Southern France Flashcards
What is the minimum actual alcohol level for Vin Doux Naturels?
15%
Who produces the wine “Clos des Demoiselles”?
What type of wine is it?
What are the grapes?
J. Laurens
Cremant de Limoux
Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Pinot Noir.
What is the landscape of Provence like?
Varied and broken up by many ranges of hills that provide protection from The Mistral.
A variety of different sites, climates and soils
What kind of climate does Grenache vs. Syrah prefer?
Grenache enjoys hotter spots Syrah prefers cooler sites
What are the two divisions of Fitou?
What kind of wines do they produce?
Fitou Maritime: Near the warm coast producing fuller bodied wines
Fitou Montagneux: Inland at altitude producing lighter wines.
Both are red blends usually dominated by Carignan
Which AOP in Southern France produces the most wine and what kind of wine does it mainly consist of?
- Cotes de Provence AOP
- Mostly Rosé (>75%)
Fitou is embedded in which larger appellation?
Corbieres
What is the southernmost appellation in Continental France?
Banyuls AOP
How many geographic deisgnations may append their name to Languedoc AOP?
11
How are the styles of Rivesaltes AOP (ambré, grenat, tuilé, rosé, Hors d’Age) different from each other?
Ambre / Tuilé: Aged oxidatively for at least 3 years.
Grenat: 100% Grenache noir, aged reductively for one year, and must be bottled before June 30 of the second year.
Rosé: Wines must be bottled no later than December 31 of the year following the harvest.
Hors d’Age: Wines are aged until at least September 1 of the fifth year after harvest.
What is the biggest appellation in Provence?
Côtes de Provence
What is the landscape of the Côtes du Rousillon Villages AOP?
What is its climate like?
As a result, what are the characteristics of the wine?
Rugged landscape
Warm Mediterranean with bright sunlight, low rainfall and strong winds (Tramontane)
Predominantly red, concentrated wines
Cotes de Provence AOP rosé wines can be dry or off-dry.
True or False?
False, they are always dry.
What are the 6 key sub regions of Languedoc?
Côtes de Rousillon
Côtes de Rousillon Villages
Minervois
Fitou
Corbieres
Picpoul de Pinet
Put the following cities in order from North to South:
Bellet
Bandol
Pierrevert
Palette
- Pierrevert
- Bellet
- Palette
- Bandol
What major city is Provence based around?
Marseille
What do winemakers increasingly do to soften the tannins of Carignan?
Semi Carbonic fermentation
In which region would you find Vin de Pays d’Oc IGP?
Languedoc-Roussillon
In Southern France, how do growing conditions differ between inland areas and the coast?
Inland: Noticeably cooler, less fertile with well drained soils better suited to quality viticulture
All of the following are sub-zones of Cotes de Provence except:
Sainte-Victoire
Fréjus
La Londe
Lesquerde
Pierrefeu
Lesquerde (village in Cotes du Rousillon)
3 indigenous grapes to Corsica?
4 red varieties blended to create generic Vin de Corse wine?
2 white varieties blended to create generic Vin de Corse wine?
- Nielluccio, Sciacarello, Vermentino
- Neilluccio, Sciacarello, Grenache, Barbarossa
- Vermentino, Ugni Blanc
Who produces the wine below?
Mas de Daumas Gassac
What vin doux naturel is Maury AOP similar in style to?
What grapes are used to make it?
Banyuls AOP
Grenache Noir, Gris, Blanc
Which 2 appellations in the Western Languedoc rely heavily on Bordeaux varietals?
Which appellation madates the blending of Mediterranean and Bordeaux varietals?
Limoux, Malepere.
Cabardés.
What is the climate like in Picpoul de Pinet?
Vineyards located near the coast Providing cooling sea breezes to retain the acidity of the Picpoul grape
In addition to Grenache and Syrah what other 5 black grapes are commonly grown in the South of France and what are they used for?
Carignan - Widely grown, high tannin, acidity and deep colour but lacks fruit finesse
Cinsault - Mainly used for Rosé and adding red fruit flavours to red blends
Mourvèdre - Needs heat but adds richness, colour and complexity to blends
Merlot and Cab Sav - significant plantings and used making IGP wines
What wines does Provence predominantly make?
What grapes are they made from?
How do they taste?
Mainly Rosés (over 75%)
Made from Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre and Tibouren.
Very pale in colour, light bodied and dry on the palate with delicate flavours of grapefruit and red fruits
Mas de Daumas Gassac is associated with which wine/vineyard area?
Languedoc/Herault
Who prodcues the wine below?
Domaine Tempier
In what year was the Grand Cru Classé classification of the Cotes de Provence AOP?
How many were there originally and how many are there now?
1955
Originally 23, now 18
What is the style of Bandol red wines and from which grape is it made?
How must it be aged?
Premium, dark, full bodied reds with powerful tannins, plummy, dense, animal character.
Made with at least 50% Mourvèdre, can be blended with Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Cinsault.
Must be aged 18 months in oak prior to release.
Where are the vineyards of Minervois located?
Why do vineyards vary in quality?
In the foothills of the Massif Central.
Vineyards vary in quality due to differences in altitude, soil quality and exposure to the Tramontane
What 4 black grapes form the key ‘quartet’ in Languedoc?
What is their blend similar to?
Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre (GSM) + Carignan Similar to wines from the Southern Rhone
Which of the following is a white grape?
