandy-clay soils
the stony soil (limestone deposits) of the plains
loamy-clay soil of the hillsides covered with schistose deposits.
What are the features and soil for Notre Dame des Anges
Massif des Maures (767 m),
Plaine des Maures National Nature Reserve.
1 schist along the edges of the Maures mountain range,
2 sand,
3 pelites whose red colour is one of the visible characteristics of this terroir,
4 old alluvial terraces of the Aille River with their “rounded pebbles” (galets roulés).
Match the mountain areas to the type of soil
Massif Central
Alps- Maritime /Pre Alps
Esterel
Maures
Sainte Victoire
Sainte Baume
Gorges du Verdon
Calcareous, granite, volcanic
Massif Central= Volcanic
Alps- Maritime /Pre Alps=Limestone, slate and granite/gneiss
Esterel=volcanic
Maures =crystalline?
Sainte Victoire=limestone
Sainte Baume=limestone
Gorges du Verdon=limestone
Two large geological features coexist in Provence: one crystalline and the other limestone. The western and northern parts of the Provençal vineyard consist of alternating hills and limestone ridges carved by erosion. There are remarkable sites such as the Sainte-Victoire mountain, the Sainte-Baume massif or the Gorges du Verdon.
Further east, the crystalline rock formations of the Maures and Tanneron face the sea. The landscapes are very different from the previous ones, with hills and small mountains with softer curves, covered with shrubs and forests. Continuing eastwards, between Saint-Tropez and Cannes, this crystalline ensemble is pierced by igneous trails with often astonishing rocks like the colourful porphyries of the Esterel volcanic massif.
Define maquis
A mix of resinous scrub that grows on acidic soils
Throughout Provence, wild, resinous shrubs like rosemary, juniper, thyme, and lavender grow almost everywhere. Many say these plants, collectively called “Garrigue” (on limestone/clay) or ‘Maquis” (when growing on crystalline schist), influence the character of the wines.
Define restanques
Low made made walls of river stone
Define vin cuit
Vin cuit or cooked wine is an artisanal dessert wine produced in Provence, France. It is made by heating grape juice without boiling it so that the grape juice becomes concentrated and syrupy. It is then fermented in barrels.
The alcohol content is around 14%.
Vin cuit is not a fortified wine. Its Italian counterpart is the vino cotto.
Production of this wine style is limited. It is regularly served on Christmas Eve.
Because the sweetness was achieved by artificially increasing the sugar content through cooking, the vin cuit is called “vin doux artisanal” (artisan sweet wine) in France, as opposed to the “vin doux naturel” (natural sweet wine, equivalent to the German liqueur wine), in which the fermentation of unthickened grape must is stopped by adding high-percentage drinking alcohol, thereby retaining much of the natural original sweetness of the grape in the wine.
Provençal winemakers who have revived the production of Vin cuit are seeking AOC certification.
What are the main soil type in Provence
The western countryside is veined with limestone, where the land was covered in ancient times by a warm, shallow sea. Travel east, and the soil is mostly crystalline schist (granite) and volcanic in one small area.
T
What is the grape cinsault like
red grape variety
Languedoc region
has much in common with grenache.
good drought resistance and its
best wines with low yields
lighter, softer, and, in extreme youth, more aromatic and charmingly cherry-fruited
Identify the primary grape varieties for red, white and rose production
Red/Rose= Cinsault, Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, Tibouran,
White=Clairette, Semillon, Ugni Blanc, Vermentino
What is the grape Grenache like
Popular red grape from Spain
Grenache enjoys the climate in Provence. Hot summer days, cool nights, a touch of moisture followed by the wind to dry off the leaves,
What is the grape Mourvedre like
Difficult red grape from Spain=Monastrell
Loves hot weather and being near the sea
In Provence Mourvèdre produces wines considered useful for their structure, intense fruit, and, in good years, perfume often redolent of blackberries.
In Bandol, it is typically blended with Grenache and Cinsault, and the statutory minimum for Mourvèdre is now 50%.
What is the grape Clairette like
Synonym for a lot of white grape varieties
Clairette provides a backup for vignerons, adding aromatic complexity and alcohol to the wines. The resultant wines are perfumed and fragrant, but can be a touch soapy if the level of acidity does not balance the body weight.
What is the grape Vermentino
Also known as Rolle
considered more characterful than Clairette, is often the predominant variety, giving structure and weight to the wines as well as some herby, mineral characters.
