viognier Flashcards
(81 cards)
1
Q
what is a jug wine?
A
a poor quality table wine
2
Q
what has been a trend in the past 20-30 years?
A
a move away from “jug wines” and toward production of high-quality wines
3
Q
what is an appellation?
A
a strict government regulatory system or wine-naming system
4
Q
what are the three typical ways in which you might objectively establish consideration of a wine’s quality?
A
- the wine should offer varietal character such as distinct taste and flavor for that grape variety
- taste should reflect where the wine comes from
- there should be no off aromas or flavors
5
Q
what is the minimum annual average temperature for wine growing regions?
A
50 degrees F
6
Q
what type of climate is best for growing grapes?
A
a moderate, temperate climate
7
Q
between what parallels are moderate, temperate climates generally found?
A
between 30 and 50 parallels north and south of the equator
8
Q
what are the two types of climates found within the moderate, temperate region?
A
maritime climates and continental climates
9
Q
give two examples of a maritime climate
A
Oregon in the US and Medoc in Bordeaux
10
Q
give two examples of a continental climate
A
The Columbia Valley in Washington and the Rhone valley in France
11
Q
what is a macroclimate?
A
the climate over an entire region
12
Q
what is a mesoclimate?
A
the climate over an entire vineyard
13
Q
what is a microclimate?
A
the climate over a small plot within a vineyard
14
Q
are wines from cool or warm climates generally more acidic?
A
cool
15
Q
what are two grape varietals more suited to cool climates?
A
riesling and pinot noir
16
Q
what are two grape varietals more suited to warm climates?
A
viognier and syrah
17
Q
what type of soil tends to be best for growing wine grapes?
A
rocky with a high mineral content
18
Q
how many different types of readily defined soil are there?
A
14
19
Q
what are the common soil types?
A
- alluvial
- calcareous
- chalk
- clay
- granite
- gravel
- jory
- loam
- marl
- sandstone
- schist
- shale
- slate
- volcanic
20
Q
what is alluvial soil?
A
a combination of clay, silt, sand and gravel. formed over long periods of time from extinct bodies of water
21
Q
what is calcareous soil?
A
calcium carbonate, limestone and seashell fossils
22
Q
what is chalk soil?
A
soft types of porous limestone composed mostly of seashell fossils
23
Q
what is granite?
A
hard, granular rock rich in quartz and other crystals
24
Q
what is gravel?
A
individual pebbles or rocks
25
what is jory?
volcanic soil made of basalt, which is a gray-black volcanic rock
26
what is loam?
soil made of sand, silt and clay
27
what is marl?
soil composed of clay, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, and seashell fossils
28
what is sandstone?
sedimentary rock made of sand, primarily quartz bound together with minerals, feldspar, mica and stone fragments through time and pressure
29
what is schist?
metamorphic, rocky soil derived from clay and mud, first forming shale and slate, but over time becomes mineral-rich soil that can easily break and shatter
30
what is shale?
sedimentary rock formed from clay and mud and can break easily forming sharp chips of rock. when exposed to heat and pressure over time, it becomes slate
31
what is slate?
a rocky soil that retains moisture and heat
32
what is volcanic rock?
rock produced over time from pressurized hardened volcanic ash
33
what is the premise for soil with low fertility?
lower yields: states that the fewer grapes on the vine means the grapes will be of higher quality
34
why is minerality important in soil?
it is suggested that a high mineral content produces grapes and wines with more complex flavors and aromas
35
what type of relationship does soil and wine have in terms of PH?
inverse
36
what type of wines do high PH soils produce?
Low PH wines
37
what type of wines do low PH soils produce?
High PH wines
38
what is drainage?
the rate of water runoff and absorption by the soil
39
what problems do compacted soils have with drainage?
they tend to not allow water into lower soil levels which leaves the vines starved for water
40
what are some effects of starving a vine's root system of water?
in the short term the grapes will have a more fruit forward flavor but in the long term it will result in weakened stems and loss of grapes
41
what is generally the best type of soil composition?
friable or crumbly
42
why is crumbly soil the best for growing wine grapes?
this type of soil allows water to seep through deep into the soil which encourages the vine's root system to follow the water until it reaches sufficient levels
43
what is an advantage of soil with high rock content?
rocky soils reflect heat back to the vine during the day as well as absorb heat throughout the day radiating it back upon the plant at night
44
what are the two distinct groups of wine grapes?
vitis vinifera and Native North American species
45
where did the modern wine grape originate and in what year?
vitis vinifera evolved into a species around 2000bc in what would be Iran today
46
what does vitis mean?
vitis is the genus for many vine plants
47
what does vinifera mean?
comes from two latin words meaning to bear or carry wine
48
what are the major white wine varieties?
