Alsace/Jurie/Savoie Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

What are the noble grape varieties of Alsace?

A
  • Muscat
  • Pinot Gris
  • Gewurztraminer
  • Riesling
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2
Q

What are the only varieties allowed in Alsace Grand Cru wines?

A

The noble varieties.
(besides one exception)

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3
Q

What are the non-noble varieties allowed in Alsace?

A
  • Pinot Blanc
  • Auxerrois
  • Chasselas
  • Sylvaner
  • Pinot Noir
  • Savagnin Rose
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4
Q

Which non-noble grape variety is allowed in a grand cru wine?

A

Sylvaner

The Zotzenberg vineyard allows this grape

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5
Q

Which Alsatian grape is similar to Pinot Blanc and usually blended together with it?

A

Auxerrois

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6
Q

What are the local names for the following grapes?
- Chasselas
- Pinot Blanc
- Savagnin Rose

A
  • Guteadel
  • Klevner
  • Klevener de Heiligenstein
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7
Q

What other 5 communes can Savagnin Rose be found?

A
  • Heiligenstein
  • Bourgheim
  • Gertwiller
  • Goxwiller
  • Obernai
    This grape is a rare varietal, a sibling of Gewürztraminer
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8
Q

What percentage of the Alsace AOP wine is white?

A

90%
White grapes are paramount in this region

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9
Q

What percentage of France’s white wines comes from Alsace?

A

20%

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10
Q

What 2 departments is Alsace split into?

A
  • Haut-Rhin
  • Bas-Rhin
    The Bas-Rhin is lower lying than the Haut but situated in the North
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11
Q

Which major wine producing country does Alsace share a border with?

A

Germany

Alsace is approx 305 miles east of Paris

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12
Q

What are some major climatic influencers in Alsace?

A
  • The Vosges mountains to the west of the region, running N to S
  • The Rhein River to the east of the region
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13
Q

What do the Vosges mountains do for Alsace?

A

They create a rain shadow effect, making alsace one of the sunniest and driest regions in France

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14
Q

What is the climate like in Alsace?

A
  • semi-continental
  • Plenty of sunshine but the region still has a fairly cold annual temperature
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15
Q

What are weather threats that alsace faces?

A
  • early or late frosts
  • deep freezes
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16
Q

What direction do the best vineyards in Alsace face?

A

South or Southeast

This orientation helps to maximize the number of sunlight hours the vineyards will receive and to mitigate the cold

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17
Q

How does the grape ripening in Alsace compare to that of the Loire and Burgundy?

A

Even though Alsace has a more northerly location, the ripening is more consistent due to the number of sunlight hours Alsace receives.

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18
Q

What is the soil like in Alsace?

A

Mosaiced soil structure
- Granite
- Limestone
- Schist
- Clay
- Gravel
- Chalk
- Loess
- Local pink sandstone “gres de vosges”

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19
Q

What empire was Alsace part of during the Middle Ages?

A

Germanic Holy Roman Empire

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20
Q

Which rivalry catapulted the thirty-years-war in Alsace?

A

The French vs Habsburg rivalry

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21
Q

After going back and forth between the Germans and French, when was Alsace French territory finally?

A

in the 1940s

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22
Q

What year is Alsace gain AOC status?

A

1962

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23
Q

When was the Grand Cru AOC for alsace established and what was the first vineyard?

A

1975
The first vineyard was Schlossberg

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24
Q

In what year did Grand Cru vineyards go from being designations to having their own AOC in Alsace?

A

2011

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25
Q

What is sparkling wine made using the traditional method called in Alsace?

A

Cremant d’Alsace
(can be white or rose)

26
Q

How do Alsatian rieslings compare to German rieslings?

A

Alsatian rieslings are usually
- higher in alcohol
- characteristically more dry
- more powerful

27
Q

List some winemaker preferences in Alsace

A
  • usually dry
  • not aged in new oak, usually neutral oak
  • varietal purity is the standard
  • some winemakers believe in field blends to showcase terroir
28
Q

Varietally labeled wines in Alsace must contain what percentage of the stated variety?

A

100%

29
Q

Alsatian wines will be vinified as what unless otherwise stated?

A

dry

Gewürztraminer will usually have some RS but still labeled as dry

30
Q

Define Edelzwicker

A

“noble mixture”
this is an inexpensive alsatian blended wine that does not need to carry a vintage

31
Q

Define Gentil

A

Unofficial term
this refers to an alsatian wine with a minimum of 50% of noble grapes in the blend

32
Q

T/F
Alsatian Grand cru wines are usually single varietal wines?

