Provence

Question 1

Describe the Cotes de Provence AOC.

Answer 1

Dry white, rose, and red wine

White grapes: Clairette, Semillon, Ugni Blanc, Vermentino
Red grapes: Cinsaut, Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, Tibouren

91% of wine is rose

Produces the majority of Provence wine

White can be varietal or blend
Rose and red must be blends

Contains 5 DCGs that make red and rose wine only, with the exception of the DCG “La Londe”. All other white wines made in DCGs must be labelled “Cotes de Provence AOC”

Question 2

Describe the Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence AOC.

Answer 2

Dry white, rose, and red wine

White grapes: Vermentino
Red grapes: Cinsaut, Counoise, Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah

At least two varieties are required in the blend. Rose and red wines are GSM dominated

85% of production is rose

(“Coh-tu dex-an-provance”)

Question 3

Describe the Coteaux Varois en Provence AOC.

Answer 3

Dry white, rose, and red wine

White grapes: Vermentino, Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Semillon, Ugni Blanc
Red grapes: Cinsaut, Grenche, Mourvedre, Syrah

Vineyards at at elevation, giving the wines more acidity and delicate fruit character

All wines are blends

93% of production is rose

Question 4

Describe the Cassis AOC.

Answer 4

Dry white, rose, and red wine

White grapes: Clairette, Marsanne
Red grapes: Cinsaut, Grenache, Mouvedre

Marsanne must be 30-80% of white blends

Only Provence AOC to produce more white wine than rose wine

Question 5

Describe the Bandol AOC.

Answer 5

Dry white, rose, and red wine

White grapes: Clairette, Bourboulenc, Ugni Blanc
Red grapes: Cinsaut, Grenache, Mourvedre

Majority of wine is red and rose, based on Mourvedre
Mourvedre cannot exceed 95% of the blend, and often has Grenache and Cinsaut as blending partners

All grapes must be hand harvested

Must be aged minimum 18 months in oak

Question 6

Describe the Les Baux de Provence AOC.

Answer 6

Dry white, rose, and red wine

White grapes: Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Vermentino
Red grapes: Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, Cinsaut

Production is mainly red and rose

All wines must be blends of primary grapes listed above
Reds and rose are primarily GSM

100% of the AOC is farmed organically, biodynamically, or using lutte raisonnee

Question 7

Describe the Palette AOC.

Answer 7

Dry white, rose, and red wine

White grapes: Clairette, Bourboulenc, Araignan
Rose grapes: Clairette Rose
Red grapes: Cinsaut, Grenache, Mourvedre

Mourvedre must be included in red wines, which are all blends

Red wines must be aged in oak
White, rose, and red wines all have ageing requirements (April 1 of following year for white and rose, April 1 of second year after harvest for rose)

Grapes must be hand harvested and sorted

Question 8

Describe the Bellet/Vin de Bellet AOC.

Answer 8

Dry white, rose, and red wine

White grapes: Vermentino
Red grapes: Braquet Noir, Fuella Nera

Very small wine region with only 9 wineries in commercial production

Question 9

Describe the Pierrevert AOC.

Answer 9

Dry white, rose, and red wine

White grapes: Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Piqueoul, Roussanne, Ugni Blanc, Vermentino, Viognier
Red grapes: Grenache, Syrah, Cinsaut

Wines are similar style to Rhone valley

(“pierre-verr”)

Question 10

Which AOCs/DCGs mandate oak ageing for their red wines?

Answer 10

Cotes de Provence AOC Frejus
Bandol AOC
Palette AOC

Question 11

Which 3 Provence AOCs produce 96% of all Provence wines?

Answer 11

Cotes de Provence AOC
Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence AOC
Coteaux Varois en Provence AOC

Question 12

What is “maquis”?

Answer 12

A mix of resinous herbs that grow on schist soils

Question 13

What is the climate of Provence?

Answer 13

Mediterranean with some continental and alpine influences, depending on the appellation

Question 14

What is “vins de soif”?

Answer 14

Thirst-quenching, refreshing wines that are intended to be enjoyed as an aperitif

(“van-de-swaf”)

Question 15

What is “vins de gastronomie”?

Answer 15

Gastronomic wine, with fuller-body and more structure and color

Intended to be consumed with a meal

Question 16

What is “flute a corset”?

Answer 16

The traditional hourglass bottle shape of Provencal rose

Question 17

What is “vin cuit”?

Answer 17

Sweet wine that is almost never commercially produced

Made by reducing grape must by cooking it for ten hours over an open fire to concentrate the sugars

Fermentation proceeds slowly over the course of a year

This is a tradition in the Palette AOC

Question 18

What are “restanques”?

Answer 18

Terraced stone walls in vineyards

Commonly found in Bandol

Question 19

Which AOCs in Provence mandate hand harvesting?

Answer 19

Bandol AOC
Palette AOC

Question 20

What factors impact the color of rose wine in Provence?

Answer 20

Grapes: Syrah and Mourvedre produce pink wines, while Tibouren produces a salmon color

Acidity: Higher acidity roses are more pink, while lower acidity roses are more salmon

Oxygen: Oxygen exposure gives a rose more of an orange color

Vinification: Warm grapes bleed more color into the juice during vinification; direct press creates delicate and pale colored roses; Saignee gives deeper colored roses; longer maceration time extracts more color

Question 21

Describe the Cotes de Provence Cru Classe classifaction system.

Answer 21

Created in 1955, 100 years after the Bordeaux classification system

Contains only one level – Cru Classe – that applies to estates, rather than the vineyard