SW France Quizes Flashcards

1
Q

What borders SW France?

A

W - Atlantic
E - Massif Central
N - Bordeaux
S - Pyrenees

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2
Q

What is the overall climate of South-West France?


A

Continental

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3
Q

The majority of the South-West’s vineyards lie in the Aquitaine Basin. Some of the eastern vineyard areas are outside this. On which geographical feature do you find these vineyards?


A

Massif Central

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4
Q

What was the name for the province in. SW France?

A

Gascony or Aquitaine

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5
Q

What were English lands in France called?

A

Angevin Empire

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6
Q

What was the old name for Dordogne?

A

Périgord

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7
Q

What groups historically passed through SW France and why?

A

Pilgrims going to either
1. Lourdes or
2. Camino de Santiago in Spain

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8
Q

Why did wine production stagnate in South-West in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries?

A
  1. 2 World Wars
  2. Downy Mildew
  3. Phylloxera
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9
Q

Top 3 production areas in SW France?

A
  1. Bergerac AOC - 22%
  2. Cahors AOC - 12%
  3. Gaillac AOC - 11%
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9
Q

Historically which port was the main export hub for wines from the South-West?

A

Bordeaux

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9
Q

What subregion are Cahors & Gaillac

A

Garonne, Tarn and Lot

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10
Q

What subregion are Bergerac & Mobazillac?

A

Dordogne/Bergerac

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11
Q

What subregion are Madiran & Jurançon?

A

Pyrenees

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12
Q

Which of the three South-West sub-regions is the most spread out?

A

Garonne, Tarn and Lot

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13
Q

What are the subregions of SW France?

A
  1. Dordogne / Bergerac
  2. Garonne, Tarn and Lot
  3. Pyrenees
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14
Q

How many grapes are identified in SW France and how many are indigenous?

A

+300
120

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15
Q

Where was CabFranc from what was it crossed with to make. which grape?

A
  1. Basque Country
  2. Magdeleine Noire des Charentes
  3. Created Merlot
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16
Q

Prunelard X Magdeleine Noire

A

Côt or Malbec
Found in Cahors

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17
Q

CabFrance X Gros Cabernet

A

Carmenère

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18
Q

What is the principal grape of Madiran and where has it become popular?

A

Tannat - native
Uruguay

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19
Q

What was a unique wine making advancement originating in SW France and by whom

A

Micro-Oxygenation
Patrick Ducournau 1991

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20
Q

What does Micro-Oxygenation do?

A

Softens hard tannins in Tannat grape

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21
Q

What is Mox or micro-bullage?

A

Micro-Oxygenation

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22
Q

Why the need for Micro-Oxygenation?

A

Wooden vats swapped for stainless steel made wine making more reductive and tannins them overwhelmed

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23
Q

How does Micro-Oxygenation work?

A

Small bubbles helps with
1. fermentation to avoid stuck
2. softens tannins
3. clarifies and stabilizes

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24
Q

Both Merlot and Côt came about from crossings of two other grape varieties. They both have a parent in common – which grape variety is that?

A

Magdeleine Noire des Charentes

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25
Q

Soils of Dordogne/Bergerac

A

Mostly clay and limestone

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25
Q

Largest areas under vine in Dordogne/Bergerac

A

Bergerac AOC
Côtes de Bergerac AOC

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26
Q

Major grapes of Dordogne/Bergerac

A
  1. White - SavBlanc, Sémillon
  2. Rosé - Sav Gris
  3. Red - CabSav, CabFranc, Merlot, Côt
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27
Q

Bergerac AOC

A

Dry white, rose and red

ALL WINES MUST BLEND ATLEAST 2 primary varieties >50%

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28
Q

Côtes de Bergerac AOC

A

Red - blend of 2 varieties
Semi-sweet and sweet white
Whites CANNOT BE DRY

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29
Q

Monbazillac AOC

A

LARGEST DESSERT WINE IN FRANCE
Sweet white & SGN wines
SavBlanc, Sémillon, Muscadelle

Gris - Sauvignon Gris

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30
Q

What is the largest producer of desert wines in France?

A

Monbazillac AOC

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31
Q

Saussignac AOC

A

Sweet white wines
Min 6.8%
SavBlanc, Semillon, Muscadelle
Gris - Sauv Gris

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32
Q

What are the main soils of Bergerac?


A

Clay and Limestone

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33
Q

Which river flows through Bergerac AOC?


