SOUTHERN FRANCE

Question 1

Climate?

Answer 1

Warm med climate
Mild winters
Low rainfall during growing season

Question 2

Vineyards planted inland in the foothills of the mountains?

Answer 2

-Cooler
-Less fertile, well drained soils which are better suited for quality viticulture

Question 3

What can have a significant impact on the climate?

Answer 3

-Cool dry winds blow from north cooling the eastern and western ends of the region
-Mistral blows down Rhone valley
-Tramontane blows through the gap between the Massif Central and Pyrenees

Question 4

Biggest grape growing challenge?

Answer 4

-Drought due to warm dry climate (can experience summerfloods)
-Fungal diseases are less of a problem here than anywhere else in France

Question 5

More white or black grapes?

Answer 5

Black

Question 6

Most important local varieties?

Answer 6

Grenache- Good for warm dry climate
Syrah- Better in the cooler sites

Question 7

What other black grape is widely grown?

Answer 7

-Carignan- Naturally high in acid, tannin, color
-Can lack fruit/finesse
Old vine on poor soil=quality wines

Question 8

What grape is permitted by all AC regulations?

Answer 8

Carignan

Question 9

What is Cinsault used for?

Answer 9

Rose production and to add red fruit flavors to red blends

Question 10

What does Mourvedre add?

Answer 10

-Can only ripen successfully in the warmest sites
-Plays an important role in blends, adding richness, color, complexity

Question 12

International varieties used in IGP wines?

Answer 12

Merlot
Cab Sauv

Question 13

What helps soften tannins in Carignan?

Answer 13

Semi carbonic maceration

Question 14

2 most widely planted varieties and used in the production of IGP wines?

Answer 14

Chardonnay
Sauv B

Question 15

Most widely planted local varieties?

Answer 15

Muscat
Grenache Blanc

Question 16

Smaller plantings of this white?

Answer 16

Viognier

Question 17

What is Muscat used for?

Answer 17

-Sweet fortified wines
-Sometimes for dry wines with aromatic grapey aromas

Question 18

What type of wine does Grenache Blanc make?

Answer 18

-Wines with soft peachy fruitiness
-Full body, low acid, tend to oxidize easily
-Often blended with other local or Rhone varieties

Question 19

What type of wine does Piquepoul produce?

Answer 19

High acid, green fruit, citrus flavors

Question 20

The departments of Aude, Herault and Gard is traditionally known as?

Answer 20

Languedoc

Question 21

Vineyards of the department of Pyrenees Orientales is known as?

Answer 21

Roussillon

Question 22

Further inland and towards the Spanish border the vineyards become?

Answer 22

More hilly and rugged

Question 23

What is Languedoc?

Answer 23

Generic appellation that covers all the appellation vineyards from the Spanish border to Nimes

Question 24

What type of wines do the cooler areas produce?

Answer 24

Finesse and lighter tannins and often produce the best Syrahs

Question 25

What type of wines do the warmer areas produce?

Answer 25

-Mourvedre is at its best
Wines have greater body, meaty, gamey flavors

Question 26

Cotes du Roussillon?

Answer 26

More rugged and mountainous than other areas of Languedoc

Question 27

Where are the best vineyards in Cotes du Roussillon?

Answer 27

In the north and qualify for Cotes du Roussillon Villages

Question 28

Fitou?

Answer 28

-Split into 2 separate areas

1.Warm coastal strip that produces fuller bodied wines
2. Cooler area inland and at an altitude where lighter wines predominate

Question 29

Corbieres?

Answer 29

-Covers warm sites near the coast and vineyards planted at altitude that are cooled by Tramontane
-Divided into 11 sub regions
-Best is Boutenac which has own AC

Question 30

Minervois?

Answer 30

-Lies on the slopes of the Massif Central
-Vineyards do not reach coast–>Vary in qualities due to altitude, richness in soil and the extent of their exposure to the cooling influences from the Atlantic
-Also sub divided and the best sub region is La Liviniere and has own AC

Question 31

Where is Picpoul de Pinet?

Answer 31

-Near the coast
-Help to retain natural high acid of Picpoul grape

Question 32

What does Limoux benefit from?

Answer 32

Cooling affect of altitude and is a source of premium oaked Chardonnays

Question 33

More IGP wines in this area than any other region of France?

Answer 33

True

Question 34

What are IGP wines sold under?

Answer 34

Regional name Pays d’oc (covers all the departments which make up the Languedoc and Roussillon

Question 35

What do IGP regulations permit?

Answer 35

-Wider range of grape varieties
-Varietal labelling

Question 36

Landscape of Provence?

Answer 36

Varied and is broken up by many prominent ranges of hills
-These offer protection from Mistral and provide a great variety of different sites, climate and soil

Question 37

Provence Rose characteristics?

Answer 37

-Very pale
-Light-med body
-Dry
-Delicate flavors of red fruits

Question 38

Reds of Provence?

Answer 38

-Fresh and fruit to more full bodied barrel mature styles

Question 39

Best whites of Provence?

Answer 39

Often make a feature of the aromatic quality of Rolle and Clairette

Question 40

Largest appellation in Provence?

Answer 40

Cotes de Provence
(Mainly rose)

Question 41

Along coast there are 3 isolated pockets of vineyards each with its own individual appellation controlee. Most important is?

Answer 41

-Bandol, located east of Marseille

Question 42

What does Bandol produce?

Answer 42

-Premium reds based on Mourvedre grape
(able to ripen reliably on regions south facing terraced slopes)
-Dark, full bodied, powerful tannins, require bottle age before they show their full spectrum of bramble, meat, licorice and spice flavors