Carignan
Nielluccio
Clairette
Cinsault
Clairette
What are the 2 main types of traditional method sparkling wine made in Limoux and what grapes are they comprised of?
“Blanquette de Limoux” - 90% min. Mauzac
Cremant de Limoux - 20% max. Mauzac and Pinot Noir, mostly Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc.
What is the name for the traditional, hourglass-shaped bottle for Provencal rosés?
“Skittle” bottle
What is the climate like in Corbières?
Warm near the coast and cooler inland, at altitude, cooled by the Tramontane
- Which region is home to Rivesaltes AOP?
- What does its name translate to?
- What type of wine does it produce?
- What are the 4 styles?
- Roussillon.
- “High Rivers” in Catalan.
- Vin Doux Naturel.
- Ambré, Grenat, Tuilé, and Rosé
(Amber, Red, Tawny, Pink)
Who produces the wine below:
Domaine de Trevallon
Wines labeled Picpoul de Pinet must be 100% Picpoul.
True or False?
True
What is the predominant grape of Corbieres-Boutenac AOP?
Carignan
Which Italian grape is Rolle a synonym for?
Vermentino
Name 4 producers of sparkling wine in the Languedoc
Jean-Louis Denois
J. Laurens
Françoise Antech
Domaine Rives-Blanques
What is the labeling term for a Rasteau wine that has been left in an open barrel, exposed to the sun and heat in order to madeirize?
“Rancio”
Banyuls wines that are vintage-dated are labeled as __
“Rimage”
Which Appellation in Provence focuses on red wines made from Mouvedre and where is it located?
How are the vineyards laid out?
Bandol
Located just East of Marseille
South facing terraced vineyards
What are the climate characteristics of Southern France?
Name a positive and a risk of the climate
Warm Mediterranean
Low rainfall esp in growing season = risk of drought.
Low risk of fungal disease
Which of the following is NOT a sub-designation of Vin de Corse AOP?
Calvi
Figari
Porto-Vecchio
Ajaccio
Sarténe
Ajaccio
What is “mutage” and who is credited with pioneering this technique?
What kind of wines are these and where are they produced?
Fortification; adding alcohol to fermenting wine in order stop fortification and create a sweet wine. Pioneered by Arnaud de Villeneuve.
Vin doux Naturel, Roussillon.
What is the climate of Limoux like and what still red and white wines are they renowned for?
What is its local variety?
How must white wines be fermented?
Located inland, at cooling altitude
Reds are Merlot-based.
Whites are made from (local) Mauzac, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc.
White wines must be fermented in oak.
Which of these is the largest wine producing region in France:
Languedoc-Roussillon, Bordeaux, Rhone Valley?
Languedoc-Roussillon
There are two noticeable winds in the Southern France, what are they called and where do they blow?
To the west the Tramontane blows through the gap between the Massif Central and the Pyrenees To the east the Mistral blows down the Rhone valley
What 5 human influences have generally improved the quality of Southern French wines?
Investment in modern winemaking equipment
Improved cellar hygiene
Temperature control
Better oxygen management
Also use of new and old oak
What are the differences in elevage and assemblage for Banyuls and Banyuls Grand Cru?
Banyuls: at least 50% Grenache Noir
Banyuls Grand Cru: at least 75% Grenache Noir and 30 months in barrel.
In reference to Rousillon, what are “bonbonnes”?
Glass jugs used to age Rivesaltes wine under the sun.
Put the following appelations in order from North to South:
Malepere
Limoux
Muscat de Lunel
Saint-Chinian
- Muscat de Lunel
- Saint-Chinian
- Malepere
- Limoux
What are the two best grapes to grow in Southern France warmer regions?
Mourvèdre -
Grenache -
In which region does Chateau Simone produce wine?
Palette AOC
How far does the generic ‘Languedoc’ appellation stretch?
How are generic Languedoc wines commonly labelled?
From the Spanish border to Nimes
Vin de Pays d’Oc
Who makes the wine below?
Antoine Arena
What grape is Nielluccio a variant of and where is it found?
Sangiovese
Corsica
In which wine regions are the following cities located?
- Marseilles
- Perpignan
- Montpellier
- Orange
- Marseilles: Provence
- Perpignan: Roussillon
- Montpellier: Languedoc
- Orange: Southern Rhone Valley
Which region is this wine from?
What is the dominant grape used for this producer’s white wine?
Grapes for red?
Languedoc
White: Roussanne
Red: Mostly Syrah/Mouvedre
Maury AOP allows wines in which 2 styles?
Rouge and Vin Doux Naturel
What is the dominant red grape in the following appellations?
Limoux
Fitou
Banyuls
Malepére
Limoux: Merlot
Fitou: Carignan
Banyuls: Grenache (noir)
Malepere: Malbec/Merlot
Match the grapes with the appellation:
a) Nielluccio
b) Clairette
c) Rolle
d) Marsanne
1. Bellet
2. Vin de Corse
3. Bandol
4. Cassis
a) Nielluccio / Vin de Corse
b) Clairette / Bandol
c) Rolle / Bellet
d) Marsanne / Cassis
Where is Muscat du Cap Corse AOP produced and what type of wine is it?
Corsica
Sweet, fortified wine (Vin Doux Naturel)
What are the 2 communal appellations of Corsica?
Ajaccio AOP and Patrimonio AOP