A

Dordogne

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34
Q

Fronton AOC

A

Garonne, Tarn and Lot
NEGRETTE grape - all
Red/Rosé
wines need 40%

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35
Q

Gaillac AOC

A

Garonne, Tarn and Lot
W - Len de l’El / Loin de l’Oell,
Mauzac, Muscadelle

R - Duras, Syrah,
Fer Servadou

Rose - Mauzac Rose

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36
Q

Cahors AOC

A

Garonne, Tarn and Lot
Côt –> Auxerrois
ONLY RED

Limestone/gravelly slopes

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37
Q

Fronton AOC is primarily known for which grape variety?


A

Négrette

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38
Q

Which rivers flow either side of Fronton AOC?

A

Tarn and Garonne

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39
Q

What is Côt known is Cahors?

A

Auxerrois

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40
Q

What are the white grapes of the Pyrenees?

A

Gros Manseng - dry white
Petit Manseng - high sugar and acid –> sweet wines

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41
Q

Madiran AOC

A

Pyrenees
ONLY RED
Tannat - always 50%+

Pebble studded limestone clays with silt + iron

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42
Q

Pachenrenc du Vic-Bilh AOC

A

Pyrenees

Dry and sweet whites
Same area as MADIRAN

Dry wines have SEC on the label
all others are sweet

Gros Manseng
Petite Manseng
Courbu
Petit Courbu
MUST CONTAIN 2 grape varieties

43
Q

What type of wine is Pachenrenc du Vic-Bilh Sec?

A

Dry white

Pyrenees

44
Q

Jurançon AOC

A

Pyrenees
Dry white, semi-sweet, sweet and VT
SEC = Dry
Gros Manseng
Petit Manseng
Sandy clays with galets

45
Q

What is a poudingues?

A

Galets named used in Jurançon AOC

46
Q

What is the only French AOC in Basque country?

A

Irouléguy AOC

47
Q

Irouléguy AOC

A

Pyrenees
ONLY BASQUE AOC
dry white, rose, red
W - Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng, Courbu, Petit Courbu
R - Cab Franc, Tannat, CabSav
Must have majority Tannat

48
Q

Côtes de Gascogne IGP

A

Pyrenees
2nd LARGEST PRODUCER
Same area as Armagnac
75% Dry White Wines

49
Q

Which Pyrenees AOC straddles the Nive River?

A

Irouléguy

50
Q

Which two Pyrenees AOCs cover (almost) the same territory?

A

Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh and Madiran

51
Q

Which AOC is most associated with the Len de l’El grape variety?

A

Gaillac

52
Q

What borders the South-West to the east?

A

The Massif Central

52
Q

The Tarn river runs through which AOCs?

A

Gaillac

53
Q

What is the 2nd largest IGP producer in France?

A

Côtes de Gascogne IGP

54
Q

Which AOC surrounds the majority of Monbazillac AOC?



A

Bergerac

55
Q

Where is Blanc Sec Perlé made?

A

Gaillac

56
Q

What is the primary grape variety for red wines in Madiran AOC?

A

Tannat

57
Q

Which river flows through Cahors?

A

Lot

58
Q

Which South-West AOCs only make white wine?

A

Monbazillac AOC

Saussignac AOC

Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh AOC

59
Q

Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh AOC

A

Dry and Sweet White
Gros Manseng
Petite Manseng
Courbu

60
Q

Saussignac AOC

A

Sweet White Wine
SavBlanc Sémillon

61
Q

Jurançon AOC

A

Dry to Sweet White Wine
Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng

62
Q

Monbazillac
AOC

A

Sweet Wine
Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon

63
Q

Climate
1. Dodogne/Bergerac
2. Pyrenees
3. Garonne, Tarn, Lot

A
  1. Maritime
  2. Maritime + Med
  3. Maritime, Mountains Foehn Winds
64
Q

What are Foehn Winds and where are they found?

A

Rain dumps on one side of the mountain and dry warm winds come down the other (Pyrenees and Vosges)

65
Q

Which grape varieties are associated with sparkling wines in Gaillac AOC?


A

Mauzac
Len de l’El

66
Q
A
67
Q

Which South-West appellation produces wines in the widest range of styles?


A

Gaillac

68
Q

What rivers run through
1. Bergerac
2. Cahors
3. Gaillac
4. Irouléguy

A
  1. Dordogne
  2. Lot
  3. Tarn
  4. Nive
69
Q

In Jurançon, the sandy-clay soils are dotted with galets. What are they known as locally?


