SPARKLING WINES OF THE WORLD Flashcards by KIt S

How many Premier Cru and Grand Cru in Champagne?

44 Premier Cru
17 Grand Cru

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How is Champagne rated?

-The whole village is rated and not specific vineyard sites
-Growers in these villages are NOT required to meet stricter production requirements (ex: Lower yields)

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Champagne- Within the appellation boundaries, how many sub regions are there with major concentrations of vineyards?

3 most famous?

1.Montagne de Reims
2.Vallee de la Marne
3.Cotes des Blancs

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Climate in Champagne?

Cool continental

Winter freeze, spring frosts, rainy/cloudy weather

Frost is a big challenge

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Champagne-Most vineyards are planted on?

Soils?

Slopes to minimize frost

Dominated by chalk (provides good drainage, but can hold a good quantity of water during dry periods)

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Champagne-Chardonnay is most widely planted where?

Cote des Blancs
Cote de Sezanne
*Much lighter in body than in Burgundy, high acid with floral/citrus fruit character

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Champagne-Where does Pinot Noir dominate?

Montagne de Reims
Cote des Bar
*Wines of greater body and structural backbone to most blends

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Champagne-Where does Meunier dominate?

Vallee de la Marne
-Buds late protecting it from spring frost that occur more in this area
-Adds fruit flavours to blends
-Important for wines that are made to be enjoyed young

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First liquid to come off the press in Champagne?

Cuvee-Contains the purest juice (Best Champs made solely from this)

The remainder is called the Taille

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Champagne- NV wines must be ages for?

Min 15 months, including at least 12 months on lees

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Champagne-Vintage wines must be matured for?

Min 36 months, including at least 12 months on the lees

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NV Champagne characteristics?

Lighter in body
More fresh fruit flavors

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Vintage Champagne characteristics?

Made in the best years
More concentrated
More toasty and biscuity

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Blanc de Blanc characteristics?

Light to medium bodied
Citrus primary fruit
Can be more austere in youth, but can bottle age for a long time

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Blanc de Noir characteristics?

Fuller in body
Can age more quickly

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What is Prestige Cuvee

-Represents the finest wine in their range
-Often, but not always Vintage wines and made from the best parcels of grapes

What is Cremant?

What are the most important?

-Applies to a number of French sparkling wines AC’s

-Cremant d’Alsace
-Cremant de Bourgogne
-Cremant de Loire

Rules for Cremant?

Made in traditional method
Must spend min 9 months on lees

What grapes are NOT permitted for Cremant in Alsace?

Muscat and Gew

**Chardonnay is allowed

2nd biggest centre of sparkling wine production in France?

Loire Valley

What is sparkling Saumur made from?

Rose??

-Can be made from a range of local varieties, as well as Chardonnay, which with Chenin Blanc and Cab Franc is an important ingredient in the best wines

Rose-Cab Franc

What is sparkling Vouvray made from?

-Made in greater volume than still Vouvray
-Mainly Chenin Blanc (Autolytic character of Chenin B tends to be more smoky and toasty)

Sparkling Saumur and Vouvray are made by what method?

How long on lees?

Traditional method

Min 9 months

What does Cava cover?

A number of different non-contiguous geographic areas across Spain

Areas permitted to make Cava?

Sant Sandurni d'Anoia Navarra, Rioja, Valencia

Rules for Cava?

Made in Traditional method Min 9 months on lees Most is non vintage and ready to drink on release from winery Generally lower in acid than Champagne Some producers making premium Cava that have undergone extensive lees aging

Cava grapes?

FOR WHITES Macabeo (Viura) Xarel.lo Parellada (Dry, medium acid, some character from yeast autolysis) FOR ROSES Garnacha Monastrell **Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are also permitted---Can add extra level of both fruit and acid to wines)

What is Asti made from?

Muscat Blanc a petits Grain using the Asti method

Characteristics of Asti?

Pronounced fruity aroma of peach and grape with floral notes All is sweet Low in alcohol No Autolytic character Does not benefit from ageing

2 principal regions for Prosecco?

Prosecco DOC (Covers wide area of Veneto and Friuli) Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG (Fruit must be gorwn around the 2 towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene on the steep limestone hills NW of Venice)

Prosecco- What does Cartizze and Rive mean?

A wine from an exceptional vineyard site

Prosecco characteristics?

-Tank method -Med acid, fresh aromas of green apple and melon -Made in Brut, extra dry, dry styles -Typically have a bit more RS than Champagne and Cava Do not benefit from bottle age

Any residual sugar left in Prosecco is usually a result of what?

Interrupting fermentation by chilling and filtering

Prosecco Rose?

Allowed to be produced as of 2020 by DOC Mainly Glera with a small amount of PN (Up to 15%)

Where has the highest per capita consumption of sparkling wine in the world?

Germany

How is Sekt made?

Tank method Base wines usually come from Italy, France, Spain, but are turned into sparkling wines within Germany

What is Deutscher Sekt?

-In addition to being made sparkling in Germany, it must also ONLY use grapes grown in Germany -Best are made from Riesling -If all grapes for the wine come from one of the quality wine regions (Mosel) then the wine can bear the superior appellation Deutscher Sekt b.A (Some will use the Traditional method for this)