AOC Cotes de Provence
Climate
Topography
Soils
Wine Styles
Primary Grapes
Climate= Med with Mistral
Topography= varied, largest AOC in region, mountains to North and East, coast of Med
Soils=varied
Wine styles= 80% dry rose
Primary grapes=standard Provencal
AOC Coteaux d’aix en Provence
Climate
Topography
Soils
Wine Styles
Primary Grapes
Climate= med with Mistral
Topography=near coast, altitudes up to 400m
Soils=Varied - acidic with Garrigue
Wine styles= dry rose
Primary grapes=standard Provencal
AOC Varois en Provence
Climate
Topography
Soils
Wine Styles
Primary Grapes
Climate= Med with Mistral
Topography= VAR region, hills of St Baume
Soils=limestone
Wine styles= dry rose
Primary grapes= standard Provencal
AOC Cassis
Climate
Topography
Soils
Wine Styles
Primary Grapes
Climate=Med with Mistral
Topography=outskirts Marseille, ampitheatre, Cap Canille protects
Soils=clay limestone
Wine style=white
Primary grapes=Clairette, Marsanne
AOC Bandol
Climate
Topography
Soils
Wine Styles
Primary Grapes
Climate=Med with Mistral
Topography=outskirts Marselle, south facing terrances inland, restanques,
Soils=clay/limestone
Wine style= Red
Primary grape= Mourvedre
AOC Les Baux de Provence
Climate
Topography
Soils
Wine Styles
Primary Grapes
Climate=Med with Mistral, warmer and wetter than other regions
Topography=Far north west. Alpinnes
Soils=limestone rubble
Wine style=Red (some rose)
Primary grapes=Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, Cinsualt
AOC Pallete
Climate
Topography
Soils
Wine Styles
Primary Grapes
Climate=Med with Mistral
Topography=east of Aix en Provence, river Arc, one main estate
Soils=limestone outcrop
Wine style=Red
Primary grapes=large variety
AOC Bellet
Climate
Topography
Soils
Wine Styles
Primary Grapes
Climate= Med, slightly cooler than Nice
Topography= near Nice, one main estate
Soils=The Var river and the alpine rivers which run into the river have created vast gravel beds in the lower part of the Var river.
The gravel and ‘galet‘ (stones rolled round and smooth in water) are gathered from the river bed for building (and keeping the river clear to prevent flooding).
The region of Bellet lies to the right of this
The hills on either side of the river have similar soil composition. The soil is sedimentary, pebbly with the round galets and fine sand compacted together to form a rock called poudingue with streaks of clay (argileuses).
Wine style=equal all 3 colours
Grapes= Standard Provencal
Starting letters S, F, L N and P
Identify the five DGCs within Cotes de Provence AOC
with production standards
Dénominations Géographiques Complémentaires (DGCs) are more restricted zones of production within an existing AOC.
Sainte Victoire
Frejus
La Londe
Notre dame des Anges
Pierrefeu
Grapes must come from designated plots
limited varietals in blend
Lower
3 levels
Describe the classification system within Cotes de Provence AOC
Quality standards - low to highest
AOC Cotes de Provence
AOC Cotes de Provence + DGC
AOC Cotes de Provence + Cru Classe (18 of these)
Grape characteristic, timing,
Detail the unique harvest parameters for grapes destined for rose production
Degree of ripeness vs acidity of the grapes and the different varieties used.
Healthy fruit and early acid adjustment are highly recommended.
Harvest overnight or early morning for cool grapes and avoid long transport times and maceration in transport bins.
Harvest in this area usually takes place from the end of August to the end of September, mainly during a 3 week period and it’s beginning is dictated by the relative heat and sun-load of the vintage year.
ways to deal with higher temps/sunlight , less or more sever rainfall
Detail the 5 steps that producers are taking to mitigate rising tmperatures
Prune early-Harvest early
Prune more severly - lower yield?