A

True BUT it is no longer law

33
Q

Which alsatian grand cru vineyard is the only one that allows a grape outside of the noble varieties to be used?

A

Zotzenberg
allows Sylvaner

34
Q

Which grand crus in Alsace are allowed to make blends?

A
  • Altenberg de Bergheim
  • Kaefferkopf
    These vineyards may blend up to certain proportions
35
Q

What kind of harvesting is mandatory for all grand crus in alsace?

A

hand harvesting

Other restrictions include:
- higher minimum abv
- higher restrictions
- higher minimum must weights
- lower yields

36
Q

What are some premier crus in Alsace?

A

Trick Question…
There are no premier crus in Alsace

37
Q

What are two designations for late harvest wines?

A
  • Vendanges Tardives
  • Selection de Grains Nobles

These terms imply sweetness levels and may be printed on an Alsace AOP or Alsace Grand Cru AOP wine

38
Q

What does Vendanges Tardives mean?

A

Translates to “Late Harvest”

  • Single varietal wines left to hang on the vine
  • The grapes will raisinate and show more intesity
  • usually no signs of botrytis
  • can be fermented dry or left sweet
39
Q

What is Selection de Grains Nobles wine?

A
  • this wine is picked in tries
  • have been affected by botrytis
  • can be semi-dry or sweet
  • dessert like on all levels
40
Q

What is the capital of the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace?

A

Colmar
This is the driest city in France

41
Q

What is significant about Strasbourg in Alsace?

A

This is the center of wine trade in this region

42
Q

What are the most notable grand cru vineyards in Alsace?

A
  • Schlossberg
  • Schoelhammer
  • Rangen de Thann
  • Geisberg
  • Pfingstberg
  • Schoenenberg
  • Engelberg
  • Kirchberg
  • Saering
43
Q

Which alsatian producer focuses on blends rather than single varietal wines?

A

Marcel Deiss

44
Q

What is the most aromatic grape variety in alsace?

A

Gewurztraminer

45
Q

Where is Jura located in relation to Alsace?

A

just south of alsace, Jura shares a small part of its eastern border with switzerland

46
Q

What is the climate in Jura like?

A

continental, turning harshly cold in the winter

47
Q

What are the red grapes allowed in Jura?

A
  • Poulsard (ploussard)
  • Trousseau
  • Pinot Noir
48
Q

What are the white grapes allowed in Jura?

A
  • Chardonnay (gamay blanc)
  • Savagnin (Nature)
49
Q

What grapes are allowed to be used in Rose wines of Jura?

A

all 5 grapes
- Pinot Noir
- Poulsard
- Trousseau
- Chardonnay
- Savagnin

Jura rose is usually made in the vin gris style

50
Q

What grape is excluded from vin de paille production in Jura?

A

Pinot Noir

51
Q

What grapes are used to make vin jaune in Jura?

A

Savagnin

52
Q

What are the two local specialty wines made in Jura?

A
  • vin jaune
  • vin de paille
53
Q

What are the characteristics of vin jaune?

A
  • dry
  • oxidized
  • unfortified
  • aged a minimum of 6 years before bottling

The wine is going to be high in alcohol, sweet, and aged a minimum of three years before release

54
Q

What are the important AOPs to know in Jura?

A
  • Arbois AOP
  • L’Etoile AOP
  • Chateau Chalon AOP
55
Q

Where is Savoie located?

A

In the Alps on the swiss border on Lake Geneva

56
Q

Which river influences Savoie and is where most of its vineyards are planted along?

A

Rhone River

57
Q

What are the major varieties in Savoie?

A

White
- Jacquère
- Altesse
- Roussanne
- Chasselas
- Chardonnay
Red
- Gamay
- Mondeuse
- Pinot Noir

58
Q

What types of wine in Savoie are made under the Seyssel AOP and Cremant de Savoie AOP?

A

dry mousseux wines using Atlesse

59
Q

What kind of wines are made under the Bugey-Cerdon AOP?

A

Method ancestral roses using gamay and Poulsard

60
Q

What is the most planted grape in Alsace?

A

Pinot Blanc

61
Q

Who produces “Clos Ste-Hune” Riesling in Alsace?

A

Trimbach

62
Q

What is the most planted grape in Jura?

A

chardonnay