Rhône Valley Flashcards

1
Q

What are the two towns that begin and end the Northern Rhone Valley

A

Vienne (North)
Valence (South)

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2
Q

What are the two towns that begin and end the Southern Rhone Valley

A

Montémilar (North)
Avignon (South)

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3
Q

When did viticulture begin in what is now the Rhone Valley? Who first planted vines?

A

Roughly 600BC
The Greeks

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4
Q

What was the first settlement making wine in the Rhone Valley? What is its modern name?

A

Massalia (Marseilles)

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5
Q

When did the viticulture begin growing grapes in the Northern Rhone? Who spread it there?

A

1st Century AD
Romans

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6
Q

What is Vinum Picatum?

A

“Pitched Wine”

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7
Q

Which Pope brought the seat of the Papacy to Avignon? Which built the papal palace?

A

Pope Clement V
Pope John XXII

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8
Q

What was Chateauneuf-du-Pape called before the Papacy relinquished ownership of the Summer Palace?

A

Vin d’Avignon

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9
Q

When was Chateauneuf-du-Pape created as an AOC?

A

1936 (the first in France)

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10
Q

What is the climate of the Northern Rhone? Generally speaking.

A

Continental

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11
Q

Which region (North or South) experiences more rainfall, more sunshine hours, more seasonal temperature shifts?

A

Rainfall: North
Sunshine: South
Temperature Shifts: North

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12
Q

When does the Mistral Wind most greatly affect the Rhone Valley?

A

Winter and Spring

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13
Q

What affects does the Mistral Wind have on vineyards?

A

Dries the vineyards (prevents mold/mildew)
Cools vineyards
Can blow vines to a slant

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14
Q

Where are the steepest vineyards in the Rhone Valley?

A

Cote Rotie

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15
Q

Describe the vine training found in Cote Rotie.

A

Two vines staked together to a point making the slope look like its covered w/ Christmas trees

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16
Q

What topsoil is generally found in the Northern Rhone?

A

Sand and Loess

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17
Q

What subsoil is generally found in the Northern Rhone?

A

Granite and Schistous soil

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18
Q

What is Arzelle and where is it found?

A

Powdery, decomposed Mica
Found in Condrieu

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19
Q

Where would you find more clay based soils in the Northern Rhone?

A

Lower on the slope nearer to the river, Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, Saint-Peray

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20
Q

What is the encepagement of Cornas AOP?

A

100% Syrah

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21
Q

What red wine AOPs allow for a blending of Viognier in the wine in the Northern Rhone?

A

Cote Rotie

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22
Q

What red wine AOPs allow for a blending of Marsanne and or Roussanne in the wine in the Northern Rhone?

A

Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, Saint Joseph

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23
Q

What direction do the vineyards of Cote Rotie face?

A

Southeast

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24
Q

What is the main town of Cote Rotie? What major producer is based there?

A

Ampuis - E. Guigal

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25
Q

What two vineyard areas form the heart of Cote Rotie?

A

Cote Brune
Cote Blonde

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26
Q

What are ‘La Las’?

A

Single vineyard bottlings from La Mouline, La Turque, La Landone aged for up to 4 years in New French Oak barrels

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27
Q

Who else besides E. Guigal produces wine from La Landone?

A

Rene Rostaing, Jean Michel Gerin, Delas, Xavier Gerard

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28
Q

Who owns Chateau d’Ampuis?

A

E. Guigal

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29
Q

What direction do the vines of Hermitage face?

A

South

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30
Q

What is the town at the base of the hill of Hermitage?

A

Tain-L’Hermitage

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31
Q

Who are the four major producers of Hermitage?

A

Jean-Louis Chave
Delas
M. Chapoutier
Jaboulet

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32
Q

Who was Gaspard de Sterimberg?

A

The crusader turned hermit who lived on the hill of Hermitage?

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33
Q

Name 6 important climat of Hermitage.

A

L’Hermite
le Meal
les Bessards
Greffieux
Beaume
Peleat

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34
Q

What is the soil type found in Cornas?

A

Gore (granite)

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35
Q

How does the mistral wind affect the vines in Cornas?

A

It doesn’t - the appellation is shielded thanks to its aspect

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36
Q

What are the four major lieux-dits of Cornas?

A

Les Reynards
La Cote
Les Chaillot
Les Mazards

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37
Q

Who are major producers of Cornas?

