Wset - Southern France Flashcards
Which climate is it in Southern France?
warm Mediterranean with summer temperatures often in excess of 30°c, mild winters and low rainfall levels especially during the growing season.
What’s the difference for the vineyards growing inland in the foothills of the mountains, and the ones planted on the coastal plain.
the vineyards planted inland in the foothills of the mountains are noticeably cooler than those on the coastal plain and often have less fertile, well-drained soils that are better suited to quality viticulture.
Which two winds effect this region massively? and where do they come from?
The Mistral blows down the Rhône Valley
The Tramontane blows through the gap between the Massif Central and the Pyrenees.
What’s the biggest grape growing challenge in the this region?
drought, whereas fungal diseases are less of a problem,
Which grape varieties do they grow here in the Southern France?
GRENACHE
SYRAH
Carignan
Cinsault
Mourvèdre
Merlot
Cabernet Sauvignon
CHARDONNAY
SAUVIGNON BLANC
Viognier
Piquepoul
What’s the characteristics for Carignan?
Carignan is widely grown. This grape is naturally high in tannins, acidity and colour, but can lack fruit or finesse, although old vines Carignan on poor soil can produce quality wines.
Which grape variety is used for Rosé or in blends in the Southern France?
Cinsault. used for rosé and to add red fruit flavours to red blends-
Where do Mourvèdre trive?
On the warmest sites.
What do Mourvèdre usually bring to a blend?
richness, colour and complexity.
Which two international varieties are mostly only used in the production of IGP wines?
Merlot
Cabernet Sauvignon
Which winemaking technique are used by some producers to soften the tannins in Carignan?
Semi-carbonic maceration
Which white local varieties can you find in the Southern France? and where?
Muscat
Grenache Blanc
Piquepoul in Pinet
Mauzac in Limoux
Maccabeu in Roussillon
Rolle in Provance
Clairette in Languedoc and Provance
What’s Muscat used for? and what’s it’s characteristics?
It’s used for sweet fortified, but is also sometimes used to make dry wines with aromatic grapey aromas.
What’s Grenache Blanc used for? and what’s it’s characteristics?
Grenache Blanc maked fry wines that jave soft peachy fruitiness, full body and low acidity, tends to oxidise easily
What’s the characteristics for Piquepoul?
it produce wines with refreshing high acidity and green fruit and citrus flavours.
What’s the other “name” from Languedoc and Roussillon?
Languedoc: départments od Aude, Hérault and Gard
Roussillon: départment Pyrénées-Orientales
How far does Languedoc reach?
from the spanish border to nimes.
Certain areas within the appellations have been recognised for their quality and now have their own sub-appellation, name one.
Minervois-La Livinière
Which is the most common grape varieties that you blend?
Carignan, Grenache, Syrah, and to a lesser extent Mourvèdre.
What do they mostly produce in the cooler areas?
wines with finesse and lighter tannins and often the best Syrahs
What do they mostly produce in the warmer areas?
in the warmer areas Mourvèdre is at its best and wines have greater body and some meaty, gamay flavours.
What chacteristics do the best wines have?
full-bodied and have concentrated spicy red fruit often with oak flavours.
what’s the characteristics for a rosé?
Rosé tends to be soft and fruity wines
What’s the topogeography and climate for Côtes du Roussillon?
it’s more consistently rugged and mountainous than the other areas of the Languedoc.
Bright sunlight, low rainfall and particilarly stong wins can produce concentrated wines.
The best vineyards are found in the north.;Côtes du Roussillon Village
Which area can you find just to the north of Côtes du Roussillon Village?
Fitou
Fitou is split into two separate areas, which and what do they produce in the two differnet?
a warm coastal strip that produces fuller-bodied wines
and
another cooler area inland and at altitude, there ligher wines predominate.
Which region is in between Fitou and Minervois?
Corbières
What’s the topogeographic and the climate like in Corbières?
Corbières cobers warm sites near the coast and vinetards planted at altitude that are cooled by the tramontane.
Corbières have been subdivided into 11 subregions, which in the best one?
Boutenac, it has it’s own AC
What’s the topogeographic and the climate like in Minervois?
Minervois lies ont he slopes of the Massic Central. The vineyards do not reach the coast but vary in their qualities due to altitude, the richness of the soil and the extent of their exposure to the cooling influenced from the atlantic
Minervois is subdivided, which is the best subregion?
La Livinière, it has it’s own AC
What climate factors helps the wine of Piquepoul de Pinet to keep the natural high acidity?
The cooling sea breezes.
What climate is there in Limoux and what style of wine is produced?
It’s a cool climate affected by the altitude and is a source of premium oaked chardonnay
Under which name are most of the IGP wines sold under?
Pays d’Oc
How come the Pays d’Oc wines have the success that they have?
The IGP regulations permit a wider range of grape varieties as well as varietal labelling, and the warm, sunny climate means that large volumes of ripe, fruity wines can be produced here relatively easily compared with other areas of France and therefor many of the wines are excellent value for money.
How’s the topogeographic of Provance?
The landscape is very varied and is broken up by manu prominent range of hills.
What’s the characteristics for a rosé wine from provance?
these wines tend to be very pale in colour, light- to medium-bodied and dry on the palate, and display delicate flavours of red fruits.
What’s the characteristics for a red wine from provance?
red wines range from fresh and fruity to more full-bodied, barrel-matured styles.
What’s the characteristics for the best white wines from provance?
they often make a feature of the aromatic qualities of Rolle or Clairette
Which is the largest appellation in Provance?
Côtes de Provance
Along the coast i Provance there’s three isolated pockets of vineyards, each with it’s individual AOC, which is the most important one?
Bandol.
What’s produced in Bandol, what’s it’s characteristics, and how’s the terrain??
It produces premium reds based on the Mourvèdre grape, which is able to ropen reliably on the region’s south-facing terraced slopes.
These are dark, full-bodied wines with powerful tannins and they require bottle age before they show their gull spectrum of bramble, meat and liquorice-spicy flavours.
