Southern France

Question 1

What is Cote de Provence and what kind of wine does it produce?

Answer 1

Cote de Provence is the most well known rose appellation of France. The region is in southern France on the Mediterranean coast. Dry white and red wines are made here but over 75% of production is rose. Roses must be a blend of at least 2 grapes and be given their colour by short skin contact, Saignage or for very pale wines immediate pressing of whole grapes. Cinsault, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah and Tibouren make up rose and red production.

Sub regions 
La Londe
Pierrefeu
Sainte-Victoire
Fréjus

Question 2

What is the name of an hour glass shaped bottle and what region is it associated with?

Answer 2

Skittle bottle. Normally associated with Provence (think whispering angel)

Question 3

What is Chateau D’Esclans and what kind of wine does it produce?

Answer 3

Famous producer from Provence specialising in rose. Makers of whispering angel. Their top cuvée is Garrus made from 80 year old vines from the top of the Provence hills (scored almost perfect with top wine critics) blend of Grenache, Vermentino and Syrah.

Question 4

What is Bandol and what kind of wine does it produce?

Answer 4

Bandol is a small Appellation in southern France on the Mediterranean coast. While the region produces Clairette based whites and roses the area is known for being the only Mourvèdre based region in France.

Bandol reds
•Min 50% Mourvèdre
•can be blended with Grenache, cinsault, and lesser extent Syrah and carignan.
•Wines must spend a minimum of 18 months in oak and often require years of aging.
•wines are full bodied, plump, dense and often show animal characters.

Top producers
•Domaine Tempier
•Chateau de Pibarnon
•Chateau Pradeaux

Question 5

What is Les Baux-de-Provence and what kind of wine does it produce?

Answer 5

Les Baux-de-Provence is a small appellation in southern France just west of Provence and a former sub appellation of cote d’Aix-en-Provence. The regions warm dry Mediterranean climate, natural protection from the mistral winds means that sustainable and organic viticulture is widely employed and has even been pushed to be mandated.

Red and rose:
Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault
White:
Grenache Blanc, vermentino, Clairette, Roussanne

Top producer- Domaine de Trevallon
One of the premier sites but the 1995 change to focus the region more on Mediterranean varietals caused the estate to release their can sauv as Vin de Pays

Question 6

Name the 4 minor appellations around Provence and the kind of wines they produce?

Answer 6

All 3 produce wines of all 3 colours.

Cassis: more promising whites than reds. Top wines are Clairette and Marsanne.

Palette: a silly number of red and white grapes but only Chateau Simone is worth talking about.

Bellet: more promising white than red with Rolle(Vermentino) being the top varietal.

Coteaux Varois en Provence: recent addition to appellations from vin de Pays, Domaine de Triennes (most noteworthy producer of region) still releases their wines as VDP

Question 7

What is the only French AOP outside of Bordeaux to publish a ranking of Grand Cru classé estates?

Answer 7

Provence in 1955

Question 8

What is the first French AOP to require all vineyards to be farmed organically?

Answer 8

Baux de Provence. The region mandates biological farming not biodynamic

Question 9

Why do many Provence producers classify their wines as Vin De Pays?

Answer 9

The region is still in the growing pains of becoming a defined appellation in the world of fine wine. The encepagement laws are in flux and many serious producers choose the freedom of VDP over the appellation name.

Question 10

What is Corsica and what kind of wine does it produce?

Answer 10

Corsica or Corse is a French island appellation south east of Provence closer to Italy than France. The area has long been a bulk wine producer but more serious hands has seen an uptake in higher quality varietals.

Communal appellations:
Ajaccio and Patrimonio

Main Varietals
Red and rose:
Nielluccio(variant of Sangiovese), Sciacarello blended with Grenache, Barbarossa and a host of Rhône grapes

White:
Vermentino and ugni blanc

Fortified wine:
Muscat du Cap corse is Vin doux naturel

Question 11

What wine region has the most land planted under vines in the world?

