Roussillon

Question 1

Roussillon: Climate

Answer 1

Warm, windy Meditteranean climate with moderate rainfall at 500-600m. and high sunshine hours.
Drought can be an issue
and combined with wind can create low yielding and highly concentrated fruit.
High portion of certified organic fruit enabled by the warm, windy, dry conditions.

Question 2

Roussillon : Grape Varieties

Answer 2

• Most important are Grenache Noir, Syrah, Carignan, and Mouvedre.
• Muscat Petit Grains and Muscat d’Alexandrie is used for the fortified wines and Macabeu for whites.

Question 3

Roussillon:Vineyard Management

Answer 3

Historically bush vines . Many remain. Most work has to be done by hand adding to the cost. Trelisses hae been planted in the last decades although there is less flat land than Languedoc.

Question 4

Roussillon: Cotes du Rousillon AOC

Answer 4

• Large appellation that includes the entire department of Pyrenees -Orientales (except the Collioure area)
• Lower slopes arooudn 100-250m
• Red rose and white wines
• **MAX YIELD IS 48hl/hc **
• Prinicipal varieties include Carignan,Grenchae Noir, Mouvedre and Syrah
• Carignan may only be 50 % of the blend While Syrah and Mouv must be a min 25% in the vineyard.
• Min two varieties in the blend with one max out at 80%.

Question 5

Roussillon: Cotes de Roussillon Villages AOC

Answer 5

• Smaller appelllation for only RED wine
• Min two varieites and 80% max for one
• Vines are grown on slopes around 100-400m and greater acidity die to altitude
• Mostly hand work, raising cost
  *** MAX YIELD IS 45hl/hc **
  Five villages may amend this and add the village name at MAX 42hl/hc
  Some of these villages may hjave to make Carignan in a lighter style i.e carbonic maceration

Question 6

Roussillon: Collioure AOC

Answer 6

• Small appellation along the Spanish border sharing boundaries with Banyuls AOC
• Full bodied dry red and white wines grown on steep terraces above the Mediterranean Sea.
• Mostly GSM
• Whites are Grenache Gris
• Typical yields are 20-25 hl/hc but
  *** MAX is 40hl/hc **
  Highly concentrated , prem prices

Question 7

Roussillon: IGP Cotes Catalanes

Answer 7

• Used by producers for red and whites
• covers the entire Pyrenees -Orientales

Question 8

Roussillon: Winemaking

Answer 8

• Either made by pressing fruit or carbonic maceration

Question 9

Roussillon: Wine Business

Answer 9

• Co-ops are very important in the region
• trend towards high quality wines set up by wineries from the Rhone eg. Chapoutier
• Outstanding wines made by Chateaux Gauby, Clos de Fees
• 80% domestic sales
  *