southern france

Question 1

what is the climat and grape growing in the southern france?

Answer 1

1) warm mediterrenean climat with summertemp that can excess off 30°c, mild winters and low rainfalls especially during the growing season
2) vineyards planted inland the foothills of the moutnains that surround this region are tend to be cooler than the coastal plains and often have a less fertile, well drained soil that is better suited for quality viticulture
3) strong winds: cool dry winds from the north cooling the western and eastern part: the mistral
- - tramontane blows through the gap between the central massif and the pyrenees
4) the biggest grapegrowing challenge is drought
- - no fungal disseases
- - the region can have flood in the summer

Question 2

what are the black varieties?

Answer 2

1) grenache: suited for the warm and dry summer climate
2) syrah: perform better in the cooler sites
- - those 2 are the most important
3) carignan: high in acidity, tann and colour but can lack fruit and finesse
- - old vine carrignan on poor soil can produce quality wine
- - popularity loss due its ability to produce enormous yields
4) there are small plantings of cinsault to make roses and add red fruit flavours to blends
5) mourvedre can ripen succesfully only in the warmes sites and plays an importan role in blendings adding richness, colour and complexity
6) merlot and cab s for igt win

Question 3

semi carbonic maceration is used to soften the carrignan tann

Answer 3

better

Question 4

What white varieties are there ?

Answer 4

1) Chardonnay and sauvignon blanc, these where no locals but now used in production of igt wines
2) small plantings of viognier
3) muscat is produced to make fortified sweet wines grapey character
4) grenache blanc to make dry wines with a peachy character, full body and low acidity
5) Picpoul de pinet
§) macabeo in roussilion
6 ) rolle in provence v(vermentino
7) mauzac in limoux
8) picpoul de pinet: wines with refreshing high acidity and green fruit and citrus flavours

Question 5

aop:

Answer 5

1) languedoc: generic aop that covers all the aop vineyards from the spanish border to nimes. the best subregions can add their name on the label and some have their own sub app like minervois: la liviniere or cotes de roussilon

Question 6

the best wines are full bodied and have concentrated spicy red fruit often with oak flavours, rosés tend to be soft and fruity wines.

Answer 6

yallah

Question 7

describe fitou:

Answer 7

1) it has a warm coastal strip that provides fuller bodied wines
2) it has another cooler area inland and an altitude, where lighter wines predominate

Question 8

cotes du roussilon is more consistently rugged and mountanious than the other areas of the languedoc, bright sunlight and a cool tramontane wind can lead to:

Answer 8

concentrated wines

Question 9

corbieres covers warm sites near the coast and also vineyards at an altitude that are cooled by the tramontane. it has been subvided in 11 subregions wherefrom the most famous is:

Answer 9

Corbieres Boutenac

Question 10

how about minervois ?

Answer 10

lies on the slopes of the massif central the vineyards do not reache the coast but vary in their qualities due to altitude the richness of the soil and the extent of their exposure to the cooling influences from the atlantic it is too subdivided and their best is minervois la liviniere

Question 11

picpoul de pinet: near the coast so:

Answer 11

cooling sea breezes helping to retain the fresh acidity

Question 12

provence:

Answer 12

1) landscape varied
2) prominent range of hills — protection of mistral
3) different site, climate, soils
4) rose: pale colour dry and delicate flavours of grapefruit and red fruits
5) best whites are for rolle and clairette
6) bandol: premium red of Mourvedre, dark full bodied with high tann bramble meat and liquorice