Rhone Pt 2 - Location and Climate Flashcards
Where is the Rhone Valley wine region located? Which areas border it?
In SE France between 44 and 45 deg N. It is bordered by:
Lyon and Beaujolais in the north;
Languedoc and Provence to the south;
Prealps to the east;
Mountains of the Massif Central to the west.
What length is the Rhone region? Between which cities?
It is 120ml/192km N to S from Vienne to Nimes.
How many wine producing villages in the Rhone Valley?
- It spans 6 departments.
What are the three divisions of the Rhone Valley?
Northern - from Vienne to Valence;
Southern - From Montelimar to Nimes;
Les Cotes du Rhone - from Vienne to near Avignon. It excludes all non-Cru AOCs.
What can a producer in an AOC within the CDR zone of production do with their wine?
They can declassify from their AOC level to CDR AOC or bottle their wines as CDR AOC if they meet the production standards.
Are the climate of the Northern and Southern Rhone the same? What are the common denominators?
No they are not but there are two common denominators - the Mistral and the Rhone River.
How does the Rhone River impact the vineyards of the Northern area?
The vineyards are situated on the steep slopes along the river banks and are therefore intensely affected.
How does the Rhone River impact the vineyards of the Southern area?
Because the vineyards stretch away from the river for up to 50miles, there is little effect.
How does the Mistral wind impact the vines of the Northern area?
As the vines in the north are mainly the weaker stemmed syrah, they are tied to teepee like structures for support. They will be on S/SE facing slopes for protection also.
What name is given to the teepee-like structures suporting vines in the Rhone?
Echalas
How does the Mistral wind impact the vines of the Southern area?
The Grenache vines are more sturdy and are strong caned. They are trained with untrellised gobelet close to the ground. They tend to face South because of the wind direction.