A

Poudingues

70
Q

Sweet wines in Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh AOC are made by…

A

Passerillage - raisining on the vine to concentrate sugars

71
Q

Pyrenees main grape

A

Gros Manseng
Petit Manseng
Tannat

72
Q

Garonne, Tarn and Lot main grape

A

Len de l’El
Mauzac
Côt
Fer Servadou
Négrette

73
Q

Dordogne/Bergerac main grape

A

Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot

74
Q

Cahors wines must contain at least what percent of the primary grape Côt?

A

70%

75
Q

Cahors wines are primarily – often only – made from Côt. Which other grapes can also be in the blend?


A

Tannat
Merlot

76
Q

Braucol and Pinenc are synonyms for which South-West grape variety?

A

Fer Servadou

77
Q

Which two native South-West grape varieties have found success in New World vineyards?

A

Côt (Malbec) in Argentina and Tannat in Uruguay

77
Q

Madiran wines must contain at least ___% Tannat.

A

50%

78
Q

What is the origin of the term Gascony?

A

The Vascones, a pre-Roman tribe from which modern-day Basque culture originated

79
Q

What borders South-West France to the north, east, south and west?

A

North is Bordeaux, east is the Massif Central, south is the Pyrenees and west is the Atlantic Ocean.

80
Q

What is the most important IGP in South-West France?

A

Côtes de Gascogne IGP, second in production to Pays d’Oc IGP of Languedoc and Roussillon.

81
Q

What was the most planted grape in South-West France before phylloxera?

A

Côt (Malbec)

82
Q

Which sub-region of the South-West has Mediterranean climatic influences?

A

The Garonne, Tarn and Lot sub-region

83
Q

What is “boulbène”?

A

Sandy clay soils found in the South-West AOCs of Fronton and Buzet.

84
Q

What do Monbazillac, Saussignac and Rosette have in common?

A

They are AOCs in the Dordogne that make sweet or semi-sweet wines based on Sauvignon Blanc,

Sémillon and Muscadelle.

85
Q

The sale of wines from South-West France was historically curtailed by which rival wine region?

A

Bordeaux

86
Q

Which appellation makes red and rosé wines from Négrette?

A

Fronton AOC

87
Q

Which appellation of South-West France may use the term SGN?

A

Monbazillac, if the wine contains R.S over 8.5% (85 g/l)

88
Q

What is the “méthode gaillacoise”?

A

A term used in Gaillac to indicate a sparking wine made using the ancestral method.

89
Q

What does Bergerac AOC produce?

A

Only dry white, red and rosè are authorized in this AOC.

90
Q

Which South-West sub-region is affected by foehn winds?

A

The Pyrenees sub-region

91
Q

What is “passerillage”?

A

The act of twisting the stalks of grape bunches in order to stop the flow of sap; this dessicates the grapes on the vine.

92
Q

What is the largest dessert wine appellation by size and volume in France?

A

Monbazillac AOC

93
Q

What are the two styles of sweet wines made in Gaillac?

A

Vendanges Tardives

and Doux

94
Q

Madiran lies on the left bank of the ……

A

Ardour River.

95
Q

South-West France claims to have how many indiginous grape varieties?

A

120

96
Q

What are the three styles of sparkling wines made in Gaillac AOC?

A

Gaillac Méthode Ancestrale, traditional method and Blanc Sec Perlé

97
Q

Describe the grape Len de L’El?

A

White Grape

98
Q

What are blending partners for Côt in Cahors?

A

Tannat & Merlot

99
Q

What is the local Jurançon name for galets (stones)?

A

Poudingues

100
Q

What are the two primary red grapes of Irouléguy?

A

Tannat and

Cabernet Franc

101
Q

What are the two most important grapes of Jurançon?

A

Petit Manseng

and Gros Manseng

102
Q

What is the southern most AOC in SW France?

A

Irouléguy

103
Q

Gaillac Primeur wines are made using what vinification technique?

A

Semi-carbonic maceration

104
Q

What does “moelleux” refer to?

A

Semi-sweet wines made from late-harvest grapes with or without botrytis.

105
Q

What does “liquoreux” refer to?

A

Sweet wines made from botrytized grapes.

106
Q

What is “micro-oxygenation”?

A

A technique developed by Patrick Ducourau in Madiran to tame tannins. Minute amounts of oxygen are bubbled through must or wine.