Loire Flashcards
What soil type is caillottes?
Pebbles of limestone-rich Portlandian marl
What is passerillage?
Passerillage is the technique of allowing grapes to wither and dry on the vine by pinching/twisting the stalks to stop the flow of sap.
What style of wine is Coteaux de Saumur AOC?
It is a semi-sweet to sweet wine that may or may not be affected by noble rot.
Which sweet wine producing sub-region lies within the Anjou zone of production?
Layon
What are the 3 distinct soil types in the Centre Loire?
Terres Blanches
Caillotes
Silex
The Pineau de la Loire grape is more commonly known as?
Chenin Blanc
Other than the Loire river, what are the other 2 primary rivers of the Lower Loire?
Sèvre Nantaise
&
Maine
What style of wine is made in the Rosé-de-Loire AOC?
This is a dry rosé made anywhere in the middle Loire
What 3 AOCs in the Centre Loire make white wine only?
- Pouilly-Fumé
- Pouilly-Sur-Loire
- Quincy
Which Loire sub-regions have a wholly continental climate?
The Centre and Upper Loire
What is the synonym for Cabernet Franc?
Breton
What two Centre Loire AOCs are located on the Cher river?
Quincy & Reuilly
What is the principle red grape of Touraine?
Cabernet Franc (Breton)
What is mousseux?
means “frothy or bubbly;” a category of French sparkling wines
These are methode traditionelle wines with at least 3 atmospheres of p
What Loire wine region is known for Kimmeridgean limestone?
The Centre Loire
What defines the term fines bulles?
It translates to “fine bubbles” and is a general term for all Loire sparkling wines
What category of Loire Sparkling wine does not have an aging requirement?
petillant
The Muscadet grape is also known as?
Melon de Bourgogne
What 2 grapes dominate the Middle Loire?
Chenin Blanc (Pineau de la Loire) &
Cabernet Franc (Breton)
What style of wine is made in the Anjou-Coteaux de la Loire AOC?
Sweet, botrytized dessert wines
The term “silex” refers to?
Flint soils found in the Centre-Loire
What are the primary grapes of the Sancerre AOC?
Sauvignon Blanc & Pinot Noir
Which Middle Loire AOC is a monopole?
Coulée de Serrant AOC
Owned by the Joly family; the estate only focuses on dry wines only
What style of wine is made in the Cabernet d’Anjou AOC?
Off-dry to sweet rosé made from both Cabernets
What Loire wine is frequently aged sur lie?
Muscadet
What is petillant?
The term means “fizzy”
These are Methode Traditionelle wines with 1 - 2.5 atmospheres of pressure
Where is Vouvray located?
Touraine (Middle Loire)
What style of wine is made in the Rosé d’Anjou AOC?
Off-dry rosé made primarily of Grolleau
What is tuffeau?
A porous chalk/limestone soil found in parts of the Middle Loire
What is terres blanches?
Kimmeridgian marl rich in oyster fossils found in the Centre Loire
The Folle Blanche grape is also known as?
Gros Plant
For what type of wine is Saumur known for?
sparkling
In which Loire sub-region is the Pays Nantais located?
Lower Loire
What are 3 primary grapes are grown in the Lower Loire?
- Muscadet (Melon de Bourgogne)
- Pinot Gris
- Gamay
What area of the Loire has volcanic soils?
The Lower Loire
Gneiss dominates the top soils, igneous rock the sub-soils
What is the primary white grape of the Centre Loire?
Sauvignon Blanc
What style of wine is made in the Vouvray AOC?
Dry, off-dry and sweet white wines from Chenin Blanc
What is the principal grape used in rosé production in the Middle Loire?
Grolleau
What soil type gives wines a unique gun-flint/smoky finish?
silex
What are the primary red grapes of the Upper Loire?
Pinot Noir & Gamay
Savennieres is best known for?
Dry Chenin Blanc, but Moelleux and Doux versions are also produced
What is Touraine Primeur?
A wine made from Gamay using semi-carbonic maceration
What style of wine is made in the Coteaux du Layon AOC?
Sweet, botrytized dessert wine
What grape is used to make sweet wine in the Middle Loire?
Chenin Blanc
What grape variety is used in Cour-Cheverny AOC?
Romorantin
What are the grapes of the Chinon AOC?
Cabernet Franc (Breton) &
Chenin Blanc (Pineau de la Loire)
What style of wine is made in the Bonnezeaux AOC?
Sweet, botrytized dessert wine
What are the 9 DGCs/Crus of the Muscadet Sevre et Maine AOC?
- Châteaux-Thébaud
- Clisson
- Gorges
- Goulaine
- Monnières-Saint-Fiacre
- Mouzillon-Tillières
- Le Pallet
- Vallet
- La Haye-Fouassière
How long must Loire Crémant spend aging on its lees?
12 Months (vs 9 months for most other regions in France)
The Gros Plant grape is also known as?
Folle Blanche
What are the two principle white grapes grown in the Lower Loire sub-region of Pays Nantais?
Melon de Bourgogne & Folle Blanche
Who introduced formal viticulture into the Loire Valley and in what century?
The Romans in the 1st century AD
Who was the power couple of the Loire in 1152?
Eleanor of Aquitaine & Henry Plantagenet
Parents of Richard the Lionhearted
What did Jeanne d’Arc do in 1429 during the middle ages in Chinon in the Loire Valley?
She persuaded the Dauphin of France to defy the English
In the 15th to 17th century what did the French Nobility do in the Loire?
They began building the over 300 Chateaux along the Loire River (Golden Age)
What was the impact of Phylloxera on the Loire Valley?
The Loire Valley was one of the last areas to get hit and last to recover. This put the Loire Valley behind the other regions once they recovered
What were the 3 challenges that the vignerons faced in the 18th century in the Loire?
- The railway system
- Phylloxera
- The French Revolution
What are the advantages of having vineyards near a river?
Rivers will provide 2 - 4 degrees more warmth to the vineyards
From west to east what are the 5 sub-regions of the Loire Valley?
Pays Nantais
Anjou & Saumur
Touraine
Centre-Loire
Upper Loire
Describe the Loire river.
- Very shallow in general
- Depth can vary greatly
- Very difficult to navigate
What is the climate of the Lower Loire?
Maritime