A

Aguste Clape
Thierry Allemand
Jean-Luc Colombo
Robert Michel
Vincent Paris

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38
Q

What appellations may produce white wine in the Northern Rhone? What grapes are used in each?

A

Saint-Joseph - Marsanne/Roussanne
Crozes-Hermitage - Marsanne/Roussanne
Hermitage
Condrieu - Viognier
Chateau Grillet - Viognier
Coteaux de Die - Clairette
Sait-Peray - Marsanne/Roussanne

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39
Q

What appellations produce dessert wine in the Northern Rhone?

A

Hermitage
Condrieu

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40
Q

What is the dessert wine of Hermitage called? Which two producers revived it and when?

A

Vin de Paille
Chave in the 1970’s
Chapoutier in 1990

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41
Q

Where is sparkling wine produced in the Northern Rhone? What grapes are used?

A

Saint-Peray - Marsanne/Roussanne
Cremant de Die - Clairette
Clairette de Die - Muscat a Petit Grains & Clairette

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42
Q

What methods of sparkling wine production are used in Clairette de Die? What is the encepagement for each?

A

Methode Traditionnelle - Clairette
Methode Dioise ancestrale - 75% Min Muscat a Petit Grains and Clairette
Moethode Dioise ancestrale (rose) - 75% Min Muscat a Petit Grains and Clairette and MAX 10% Gamay

43
Q

Which style of sparkling wine is sweeter in Clairette de Die? Traditionnelle or Ancestrale?

A

Ancestrale - MIN 35g/L RS

44
Q

What river do Cremant de Die, Clairette de Die, Coteaux de Die, and Chantillon-en-Dois AOPs lie on?

A

Drome River - east west running tributary of the Rhone

45
Q

What appellation allows for Gamay based reds, and aligote/chardonnay based whites?

A

Chatillon-en-Diois

46
Q

Roughly what % of wine of the Rhone Valley is produced in the Southern Rhone?

A

95%

47
Q

What is the most planted grape in the Southern Rhone?

A

Grenache

48
Q

What is the climate of the Southern Rhone? Generally speaking.

A

Mediterranean

49
Q

Is the mistral wind more intense in the Northern or Southern Rhone?

A

Northern

50
Q

How do growers plant vines in order to protect against the Mistral Wind?

A

Planted initially at an angle so they grow vertically over time

51
Q

When does rain generally occur in the Southern Rhone?

A

Spring & Autumn

52
Q

What is the general soil composition of the Southern Rhone?

A

Alluvial (in many forms) over Limestone subsoil

53
Q

What are galets made from?

A

Quartzite

54
Q

How do galets affect the vines in Chateauneuf du Pape?

A

They help warm the vines at night

55
Q

Name a producer of Chateauneuf du Pape that bottles 100% Varietal Grenache wines.

A

Chateau Rayas

56
Q

Name a producer of Chateauneuf du Pape that bottles using all 13(18) grape varieties.

A

Chateau de Beaucastel

57
Q

What is the minimum alcohol content of Chateauneuf du Pape?

A

12.5% ABV

58
Q

Where in France is a higher minimum alcohol stipulated for dry wines compared to CdP?

A

Nowhere - CdP is highest min for dry wine

59
Q

What is Le Râpé?

A

A mandate that producers declassify or discard 2% of harvested grapes (prevents underripeness)

60
Q

Who was the first producer to bottle an estate bottled CdP? When?

A

Chateau La Nerthe in 1785

61
Q

Besides Galets, what other soils are found in CdP?

A

Gravel, Calcareous clay, Sand

62
Q

Name the grape varieties approved for CdP.

A

Genache (Noir/Blanc/Gris)
Mourvedre
Syrah
Cinsault
Counoise
Picpoul (Noir/Blanc/Gris)
Terret Noir
Bourbelenc
Clairette (& Rose)
Rossanne
Vaccarese
Picardan
Muscardin

63
Q

How many villages may append their name to Cotes-du-Rhone-Villages?

A

22

64
Q

How many villages of Cotes du Rhone Villages may produce only red wine? Name 3.

A

9
Gadagne
Nyons
Plan de Dieu

65
Q

When was Gigondas elevated out of Cotes-du-Rhone villages?

A

1971 to AOP status

66
Q

What soil is found in Gigondas?

A

Red clay and alluvial

67
Q

What colors of wine are permitted for Gigondas AOP?

