Southern Rhone

Question 1

How does the topography of the Southern Rhône differ from that of the Northern Rhône?

Answer 1

The Southern Rhône is considerably less hilly than the Northern Rhône, and in many places quite level and flat.

Question 2

What are the characteristics of the best vineyards of the Southern Rhône?

Answer 2

Many of the best vineyards in the Southern Rhône have stony soils which absorb the sun’s heat during the day and warm the vineyard in the evening.

Question 3

Soils in Chateauneuf du Pape

Answer 3

Galets

Galets are large stones or pebbles which are characteristic of some of the best vineyard soils of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOP.

Question 4

What is the climate of the Southern Rhône?

Answer 4

Mediterranean
- The Southern Rhône has milder winters, drier summers.

Question 5

Climate issue in Southern Rhone. Caused by what?

Answer 5

Draught caused by Mistral.

Question 6

What is Mistral?

Answer 6

Powerful, cold, dry, northwesterly wind which greatly affects the Rhône Valley and eastern portion of the Languedoc.

The Mistral can cause large-scale damage to vineyards in the Southern Rhône because the land here is flat with nothing to block the wind.

Question 7

Training system in Southern Rhone

Answer 7

Grenache
Bush training to keep the vines low to the ground =
・minimizing the risk of wind damage.
・Benefit from the warmth of the soils.

Syrah, which is more prone to wind damage, will have more supportive training systems.

Question 8

What else do they do to protect the vineyard from the Mistral?

Answer 8

There are fewer slopes to protect the vines from the wind, meaning windbreaks have to be planted.

Question 9

How does the grape variety makeup of Southern Rhône wines differ from that of Northern Rhône wines?

Answer 9

In the Northern Rhône, wines will be made from only one or two grape varieties.

In the Southern Rhône, wines are often complex blends of grape varieties.
- Some Southern Rhône wines can be made from more than a dozen grape varieties!

Question 10

The dominant grape variety of the Southern Rhône

Answer 10

Grenache

Question 11

What are the grapes of the Southern Rhône’s G-S-M blend?

Answer 11

G - Grenache
S - Syrah
M - Mourvèdre

Question 12

What characteristics will Grenache-based wines of the Southern Rhône take on during especially hot years?

Answer 12

The usual Grenache flavors of red fruit and spice will be more baked and jammy in especially warm vintages in the Southern Rhône.

Question 13

What does Syrah provide in blends?

Answer 13

Syrah provides blends with extra colour and tannin.

Question 14

Mourvedre
8

Answer 14

8 When it’s fully ripe, it can develop dense black fruit flavours, as well as gamey and meaty aromas

Question 15

What else is Grenanche often blended with?
To produce what style of wine?
What does it provide in blends?

Answer 15

Cinsault

Production of fresh, fruity rose.

Providing red fruit flavours rather than tannin or colour.

Question 16

White grape varieties of the Southern Rhône

Answer 16

・Clairette
・Grenache Blanc
・Bourboulenc
- Not grown in the Northern Rhône

・Viognier
・Marsanne
・Roussanne
- Grown in both the Southern and Northern Rhône

Question 17

What large appellation accounts for more than half the entire production of AOP level wines of the Southern Rhône?

Answer 17

Côtes du Rhône AOP

Question 18

What are some of the important differences between wines labeled Côtes du Rhône AOP and Côtes du Rhône-Villages AOP?

Answer 18

Côtes du Rhône-Villages AOP will have:

・More strict minimum alcohol level
and strict maximum yields.
・Higher percentage of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre in the blend.

Côtes du Rhône wines are medium bodied, fruity but uncomplicated and simple while.

Côtes du Rhône-Villages wines have more body, structure. and spiced re fruit flavours

Question 19

For a wine to be labeled as Côtes du Rhône Villages + (name of village), e.g. Côtes du Rhône Villages Seguret, what percent of the wine must come from the named village?

Answer 19

100%

Question 20

What is the largest cru in the Rhône valley?
Where is this situated on?

Answer 20

Châteauneuf-du-Pape

East bank of the Rhone

Question 21

Châteauneuf-du-Pape has a particular place in French wine history because it was the first area to have ___.

Answer 21

Appellation Contrôlée status

Question 22

How many grape varieties are approved for use in the wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape?

Answer 22

13

The ones to know are:

Grenache
Mourvèdre
Syrah
Cinsault
Counoise
Bourboulenc
Roussanne
Clairette

Question 22

Grape variety in Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Answer 22

Grenanche (Dominant)

Some very successful ones are made with 100% Grenache.

While others make far greater use of the gamey, meaty quality of Mourvèdre.

Question 23

Chateauneuf-du-Pape
1,3,6,7

Answer 23

1 Richly texture
3 Full bodied
6 High alcohol
7 Concentrated spice and red fruit flavours (balance the high alchol)

Question 24

What other styles of wine are made in Chateauneuf-du-Pape?

Answer 24

Small quantity of white Chateauneuf-du-Pape is also made.

Question 25

What are the two communal appellations of the Southern Rhône located on the right, or west, bank of the Rhône River?

Answer 25

Tavel and Lirac

Question 26

What is the style of wine made in Tavel AOP? Made from which grape variety? 3,7,8

Answer 26

Tavel AOP is approved for rosé wines only. Made mainly from Grenache and Cinsault 3 Full bodied 7 Intensely flavoured 8 Capable of developing greater complexity when aged in bottle.

Question 27

Lirac AOP doesn’t only make rosé wines – it also makes ______ and ______ very much in the style of this AOP.

Answer 27

Whites and reds like Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOP.

Question 28

What kinds of wines are produced in the communal appellations of Gigondas AOP and Vacqueyras AOP?

Answer 28

Grenache-based blends in a full-bodied, spicy style similar to Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOP.

Question 29

What style of wine is produced in Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise AOP?

Answer 29

Fortified Muscats called Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise

Question 29

Name the appellations in the Southern Rhône valley from north to south.

Answer 29

・Gigondas ・Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise ・Vacqueyras ・Châteauneuf-du-Pape ・Lirac ・Tavel