Canopy management providing shade on south and west
Sowing cover crops - maintains moisture and helps in severe storms
drip irrigation
Lower yield can make grapes ripen too fast
List the variables responsible for the wide-ranging palette of colours found in Provence rose
1 Varietal
2 Terroir
3 Skin contact- phenolics in skins
4 Method - press or saignee
5 Decolourisation
What is the difference between Vins de Soif and Vins de Gastronomie
Vins de Soif=easy drinking/ready to drink
Vins de Gastronomie=food wine
Also vin d’emotion= wine fro contemplation/ great quality
also known as skittle
What is a flute a corset
Bottle with slender middle
Negociant bottled wines only
Many provencal growers would produce a unique bottle shape
The ‘flute a corset Provençal’, nicknamed the ‘Mae West’ (for obvious reasons) is only allowed to be used for domaine bottled wines and permission to use this bottle, nicknamed the ‘aubergine’ is reserved for use by négociant bottled wines but this is less strictly controlled. Only appellation Côtes de Provence wines are permitted to use either of these bottles. The original design for both bottles was for fractionally slimmer, taller bottles but current bottles are almost imperceptibly fatter and shorter. The reason? Purely practical - refrigerators, shelves and wine racks are built to cater for standard sizes and the original bottles, including some of the current special domaine bottles, did not, and still do not, fit.
Which wine region lies to the south and east of the Southern Rhône’s vineyards
Provence
What is to west of the Provence region
Rhone river and Languedoc
The climate of Provence is Mediterranean - but what other influences has it?
Alpine and Continental at inland elevations
The unusual fact about Provence’s climate is what?
It receives an exceptional amount of sunshine
2,700-3,000 per year
What is the major wind impacting Provence and whihc direction is it chanelled
The Mistral
South-Easterly
Which are the 2 Eastern peaks of Provence
Massif de l’Esterel (volcanic coastal mountains)
and the Massif des Maures
What are the 5 limestone peaks of the South, Central and Western Provence
Sainte-Baume, (Grotto=Toulon to Marseille)
Massif des Calanques, (Cassis)
Montagne Sainte-Victoire, (Cezanne/Aix)
Les Alpilles (Avignon) and
Mont Ventoux (Rhone)
Describe the topography of the far southwestern parts of Provence – around Arles
Camargue=Flat
Rhône Delta spreads and floods, forming a vast and largely vine-less salt marsh known as the Camargue.
What are the 2 resinous descriptions of vegetation grow on the principle soil types of Provence
Garrigue and Maquis
Which of Garrigue and Maquis loves acidic soils
Maquis is found on acidic quartz rich schist
Garrigue is found on limestone soils
What is the main soil type found in eastern part of Provence?
Schist
Limestone
Granite
Chalk
Schist
What were the tribe that arrived in Provence in 6c BCE
Phoceans from Greece (now Turkey)
Which was the French port founded by the Phocaens
Marseille
In the Middle Ages, Provence became involved in a power struggle between rulers from which regions
Barcelona, the Kingdom of Burgundy and the Holy Roman Empire
When did Provence officially first become part of France
late 1400s
King Louis XI=Louis the Prudent
Charles VIII=Charles the Affable
Who was Frederic Mistral
a poet who championed the Occitan language and Provençal folk art and culture
1830-1914
What natural wine related product is Provence famous for
Cork
Massif des Maures
Which was the first Provence AOC
Cassis, then Bandol
What is the name of the research centre for wine in Provence
Centre du Rose
What % of Provence production is rose
90%
What happened to Provence at the end of the 1400s?
Rosé wine production overtook red for the first time
It became a part of France
Vine growing became the major agricultural activity
Growers started to plant non-native grape varieties
It became part of France
Which civilization first introduced wine culture to Provence?
The Romans
The Iberians
The Phoenicians
The Phocaeans
Phocaeans
The top grapes grown in 1961 and 2017 are about the same % - which are they
1961=Carignan (then Ugni and Clairette)
2017=Grenache (then Cinsault and Syrah)
What are the 3 main white grapes of Provence
Clairette
Marsanne
Vermentino
Which are the 3 rose/gris grapes of Palette
Barbaroux, Clairette rose and Terret Gris
Which are the important to know red grapes grown in Provence
Grenache
Cinsault (delicate)
Mourvedre (Bandol)
Braquet Noir (Bellet)
Which of these red grapes is unique to Bellet AOC?
Tibouren
Brun Fourca
Braquet Noir
Caladoc
Braquet Noir
Rolle is a synonym for which grape?
Clairette
Vermentino
Marsanne
Piquepoul Blanc
Ugni Blanc
Vermentino
What is the main VTS of Provence
Gobelet (traditional)
Guyot (modern)
Traditionally vines are pruned by Guyot and trained by Gobelet
More trellising with mechanical night harvesting