Seminar 1 Flashcards
Where and when did viticulture begin?
Georgia 6000 BCS
How did the first winegrowers vinify their wines?
Underground vats -> Qveri (also spelled Kweri)
Where did viticultures move after it began in Georgia?
Westward -> Egypt
According to the Bible, who was the first winegrower?
Noah
According to many legends, what animals taught how to prune?
Donkeys
Who was the Greek god of wine?
Bacchus (Dionysius)
What miracle did Jesus Christ perform in Cana? What tradition did this initiate?
Turning water into wine. Serving the best wine first.
What made wine so important in Christian religions?
It represents blood of christ.
In what Eastern country was wine appreciated and celebrated?
Iran
Why wasn’t wine readily adopted in India, China, and Japan?
It wasn’t in their culture to drink wine, they drank rice distillates and tea.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, who took care of vineyards?
The church
What was St. Benedict’s rule concerning wine?
Wine in moderation.
What famous estate did Cistercian monks develop in Burgundy?
Clos de Vougeot
What were the three main uses of wine in monasteries?
1.) Sacrements: blood of christ
2.) Duty of hospitality
3.) Safer to drink then water, used wine in hospitals
Mention a Cisterican contribution to viticultre?
-Construction of Clos
-Development of cultivars specifically Pinot Noir
-Understanding climats
How were clos constituted in Burgundy?
Draining marshes, moving rocks. Created to keep animals out by wealthy landowners so built them around choice plots.
Why was Bordeaux wine not popular in France in the middle ages?
It was controlled by the English
Why were there no vineyards in Médoc in the Middle Ages?
It was a marsh. Soil wasn’t suitable.
What cultivar did Duke Philip the Good ban in Burgundy in 1395? Why did he make this decision?
Gamay– too prolific, peasants were able to make their own because of this and in turn could make them disloyal.
Did viticulture make winegrowers get rich after the 100 year old? What did they drink?
No, winegrowers were not rich. They drank piquette, which is created from the leftover grape skins.
In what way did wine consumption start to change at the end of the 17th century?
Wines were able to be aged and became the people’s drink. Time of economic upturn, people were happy.
Who invented champange?
The English
Why was champagne popular in the 18th century?
Cheaper and taxed lower then previous times. Happy times, economics upturn.
How do growers disinfect their barrel’s?
Harnil’s favorite chemical, Sulfur.
What happened to the vineyards belonging to the Church during the French Revolution?
Confiscated and redistrubted.
What new class of vitiners emerged during the French Revolution?
Wine Merchants
What recommendation did Antoine Chaptal make regarding vinification?
Add sugar to the must.
What role did the State play in viticulture in the 19th century?
Napoleon the Third helped viticulture. Encouraged Pasteur.
Who is considered the father of enology?
Louis Pasteur
How were diseases as the mildews and phylloxera introduced in Europe?
From American grape vines.
Why were there so many counterfeit wines in Europe at the end of the 19th century?
Lack of wine because of phylloxera.
Why were there no winegrowers rebellions in Burgundy at the beginning of the 20th century? (contrary to the south of France and Champagne?)
Vineyards are divided into smaller portions than in the south of France and Champagne.
How was the surplus of wine crisis of the beginning of the 20th century solved?
War. Gave abundance of wine to soilders for rations. Helped keep their spirits high.
What are the principles of the AOC system?
Defining where wine can be made.
