Rhone

Question 1

What is The Rhone Brand?

Answer 1

1 internationally, more than Bordeaux or Champagne.

Question 2

Who established vinyards in the Rhone?

Answer 2

The Romans who from 125BC sailed the Rhone River as a trade route.

Question 3

How far north did they sail?

Answer 3

As far north as the City of Vienne.

Question 4

What is in Donzere in the southern valley?

Answer 4

Villa du Molard, the largest winery and vineyard in antiquity.

Question 5

When does it date from?

Answer 5

80-50bc

Question 6

How large were the vineyards?

Answer 6

300 ha.

Question 7

How much production was there?

Answer 7

250,000 litres per year.

Question 8

A dispute in the Catholic church lead to…?

Answer 8

9 Popes residing in Avignon

Question 9

Over what time period?

Answer 9

1305 - 1429 AD

Question 10

During this period what happened?

Answer 10

Wine consumption was as high as 2 1/2 letres per day.

Question 11

Who was the first Pope to plant vineyards?

Answer 11

Pope Clement V.

Question 12

Where did he plant them?

Answer 12

At the foot of Mount Ventoux.

Question 13

What did Pope John XXII do?

Answer 13

He built a summer palace in a village north of Avignon.

Question 14

What else?

Answer 14

He planted vineyards in the area now known as Chateauneuf-du-Pape (New Chateau of the Pope).

Question 15

When?

Answer 15

1317 AD

Question 16

Who built the Pope Palace in Avignon?

Answer 16

Pope Benoit XII

Question 17

When did he first reside there?

Answer 17

1335 AD

Question 18

What happened in 1375 AD?

Answer 18

It was expanded into the Pope Palace you see today (Palais des Papes d’Avignon).

Question 19

Who initiated white wine production in the area?

Answer 19

Pope Innocent VI.

Question 20

Who brought Muscat?

Answer 20

Pope Urbain V who was from Champagne.

Question 21

What do we see at the end of the Middle Ages?

Answer 21

Reference to “Cote du Rhone.

Question 22

Who first designated the brand “Cote du Rhone

Answer 22

Louis XV.

Question 23

When?

Answer 23

1737.

Question 24

How?

Answer 24

By decreeing that Cote du Rhone be on all wine barrels production coming from the Rhone Valley

Question 25

What is this?

Answer 25

The Very First "Proof of Origine"

Question 26

How does it diff from toaday?

Answer 26

Its Cote du Rhone, singular, vs. today its Cotes du Rhone, plural.

Question 27

What struct the Village of Lirac in 1863?

Answer 27

Your old friend "Phylloxera".

Question 28

What City was it near?

Answer 28

Avignon.

Question 29

What are the Fun "Facts & Figures"?

Answer 29

Keep reading!!!

Question 30

Who was appointed to establish the AOC system?

Answer 30

Pierre Baron Le Roy.

Question 31

What did he own?

Answer 31

Chateau Fortia in Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

Question 32

What year was he appointed to establish the AOC's.

Answer 32

1936.

Question 33

How does the Rhone Valley stack up in volume?

Answer 33

It's the 2nd largest wine producer by volume in France.

Question 34

How does it stack up in terms of vineyard ha?

Answer 34

2nd with 66,402 ha.

Question 35

Do people in the world like the wine?

Answer 35

Yes, its France's most popular wine export.

Question 36

How does vineyards and wine production figure in the economy of the Rhone Valley?

Answer 36

Its the #1 direct and indirect employer with 50,000 jobs.

Question 37

How many voneyards are organic?

Answer 37

30% with another 20% in conversion.

Question 38

Color makeup?

Answer 38

75% Red, 15% Rose, 10% White

Question 39

What is the climate like?

Answer 39

Warm.

Question 40

But with what special thing?

Answer 40

The Mistral, a cooling wind from the mountains to the north.

Question 41

What is the Rhone Valley?

Answer 41

Its 2 distinct Regions.

Question 42

What are they?

Answer 42

The North and the South.

Question 43

What describes the climate of the north?

Answer 43

A Temperate Continental climate, No sea influence, very cold winter, very hot summer.

Question 44

What describes the north's geography?

Answer 44

Steep slopes of granite and schist.

Question 45

What describes the climate of the southern Rhone?

Answer 45

Mediterranean, gentle in winter, not extremely hot in summer.

Question 46

What is the geography

Answer 46

Flat with soils of sedimentary rock deposited by the river, pebbles and loess.

Question 47

What is the soil of Chateauneuf du Pape?

Answer 47

Pebbles.

Question 48

What do they do?

Answer 48

Retain heat during the day and emit it at night to assist in ripening of the grapes and warming the vines.

Question 49

What grape does this type of "Pebble" soil work best for?

Answer 49

Grenache because it ripens a lot and produces wines with higher alcohol (Châteauneuf du Pape 15% ABV levels)

Question 50

What are the 3 largest cities of the Rhone Valley?

Answer 50

Lyon in the north, Valence ( still in the north but in the lower part) and Avignon ( in the south)

Question 51

What was the first AOC (now AOP) of the Rhone Valley?

Answer 51

Cotes-du-Rhone.

Question 52

When was it designated?

Answer 52

1937

Question 53

What is this?

Answer 53

It's the regional or 1st level AOP.

Question 54

What percentage of AOP wines in the Rhone Valley does it represent?

Answer 54

48%

Question 55

What are they?

Answer 55

Still wines of Red, Rose and White.

Question 56

What is the maximum yield ?

Answer 56

48 Hl/ha.

Question 57

What are the main white grapes?

Answer 57

Bourboulenc B, Clairette B, Grenache B, Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier B

Question 58

hat are the main red grapes?

Answer 58

Grenache N, Mourvedre N, Syrah.

Question 59

What must the red and rose wines be?

Answer 59

A blend of at least 70% of the main grapes.

Question 60

What must white wines be?

Answer 60

A blend of at least 80% of the main grapes.

Question 61

What must the balance of the red, rose or white wines be ?

Answer 61

From the other allowed grapes

Question 62

BUT...?

Answer 62

Max 5% of white grapes in Red wines and max 20% of white grapes in Rose

Question 63

End of Slide 9

Answer 63

No Kidding and time for a cocktail!!!!!