Terminology Flashcards
Classification of 1855 (France)
most famous ranking of red & sweet Bordeaux wines that included only Left Bank wines; were ranked basically by the price they brought on the market, which was an accurate indicator of quality; 61 red wines were subdivided into 5 levels (crus or growths)
Premier Cru (France)
AKA first growth; highest classification level in Bordeaux & second highest level in Burgundy & Champagne
St.-Émilion Grand Cru
Classé (France)
only classification system on the Right Bank established in 1954; requires reclassification every 10 years; ranks into 2 categories - grand cru classe & premier grand cru classe
En Primeur (France)
“in futures”; system of selling wine before it is bottled to provide cash flow for chateaux & potential price break for brokers & retailers
Alsace Grand Cru
one of the 51 superior appellations in Alsace
Vendange Tardive / Vendanges Tardives (Alsace)
“late harvest”; wine made from overripe grapes that may or may not be affected by botrytis and can be made into a dry style
Sélection de Grains Nobles (Alsace)
sweet wine made from botrytis-affected grapes
Edelzwicker (Alsace)
uncommon blends of permitted white varieties
Gentile (Alsace)
white blend produced with a minimum of 50% of the noble varieties
Tuffeau (Loire Valley)
marine sedimentary rock that makes up much of the soil
Coteaux du Layon Premier Cru (Loire Valley)
primary sweet wine area of Anjou that makes very long-lived dessert wines using 100% Chenin Blanc
Quarts-du-Chaume Grand Cru (Loire Valley)
subregion of Coteaux du Layon AOX; first grand cru of Loire Valley in 2011; makes very long-lived dessert wines using 100% Chenin Blanc
Fines Bulles (Loire Valley)
sparkling wine made in the Traditional Method generally based on Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay
Grand Cru (Burgundy)
“great growth”; one of the 33 highest classification levels
Premier Cru (Burgundy)
“first growth”; pne of the more than 600 second highest classification levels
Négociant/Éleveur (Burgundy)
an intermediary who buys grapes or finished wine for resale and who may also ferment, age, blend, and/or bottle the wine
Napoleonic Code (Burgundy)
dictated that land was to be inherited equally by all heirs, forcing the repeated division of privately held land among numerous people; led to negociants
Carbonic Maceration (Beaujolais)
intracellular fermentation process that may occur in whole, unbroken grapes in the absence of oxygen & without the use of yeast; wines exhibit bright red fruit aromas and flavors with tropical notes
Beaujolais Nouveau
wine produced from carbonic maceration that is bottled within weeks of fermentation and sold on the third Thursday in November
Côtes du Rhône AOC
regional appellation that covers most of the southern Rhône area and even some of the northern Rhône and is approved for red, white, and rose whines
Côtes du Rhône-Villages AOC
appellation in Southern Rhône made up of more than 90 villages that has stricter production standards than the Côtes du Rhône AOC
Vin Doux Naturel (Rhône Valley)
sweet fortified wine made by adding grape spirits to partially fermented grape must
Mistral Wind (Rhône Valley)
strong, cold wind from the north that can impact local climate and damage grapevines, especially in the southern Rhône
Galets (Rhône Valley)
type of large rounded stone found in southern Rhône that have been washed down from the mountains and cover the ground, especially around Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Appassimento (Veneto)
process of letting grapes dry so they lose water content and then fermenting
Recioto (Veneto)
sweet wine made from appassimento process that has approximately 12% abv
Amarone (Veneto)
wine made from appassimento process in which fermentation continues until completely dry which results in a wine of 15 to 15% abv