South-West Flashcards
Which two native South-West grape varieties have found success in New World vineyards?
Côt (Malbec) in Argentina
and Tannat in Uruguay
What is the origin of the term Gascony?
The Vascones, a pre-Roman tribe from which modern-day Basque culture originated
What borders South-West France to the north, east, south and west?
North is Bordeaux, east is the Massif Central, south is the Pyrenees and west is the Atlantic Ocean.
What is the most important IGP in South-West France?
Côtes de Gascogne IGP, second in production to Pays d’Oc IGP of Languedoc and Roussillon.
What was the most planted grape in South-West France before phylloxera?
Côt (Malbec)
Which sub-region of the South-West has Mediterranean climatic influences?
The Garonne, Tarn and Lot sub-region
What is “boulbène”?
Sandy clay soils found in the South-West AOCs of Fronton and Buzet.
What do Monbazillac, Saussignac and Rosette have in common?
They are AOCs in the Dordogne that make sweet or semi-sweet wines based on Sauvignon Blanc,
Sémillon and Muscadelle.
The sale of wines from South-West France was historically curtailed by which rival wine region?
Bordeaux
Which appellation makes red and rosé wines from Négrette?
Fronton AOC
Which appellation of South-West France may use the term SGN?
Monbazillac, if the wine contains R.S over 85 g/l
What is the “méthode gaillacoise”?
A term used in Gaillac to indicate a sparking wine made using the ancestral method.
Bergerac AOC may produce sweet wines. True or False?
FALSE.
Only dry white, red and rosè are authorized in this AOC.
Which South-West sub-region is affected by foehn winds?
The Pyrenees sub-region
What is “passerillage”?
The act of twisting the stalks of grape bunches in order to stop the flow of sap; this dessicates the grapes on the vine.
Monbazillac is the largest dessert wine appellation by size and volume in France.
True or False?
TRUE
What are the two styles of sweet wines made in Gaillac?
Vendanges Tardives
and Doux
Madiran lies on the left bank of the Tarn river. True or False?
FALSE.
Madiran lies on the left bank of the
Ardour River.
South-West France claims to have how many indiginous grape varieties?
120
What are the three styles of sparkling wines made in Gaillac AOC?
Gaillac Méthode Ancestrale, traditional method and Blanc Sec Perlé
Len de L’El is a white grape. True or False?
TRUE
Cabernet Franc may be used as a blending grape in Cahors AOC. True or False?
FALSE.
Only Merlot and Tannat can be blended with Côt in Cahors.
What is the local Jurançon name for galets (stones)?
Poudingues
What are the two primary red grapes of Irouléguy?
Tannat and Cabernet Franc
What are the two most important grapes of Jurançon?
Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng
Irouléguy is the southernmost AOC in South-West France? True or False?
True
Gaillac Primeur wines are made using what vinification technique?
Semi-carbonic maceration
What does “moelleux” refer to?
Semi-sweet wines made from late-harvest grapes with or without botrytis.
What does “liquoreux” refer to?
Sweet wines made from botrytized grapes.
What is “micro-oxygenation”?
A technique developed by Patrick Ducourau in Madiran to tame tannins. Minute amounts of oxygen are bubbled through must or wine.
- Which of the following statements is false?
a. Négrette is the focus grape of Fronton
b. The Bergerac AOC focuses on Bordeaux varieties
c. Gaillac reds focus on Duras, Syrah and Fer Servadou
d. Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh focuses on Mauzac-based white blends
d. Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh focuses on Mauzac-based white blends
- Where will you find white wines crafted from Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng?
a. Gaillac
b. Bergerac
c. Jurançon
d. Fronton
c. Jurançon
- Which of the following grape varieties is red?
a. Arrufiac
b. Baroque
c. Courbu
d. Prunelard
d. Prunelard
- Which of the following statements is false?
a. Gaillac Primeur is made from Gamay
b. Gaillac Méthode Gaillacoise is a dry sparkling wine
c. Gaillac Méthode Gaillacoise is made from Mauzac and Mauzac Rose
d. Gaillac sweet white wines are made in two styles: Doux and Vendanges Tardives
b. Gaillac Méthode Gaillacoise is a dry sparkling wine
- Cahors flanks what river?
a. Dordogne
b. Adour
c. Tarn
c. Lot
c. Tarn
- Irouléguy produces mostly…
a. Dry white wine
b. Sparkling wine
c. Red wine
d. Sweet white wine
c. Red wine
- Which of the following statements is false?
a. Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh sweet wines are botrytized
b. Jurançon sweet wines are made by passerillage
c. Tannat is native to the Adour River Basin
d. Gros Manseng is grown on both sides of the Pyrenees
a. Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh sweet wines are botrytized
- Which of the following statements is false?
a. IGP Côtes de Gascogne shares the same zone of production as Armagnac.
b. Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh shares the same zone of production as Madiran.
c. Monbazillac and Saussignac cluster around the banks of the Garonne River.
d. Gaillac flanks the Tarn River.
c. Monbazillac and Saussignac cluster around the banks of the Garonne River.