Answer 11

Languedoc-Roussillon. 56 million hectolitres produced in 2006. Nearly 30% of wine from France.

Question 12

What is Fitou and what kind of wine does it produce?

Answer 12

Fitou is one of the oldest appellations of the Languedoc on the southern boarder with Roussillon. The area is divided into Fitou Maritime and Fitou Montagneux. Red wines from the region are majority carignan blends.

Question 13

What is Corbieres and what kind of wine does it produce?

Answer 13

Corbieres is a larger appellation of the Languedoc that surrounds Fitou, Corbieres-Boutenac and some smaller sub appellations. The area produces red, white and rose wine but is most famous for carignan blends.

Question 14

What is Minervois and what kind of wine does it produce?

Answer 14

Minervois is a central western appellation of the Languedoc in France. It’s designated for red, white and rose. It’s sub divided into many subzones. It’s sub appellation Minervois-La Liviniere is designated for red wine.

Question 15

What is Limoux and what kind of wine does it produce?

Answer 15

Limoux is a southern Languedoc appellation that produces Merlot based red wines and white from Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Mauzac that must be fermented in oak.

The region also produces 3 styles of sparkling.
Blanquette de Limoux - methode traditionnelle that is minimum 90% Mauzac and claims to be Frances oldest purposeful sparkling wine.

Cremant de Limoux: more modern style of sparkling, max 20% Mauzac and Pinot noir, majority Chardonnay and chenin Blanc.

Limoux methode ancestrale: tiny amounts made, 100% Mauzac

Question 16

What is Languedoc AOP and what kind of wines does it produce?

Answer 16

Languedoc AOP is the appellation that encompasses the whole of Languedoc Roussillon. The region covers 11 distinctive geographical designations. There have been discussions of a grand cru system but nothing concrete yet.

Red wines must be at least 50% Grenache Syrah, Mourvèdre and Lladoner Pelut however exact balance of these percentages changes from region to region.

Question 17

What are the fortified wine appellations of the Languedoc and what kind of wines do they produce?

Answer 17

Languedoc has several Muscat appellations in the north eastern corner of the region. The wines are Vin doux naturel or Vin de liquor.

Muscat de Mireval
Muscat de Lunel
Muscat de Saint Jean de Minervois
Muscat de Frontignan(most common)

Question 18

What is France’s most important fortified wine region?

Answer 18

The Roussillon with over 90% of all fortified production. Rivesaltes is the most important appellation of this area.

Question 19

What is rivesaltes and what kind of wine does it produce?

Answer 19

Rivesaltes(Riv-saelt) is one of the major appellations of the Roussillon and is the most important region in France for fortified wi e production. Producing vin doux naturel (wine who’s fermentation is stopped by adding pure grape spirit to preserve sweetness) is produced in a range of styles. The region is the home and birthplace of VDN wines

Amber and Tuilé - white and red wines aged in a oxidative style for at least 3 years.

Grenat- oxidative aging for between one and two years and made solely from Grenache grapes

Hors d’age- aged for at least 5 years, may sometimes be up to 20.

Muscat de Rivesaltes - wine made from the 2 Muscat varietals.

These wines can be made from Grenache(noir, blanc, gris), Maccabeo, tourbart, Muscat of Alexandra and Muscat a petit grains.

Question 20

What is Banyuls and what kind of wine does it produce?

Answer 20

Banyuls is the most southern wine appellation in France and the Roussillon. It specialises in Vin doux naturel wines. The wines are known as Frances richest, most full bodied most consistent quality minded VDN

The wines must be 50% Grenache noir minimum to be labeled Traditionnel.

Banyuls Grand cru must be 75% Grenache noir and spend a minimum of 30 months in oak.

Banyuls Rimage is vintage labeled Banyuls from only the best years. Generally bottles within one year.

Question 21

What is Collioures and what kind of wine does it produce?

Answer 21

Collioure is an appellation designation for unfortified red, white and rose wines from Banyuls(Roussillon) to be released as.