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47 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Year Alsace achieved AOP status
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1962
Note - This makes it the last major French winemaking region to do so. It is also France's smallest winemaking region |
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Departments of Alsace
(which one is more closely associated with quality wines?) |
Bas-Rhin
Haut-Rhin (more associated with quality; home to over 2/3 of Alsace's Grand Cru vineyards) |
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Which mountain range separates Alsace from the rest of France, and what role does it play in the region's climate?
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The Vosges Mountains create a "rain shadow" effect making Alsace one of France's sunniest and driest climates
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Colmar
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Capital of Alsace
Driest city in France |
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Climate of Alsace
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Semi-continental
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Soil Types - Alsace (General)
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- Granite, limestone, schist, clay, gravel, chalk, loess, and "gres de Vosges," a local pink sandstone
- Soil types play a crucial role in determining the appropriate grape variety |
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Soil Types - Alsace (Steeper Mountain Slopes)
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Schist, granite, volcanic sediment
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Soil Types -Alsace (Lower Slopes)
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Limestone base
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Soil Types - Alsace (Mountain base)
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Richer alluvial clay and gravel soils
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Four Noble Grapes of Alsace
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Riesling (last to ripen), Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, and Muscat (Blanc a Petit Grains, Rose a Petit Grains, or Ottonel)
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Ageability of Alsatian Wines
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Due to their pronounced minerality and acidity, Alsatian wines have an extraordinary ability to age
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Grapes allowed in Alsace AOP
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- Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc (Klevner), Chasselas (Gutedel), Sylvaner, and Pinot Noir
- Wines must contain 100% of the labelled grape (with the exception of Auxerrois) |
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Nuances of Auxerrois
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-Similar but not synonymous to Pinot Blanc
- May be labelled "Pinot Blanc" |
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White wines labelled "Pinot" may contain ________
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Any proportion of Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, or Auxerrois
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Alsace's Most Planted Grape
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Riesling
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Edelzwicker
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- "noble mixture" though it typically refers an inexpensive blended wine
- does not have to be vintage-dated nor does it even legally have to include more than one grape - no indication of blended grapes or percentages is legally required |
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Gentil
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- a superior designation for blends
- requires minimum of 50% of noble grapes - base wines MUST be vinified separately |
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Number of Grand Cru Vineyards in Alsace
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51 (Kaefferkopf was most recently added in 2006)
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Smallest Grand Cru in Alsace
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Kanzlerberg (3 ha)
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Largest Grand Cru Vineyard in Alsace
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Schlossberg (80 ha)
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Requirements for Grand Cru Alsace AOP wines
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- must be made from 100% single-varietal (with 3 exceptions)
- must be hand-harvested - generally, minimum sugar levels are higher, and yields are more restricted - though some vineyards mandate higher minimums, the min. ABV for Riesling and Muscat is 11%; for Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer, it is 12.5% |
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Notable producers to omit Grand Cru designations from their labels
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- Trimbach (Clos Ste. Hune is NOT labelled as Rosacker)
- Hugel |
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Exceptions to Noble Grape Mandate in Grand Cru Alsace AOP
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- Altenberg de Bergheim (can contain Pinot Gris)
- Kaefferkopf (can be made from Pinot Gris) - Zotzenberg (can be made from Sylvaner) - none of these vineyards can produce single-varietal Muscat |
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Vendages Tardives (VT)
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- must contain a single noble varietal and pass a blind tasting panel
- MAY show botrytis quality, but emphasizes varietal characteristic - quality VT wines originate from the vine in a state of PASSILERAGE - must be hand-harvested - min. unenriched sugar levels at harvest: 235 g/L for Riesling and Muscat; 257 g/L for Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris |
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Selections de Grains Nobles (SGN)
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- must contain a single noble varietal and pass a blind tasting panel
- suppresses varietal characteristic in favor of botrytis - always "dessert-like" - generally picked in TRIES - must be hand-harvested - min. unenriched sugar levels at harvest: 276 g/L for Muscat and Riesling; 306 g/L for Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer (some of the highest must weights in France) |
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Only red grape allowed in Alsace AOP wines