A

Red, Rose, White (beginning in 2023)

68
Q

What % of the blend in Gigondas be Grenache?

A

Min 50%

69
Q

What CdP grape is not permitted in the production of Gigondas wines?

A

Carignan

70
Q

Gigondas mandates that Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre account for what % of the final blend?

A

Min 90% combined
Min 50% Grenache
Min combined 15% Syrah and Mourvedre

71
Q

What colors of Vacqueyras wines are produced?

A

Red white and Rose

72
Q

When was Vacqueyras elevated from Cotes du Rhone Villages?

A

1990

73
Q

What % of Grenache is required in Vacqueyras?

A

50%

74
Q

What two grapes are allowed in the vineyards of Vacqueyras but not allowed in CdP? For red wine.

A

Viognier
Marsanne

75
Q

Are single variety white wines allowed in Vacqueyras?

A

No - max 80% of one single grape

76
Q

Beames-de-Venise AOP produces what type of wine?

A

Red only.

77
Q

How many AOPs permit Ugni Blanc to be grown in the Southern Rhone? Name 3.

A

9:
Beaumes-de-Venise
Cairanne
Cotes-du-Rhone-Villages
Duche d’Uzes
Gigondas
Lirac
Luberon
Rasteau
Vinsobres

78
Q

When was Beaumes-de-Venise AOP elevated from Cotes du Rhone-Villages?

A

2005

79
Q

When was Vinsobres AOP elevated from Cotes du Rhone-Villages?

A

2006

80
Q

What is the most recent elevation from Cotes du Rhone Villages to AOP status? When was it elevated?

A

Cairanne in 2016

81
Q

When and where did Phylloxera likely first appear in France?

A

Lirac 1863

82
Q

What style of wine is Tavel AOP known for?

A

Rose

83
Q

What grape variety is predominantly used in Tavel AOP production?

A

Grenache

84
Q

What soils are found in Tavel?

A

Galet, Lauses (white calcareous soils), Sand

85
Q

What are the two Vin doux Naturel AOP in the Southern Rhone?

A

Rasteau
Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise

86
Q

What % of wine is made by the Vignerons de Beaumes-de-Venise Co-op in Muscat de Beaumes de Venise AOP?

A

90%

87
Q

What colors are allowed for Vin doux Naturel in the southern Rhone?

A

White, Rose, Red

88
Q

What grapes are used for Rasteau Vin doux Naturel Blanc, Rose, and Rouge wines?

A

Grenache Blanc
Grenache Gris
Grenache Noir

89
Q

What comunes may use Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise AOP?

A

Beaumes de Venise
Aubignan

90
Q

What communes may use Rasteau AOP

A

Rasteau
Cairanne
Sablet

91
Q

What is the difference between the two Vin Doux Naturel AOP in the Southern Rhone in the glass?

A

Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise are brighter and more floral
Rasteau shows more like a tawny

92
Q

What do Ambré and Tuilé indicate on a bottle of Rasteau?

A

Ambré - White
Tuilé - Red
Both showing a more oxidative character
Aged for a minimum of three years prior to release

93
Q

Where else in France are Ambré and Tuilé used on a label?

A

Rievesaltes in Roussillon

94
Q

What do Blanc and Grenat indicate on a bottle of Rasteau AOP wine?

A

Lighter and fresher styles of VdN

95
Q

What is the minimum residual sugar for Rasteau AOP VdN wines?

A

45g/L RS

96
Q

Are dry red wines permitted in Rasteau AOP?

A

Yes as of 2010 but only within the commune of Rasteau itself

97
Q

What does Hors d’Age indicate on Rasteau AOP?

A

Min 5 years aging

98
Q

Rasteau AOP wines labeled Rancio must show what character?

A

Maderized and oxidative style

99
Q

What is the northern most appellation on the Southern Rhone Valley?

A

Grignan-les-Adhemar

100
Q

What is the AOP that straddles Southern Rhone, Languedoc, and Provence?

A

Costieres de Nimes - used to be under Languedoc control until 2004 - now in S. Rhone

101
Q

What AOP is Clairette de Bellegarde AOP located within?

A

Costieres de Nimes

102
Q

What grape is used in Clairette de Bellegarde?

A

Clairette

103
Q

How many communes comprise Clairette de Bellegarde?

A

1 - within Costieres de Nimes

104
Q

What geological formation greatly affects Gigondas?

A

Dentelles de Montmirail