United States and Canada Flashcards
What is the main affect fog has on grapes in Napa Valley?
The fog helps valley floor sub regions cooler resulting in fresher fruit
In which state would you find Finger Lakes?
New York State
What is Finger Lakes renowned for producing?
Riesling
Name 4 AVAs that are above the fog line in Napa
How are these AVAs cooled?
Howell Mountain AVA
Atlas Peak AVA
Diamond Mountain District AVA
Spring Mountain District AVA
Mount Veeder AVA
They are cooled by alltitude
In which US state and region is Dry Creek Valley?
California
Sonoma County
In which county will you find Alexander Valley AVA?
Sonoma County
In which county will you find Anderson Valley AVA?
Mendocino County
When Central Valley is so hot how can Lodi produce quality wines?
Because it is cooled by a breeze from San Fransisco Bay
Normally, when you move south to north in the Northern Hemisphere it gets cooler, however moving from Southern Oregon’s Willamette Valley to the more northerly Washington Columbia Valley the varieties grown go from cool~moderate loving Pinot Noir to the moderate~warm loving Cabernet Sauvignon. Why is that?
The Cascade Mountains protect the more northern regions from the cooling effects of the Pacific Ocean
Name 2 AVAs in Santa Barbara County
Santa Maria AVA and Santa Ynez Valley AVA
What is the primary cooling influence in Stags Leap and Oakville AVAs?
Fog
Which pair of regions are most renowned for their old Vine Zinfandel?
Lodi AVA and Dry Creek Valley AVA
Where is Yakima Valley AVA?
Columbia Valley AVA in Washington State
Which AVA, being the most southerly in Napa, produces high quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for both still and sparkling wines?
Los Carneros
Working South to North list the 6 AVAs on the Napa Valley floor
Los Carneros
Stags Leap District AVA
Oakville AVA
Rutherford AVA
Saint Helena AVA
Calistoga AVA
Name two AVA on the West facing valley side
Howell Mountain AVA
Atlas Peak AVA
Name 3 AVA on Napa’s East facing Valley
Diamond Mountain District AVA
Spring Mountain District AVA
Mount Veeder AVA
Of the Napa Valley sides which is hotter, East facing or West facing?
West facing
(Sun rises in East and sets in the West)
What accounts for Zinfandel’s high alcohol, full body and (sometimes) residual sugar?
Uneven ripeness in the bunch
Which two Napa AVAs can claim to make, probably, the most concentrated Cabernet Sauvignons in the valley?
Saint Helena AVA and Calistiga AVA
Which grapes have been specifically bred for the climate of California’s Central Valley?
Rubired and Ruby Cabernet
Where in California could you find Aromatic whites e.g. Riesling and Gewurztraminer? Which AVA in which state?
Anderson Valley AVA
Mendocino County
Which factor assists ripening in Oregon and Washington State?
Long sunny days
Name 3 US AVAs where you would expect quality Pinot Noir
Los Carneros AVA
Russian River Valley AVA
Santa Maria Valley AVA
Wilamette Valley AVA
Which grape are Stags Leap District AVA, Oakville AVA and Rutherford AVA most renowned for and which AVA is reputed to make the most concentrated?
Cabernet Sauvignon
Rutherford makes the mos concentrated
Name 3 California AVAs where you could get premium quality Chardonnay
Los Carneros AVA
Russian River AVA
Sonoma Valley AVA
Santa Cruz Mountains AVA
Santa Maria Valley AVA
What is the AVA of San Luis Obispo
Give two interesting points about it
Paso Robles AVA
The mountains lie east / west encouraging sea breezes on to the mainland.
It has two distinct zones; cooler to the west and noticeably warmer to the east with much more fertile soil
What is the AVA of Santa Barbara County?
Santa Maria Valley AVA
Where will you find most plantings and wineries in Oregon?
Willamette Valley AVA
What is the climate throughout Canada’s wine regions?
What helps moderate the high temperatures of July and August?
Continental
Large lakes help moderate the temperature extremes
What are Canada’s two most important wine regions?
What are the most important DVAs in each region?
Ontario - Niagara Peninsula
British Columbia - Okanagen Valley
What two grapes are Niagara Peninsula most renowned for and what is made from them?
Riesling - Fresh and fruity dry and off dry wines and also excellent Icewine
Vidal - Characterless dry wine but high quality Icewine
What is the Canada specific hybrid grape variety?
Vidal
Simply summarise Canada’s appellation system and requirements
VQA - Vintners Quality Alliance
MUST use 100% grapes grown in that province
MUST be 100% v. Vinifera or selected hybrids
- broken down into smaller
DVAs - Designated Viticultural Areas
- divided into
Regional appellations and then sub-appellations
List the 4 Natural factors of wine
Grapes
Climate
Weather
Soil / Aspect
