Fundamentals Flashcards
(31 cards)
By the 1st century CE, the Romans had established vineyards where?
South-west France, Bordeaux, Bourgogne, and the Loire
Who introduced the grapevine and in which century?
Phocaeans
600 BCE
What is powdery mildew/oidium?
A fungal disease indigenous to the USA. It blankets the vine with thick white filaments.
- If before flowering yields are reduced
- If grape clusters become infected they will not achieve full pigment or grow to maximum size
- Fruit marked by off flavours
What is downy mildew/peronospera?
A fungal disease that germinates in warm, humid weather
-attacks leaf and stems first with “oil spots” then with white cotton filaments
- causes vines to lose their leaves which can delay ripening or prevent it altogether
What is marcottage/provignage
A vine propagation method; the act of burying a cane (layering) to sprout new vines
What was the cause of the 19th-century vineyard crisis in France?
The phylloxera louse (an aphid-like insect that attacks vine roots).
How did France eventually solve the phylloxera crisis?
By grafting European Vitis vinifera vines onto American rootstock resistant to phylloxera.
Which grape variety declined significantly in the Southern Rhône due to poor graft compatibility?
Mourvèdre (from ~33% down to ~3% of plantings).
What traditional vine training methods were lost after the phylloxera solution?
Provignage and marcottage (layering), which required ungrafted vines.
How did vineyard layouts change after the phylloxera crisis?
Vineyards were replanted in rows to accommodate grafted vines and modern farming practices.
Which of the following was a long-term effect of the phylloxera crisis on French viticulture?
A. Increased popularity of Burgundy wines
B. The widespread adoption of carbonic maceration
C. A shift from provignage to row-planted vineyards
D. The banning of American grape varieties in France
C. A shift from provignage to row-planted vineyards
Fill in the Blank:
After the phylloxera crisis, France adopted __________ vines to resist the pest and permanently changed how vineyards were planted.
grafted (American rootstock)
Why did Mourvèdre become less common in the Southern Rhône after phylloxera?
It took poorly to grafting, leading to a sharp drop in plantings from 33% to 3%.
Who were the Weinführers and what did they do during WWII?
Nazi wine officials sent to Champagne, Bordeaux, and Bourgogne to purchase France’s best wines at low prices, ship them to Germany, and resell them to help fund the war effort.
This was a systematic and deliberate removal of “France’s liquid wealth”
The Phocaeans founded what important city in the south of France?
Marseille
What historical figure first united Gaul under one rule and one religion?
Clovis, King of the Franks
Define “Claret”
British term for Bordeaux red wines
A wine display at the Exposition Universelle of 1855 in Paris resulted in what famous document?
The Classification of 1855
What people introduced formal viticulture to the Celtic tribes of “Gaul”?
Phocaeans, Greeks from Asia Minor
Why did Champagne become associated with French royalty?
It was served at royal coronations in Reims and became a symbol of prestige.
What did the Phocaeans contribute to French wine history?
They founded Massalia (Marseille) in 600 BCE and introduced the grapevine for trade.
What is the historical significance of the Celts to wine in France?
They invented the stackable wooden cask around 350 BCE, aiding wine transport.
How did the Romans expand wine culture in France?
They established vineyards across Bordeaux, Bourgogne, Loire, and Alsace from the 1st–2nd century CE and organized wine production.
Why did the Catholic Church become important to wine after Rome’s fall?
Monasteries preserved viticulture; wine was central to mass and monastic rituals.
