Lesson 4 Principle Wine Regions of the World a unique gift from nature and the earth’s geology

Sweet White: Anjou, Coteaux du Layon.

Sparkling White: Montlouis, Saumur, Touraine, Vouvray.

Rose: Cabernet d’Anjou, Rose d’Anjou.

Red: Anjou, Bourgueil, Chinon, Touraine.

Loire Valley – key wines (Chapter 4 – pp. 107-108)

Nantais: Muscadet, Muscadet de Sevre-et-maine, Sur Lie.

Anjou-Saumur: Anjou Rose, Cabernet Anjou, Coteaux du Layon, Savennieres, Saumur, Saumur-Champigny.

Touraine:, Reds on CF or Gamay: Chinon, Bourgueil, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil. Whites CB Vouvray.

Central Vineyards: Finest white wines on SB: Sancerre, Pouilly-Fume, Menetou-Salon.

VDP: VDP du Jardin de la France.

Lesson 4: Principle Wine Regions of the World 4.10 France (continued) [ Rhone Valley Region – Wine Map ]

Lesson 4: Principle Wine Regions of the World 4.10 France (continued) [ Rhone Valley Region ]

• Location: southeast France , Climate: North: Southern continental, South: Mediterranean. The real danger here is the Mistral wind (comes for 6-9 days) a major

• wind that comes down the whole Rhone Valley and has the ability to do real damage. Soils: North: granite, decomposing schist soil, South: various (quartz pebbles,

• clay and alluvial) and ‘pudding-stone’ pebbles in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Grape growing: North: steep, sloped vineyards with vines staked to aid wind protection.

• South: flatter vineyards, windbreaks used to aid wind protection.

• Winemaking: Lighter: carbonic maceration, fuller styles: traditional fermentation and oak maturation.

• The Rhone Valley produces 95% red wine, some Vins Deux Naturals

• Rhone Valley sub divides into 2: Northern Rhone and Southern Rhone are they split by the nugget, which splits the valley naturally into two parts

• Northern Rhone vineyard areas are on steep narrow gauges most of the wine is produced on the right side of river

• Southern Rhone vineyards are spread out on both sides of the river

• Northern Rhone produces the best wines (5% of total Rhone production) and the south produces the most wines (95%. of total Rhone production)

• Northern Rhone: location, soils and appellations

• AC system started here. Northern Rhone: The Crus here are the best.

• Hillside: the best wines are grown on the hillsides in because of (Good drainage / sun / lower yield allowance)

• Grape variety: Red: Syrah is the only red variety allowed. White: Viognier, Roussanne, Marsanne is the only white varieties allowed.

• Tain: this wonderful town sits on the a little hill of Hermitage, the river surrounds the famous hill of Hermitage, which is fantastic growing conditions.

• Key Wines: Cote Rotie AC (roasted slope), Condrieu AC, Chateau Grillet AC, St. Joseph AC, Cornas AC, St. Peray AC, Clairette de Die AC.

• Southern Rhone: location, soils and appellations

• Grape varieties: Grenache grape is the most important in the southern Rhone but it is no good on its own the grapes listed below bring out its best. Grenache can

• make 15% no problem, if left to its own devices but people usually don’t want big wines. Black: Grenache Noir, Syrah (gives colour), Mourvedre (gives fruity taste),

• Cinsault. White: Grenache Blanc, Clairette (gives acidity), Marsanne, Rousanne, Muscat (grapy, fruits, very ripe grapes), Picpoule (little obscure).

• 95% of the Southern Rhone wine is Red wine, well known for Cotes de Rhone AC

• different microclimates meaning different grapes.

• Key wines: Cotes du Rhone, Cotes du Rhone-Villages, Vacqueyras, Gigondas, Chateauneuf-du-pape, Tavel, Rhone Satellites: Costieres de Nimes.

• biggest difference between the North and South Rhone is the north uses only single GV for their wines whereas the south uses multiple GV & blends for there wines

• AC Classification for Southern Rhone wines.

• AC Villages, AC Cotes du Rhone, AC Districts , AC Gigondas (villages with there own AC). If a village is listed on its own, the wine must be from that village only

Lesson 4: Principle Wine Regions of the World 4.10 France (continued) [ Provence, Languedoc and Roussillon Region ]

• More than a third of all French wine is grown in the area (Roussillon, Corbieres, Minervois and Languedoc known as the Midi.

• With over 865,000 acres (350,000 hectares) it is the biggest vineyard region in the world. Location: Southern Mediterranean France.

• Provence: east of Rhone to Italian border. Languedoc-Roussillon: west of Rhone to Spanish border. Climate: Mediterranean.

• Provence: location, soils and appellations

• Provence is home to France’s oldest vineyards but overall the region is better known for its beaches and arts festivals than for its wines. However, the area has five small ACs (Bandol, les Baux-de-Provence, Bellet, Cassis and Palette), but most of the wine comes from the much larger areas of the Cotes de Provence, Ctoeaux Varios, Coteaux de Pierrevert and Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence.

• Provence key wines: White, Rose and Red: Cotes de Provence, Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence, Bandol Vin de Pays (VDP) Bouches du Rhone, de Vaucluse.

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