- chardonnay
- chenin blanc
- gewurztraminer
- muscat
- muller-thurgau
- pinot blanc
- pinot gris/pinot grigio
- riesling
- sauvignon blanc
- semillon
- viognier
49
what are the major red wine varieties?
- cabernet franc
- cabernet sauvignon
- gamay
- grenache
- merlot
- nebbiolo
- pinot noir
- sangiovese
- syrah
- tempranillo
- zinfandel
50
what are the 4 main north american grape vine varieties?
- vitus labrusca
- vitis riparia
- vitis aestivalis
- vitis rotundifolia
51
what is phylloxera?
a plant louse which attacks the root system of grape vines
52
how was phylloxera beat in europe?
phylloxera was beat by grafting the desirable fruit qualities of the vinifera variety onto the root stock of the sturdy american varieties
53
what are the benefits to root stock 3309?
it has moderate vigor, it grows well in cooler climates and thrives in deep but less fertile soils
54
what are the benefits to root stock 110?
high vigor and the ability to develop a deep root system in rocky soil
55
what are the benefits to root stock 5C?
it does well in deep, loamy soild
56
what is a big concern with root stock 5C?
that it may not be phylloxera resistant
57
what are the benefits to St. George root stock?
high vigor, does well in dry soils
58
what are the most common types of hybrid white grapes?
- seyval
- vidal
- vignoles
- traminette
- chardonel
59
what are the most common types of hybrid red grapes?
- de chaunac
- baco noir
- marechal foch
- noiret
- frontenac
60
what is a vertical trellis system?
a system in which stationary wires near the top of the vine trunk act as the support to train permanent cordons or annual canes horizantally away from the trunk and moveable wires are strung in pairs along the vine rows at different heights. creates a hedge like effect
61
what is the Geneva double curtain system?
typified by a horizontal set of wires on which the pruned canes are trained. a secondary wire is located above this, and when the shoots reach this higher wire, they can be turned outward and downward
62
what is the lyre system?
basically a double vertical trellis. the vine is trained from the trunk onto two separate, small trellis systems with the new shoots growing upward
63
what are 7 common goals of organic viticulture?
- to create a sustainable system that addresses the health of the environment, social responsibility, and economic viability
- to produce grapes and wines with varietal character as well as the unique characteristics of the vineyard itself (aka Terroir)
- to protect the soil for generations to come, as well as the water supply used in the vineyards by severely restricting the use of toxic chemicals
- enhance energy efficiency
- to protect and enhance the health of the vineyard and winery workers and surrounding communities
- to recognize and embrace practices that will encourage biodiversity and conversation
- to serve the growing public demand for organically grown or sustainably grown grapes
64
what month do most classic grape growing regions harvest?
late september to early october
65
into what stage do grape vines enter after harvest?
dormant stage
66
when the grape vine enters the dormant stage what happens?
- the leaves turn color and drop
- sap falls back to the trunk
- canes become brittle
67
what is head-spur pruning?
a pruning system which leaves the vine in a small bush shape. this is particularly favored by growers who want the clusters close to the ground in order to absorb more heat reflected during the day and radiated during the night from the ground
68
what is cane pruning?
essentially one, two, or four fruiting canes will be left after pruning. each cane will have a predetermined number of buds on it. each bud will produce new shoots
69
what is cordon-spur pruning?
a combination of both the head-spur and cane pruning methods. established canes are extended along the support system. the vine is then pruned to short spurs, usually with two buds each along the cordon. this sytem lends itself to mechanical pruning and harvesting
70
what is the life cycle for for a vineyard?
pruning, spring growth and flowering, fruit development, and harvest
71
what is veraison?
the color change in the grapes
72
what are the three most important subregions within burgundy for fine chardonnay?
- chablis
- cote de beaune
- maconnais
73
what are common attributes found in chardonnay from chablis?
crisp, green fruit, high-acid, mineral-laden, often unoaked
very cool climate
chalk and limestone soils
74
what are common attributes found in chardonnay from cote de beaune?
rich, complex, balanced and oaked
75
what are common attributes found in chardonnay from maconnais?
warmer climate
medium body
mineral flavors
76
what are the three legal grape varieties in the champagne region?
chardonnay
pinot noir
pinot meunier
77
how many acres within california are used to grow chardonnay?
approximately 100,000
78
where are the majority of chardonnay grapes grown in california?
the central valley and monterey county
79
what characteristics do "California" chardonnay's tend to have?
they tend to be full-blown, rich, and oaky with mature, ripe fruits
80
which regions in california produce fine chardonnay?
```
napa valley
carneros
sonoma coast
russian river valley
edna valley
santa maria valley
santa ynez valley
```
81
which regions in new york state produce fine chardonnay?
finger lakes
long island
hudson river region