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Pinot Noir
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Only Alsatian AOP to allow Chardonnay
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Cremant d'Alsace AOP
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Grapes Allowed in Cremant d'Alsace AOP
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Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc (workhorse), Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Auxerrois (roses may only be made with Pinot Noir)
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Cotes de Toul AOP
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- In Lorraine
- Whites made from Auxerrois and Aubin - Light reds made from Pinot Noir - Roses made in "vin gris" style from Pinot Noir and Gamay |
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Moselle AOP
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- In Lorraine
- Produces reds, whites, and roses from Auxerrois and Pinot Noir |
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Jura (Geography)
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- South of Alsace
- Shares a small part of its Eastern border with Switzerland - The forested Jura mountains provide a geological detachment that allows certain traditional wine styles and grapes to persist |
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Jura (Climate)
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Continental, turning harshly cold in the wintertime
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Jura (Soil Types)
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Vineyards on the lower slopes rest upon Jurassic limestone and marl with a substantial amount of clay at the lowest sites
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Cotes du Jura AOP
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- Reds from Poulsard (Ploussard), Trousseau, and Pinot Noir
- Whites typically from 100% Chardonnay (aka Gamay Blanc) though Savagnin (aka Nature or Traminer) can be used for blending - Roses can be made from any or all five grapes and are made in the "vin gris" style - Vin de paille (straw wine) can be made from any or all but Pinot Noir - Vin Jaune (yellow wine) is only made from Savagnin |
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Arbois AOP
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- Home of Louis Pasteur
- Covers 12 communes and produces all styles of Jura wines - One commune, Pupillin, may append its name to Arbois |
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L'Etoile AOP
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- Appellations for WHITES ONLY
- Named for a local fossil shaped like a five-point star - Wines may contain Chardonnay, Poulsard, and Savagnin, and are generally made in an OXIDATIVE style |
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Chateau Chalon AOP
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- Specializes in Vin Jaune produced exclusively from Savagnin (aka Nature) grown on local limestone and marl
- The wine is deliberately oxidized and aged for decades - After fermentation, the wine is kept in barrel until 12/15 of the sixth year following harvest - "Voile" forms (similar to "flor" of Sherry), though vin jaune is not fortified like Sherry - Wines are aldehydic with a nutty almost curried flavor on a delicate DRY palate - Wines must be bottled in a CLAVELIN - 1980 and 1984 were poor vintages and were declassified |
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Vin de Paille
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- "Straw wine" that can be labelled Arbois, L'Etoile, or Cotes du Jura
- Ripe, but not botrytised grapes are left to dry for a minimum of six weeks after harvest on straw mats (though often hung or boxed) - Grapes must surpass a minimum must weight of 320 g/L - EVERY element of the wine is concentrated --> High acidity balances high RS and high ABV (min. 14%) - After fermentation, wines must be aged for 3 years before release, including a mandatory 18mos in neutral wood barrels |
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Cremant de Jura AOP
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- Methode traditionelle sparkling wines
- Designation established in 1995 |
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Macvin du Jura AOP
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- Vin de Liqueur
- Marc is added to unfermented grape must --> sweet, unfermented, but alcoholic grape juice (think RATAFIA) - May be white, red, or rose - MUST be aged in oak for one year after MUTAGE |
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Vin de Savoie AOP
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- Mostly comprised of white grapes
- Whites from Jacquere (most planted), Altesse, Roussanne (Bergeron), and Chardonnay (latter 3 produce higher quality wines - Reds and Roses from Gamay, Mondeuse, and Pinot Noir - Chignin-Bergeron (100% Roussanne wines), Marignan, Ripaille, and Crepy (latter three mandate min. of 80% Chasselas) |
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Roussette de Savoie AOP
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- "Roussette" is also known as Altesse and is the only grape allowed in the appellation's wines (Chardonnay no longer allowed for blending)
- Four communes may attach their names: Frangy, Marestel, Monterminod, and Monthoux |
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Seyssel AOP
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- North of Lake Bourget
- Dry and off-dry still wines as well as mousseux wines - Still wines must be 100% Altesse - Sparkling wines require only 10% Altesse and may blend in Molette and Chasselas |
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Bugey AOP
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- West of Lake Bourget
- Produces still whites, reds, and roses in addition to sparkling rose Bugey-Cerdon |
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Roussette de Bugey AOP
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- 100% Altesse (like Roussette de Savoie AOP)
- Montagnieu and Virieu le Grand may add their names to the appellation |
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Only Alsatian Grand Crus to allow Pinot Gris
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Altenberg de Bergheim and Kaefferkopf
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Only Alsatian Grand Cru to allow Sylvaner
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Zotzenberg (as it is a historical site fro Sylvaner)
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