South France

Question 1

What is the general climate of Southern France?

Answer 1

Warm, Mediterranean
Summer temperatures exceeding 30 degree celsius
Mild winters
Low rainfall

Question 2

What are the name of the two winds in Southern France?

Answer 2

The mistral (Rhone Valley) and tramontane (between Massif Central & Pyrenees)

Question 3

What are the biggest challenges towards viticulture in Southern France?

Answer 3

Drought.

Occasionally summer floods.

Question 4

What are the dominantly planted red varieties in Southern France?

Answer 4

Local varieties:

• Grenache (well-suited for hotter sites)
• Syrah (often cooler sites)
• Carignan (decreasing % of planting)
• Cinsault (also for rose)
• Mourvédre (only in the warmest sites)

International varieties:
- Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon (for IGP wines)

Question 5

What are the dominantly planted white varieties in Southern France?

Answer 5

International varieties (predominantly):

• Chardonnay
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Viognier

Local varieties:

• Muscat (often sweet wines)
• Grenache Blanc (peachy, full-bodied dry white with low acidity)
• Picpoul (green fruit and citrus flavours with high acidity)

Question 6

What are the primary appellation of Southern France?

Answer 6

Languedoc - from Eastern Spanish border to Nimes in north.

Question 7

What are the IGP covering all the departments of the Languedoc-Rousillon?

Answer 7

Pays d’ Oc

Question 8

Name the most important sub-region AOCs of the Languedoc AOC.

Answer 8

From south to north:

• Cotes du Roussillon: mountainous, bright sun, low rainfall and strong winds. Concentrated wines.
• Cotes du Roussillon Villages (better northern part of above)
• Fitou (warmer, full-bodied wines at the coastal - lighter inland at higher altitude)
• Corbieres (warm sites at the coast - higher altitude sites cooled by tramontane)
• Limoux (west of Corbieres - oaked Chardonnay and sparkling wine)
• Minervois (do not reach coast - quality varying by the altitude, richness of soil and cooling effects from the atlantic)
• Picpoul de Pinet (cooled by the ocean - white from the local variety Picpoul)

Question 9

Name the appellation and most important sub-region of Provence.

Answer 9

• Cotes de Provence

- Bandol

Question 10

What are the primary red wine type of Bandol?

Answer 10

Mouvédre based which ripen reliably on southern-facing slopes.
Dark, full-bodied with high tannins and flavours of bramble, meat and liqourice-spice.