Csm Level Ii - Alsace

Front 1

Describe the climate of Alsace and how it affects the grapes

Back 1

-Semi-Continental
-One of France's driest and sunniest climates
-Best vineyards enjoy southern, southeastern or warm eastern exposure to maximize sunlight
-Vines ripen more regularly than those of Loire or Northern Burgundy due to the sheer number of sunlight hours in the summertime

Front 2

What river separates Alsace from Germany in the east?

Back 2

The Rhine

Front 3

What mountain range separates Alsace from the rest of France in the west?

Back 3

Vosges Mountains

Front 4

Describe Alsace's "rain shadow" effect

Back 4

The rain clouds tend to precipitate and disperse on the western side of the range, keeping Alsace sunny

Front 5

What are the 2 Departments that of Alsace and where are they?

Back 5

-Haught Rhin: Southern portion of Alsace with over 2/3 of Alsaces Grand Cru Vineyards
-Bas Rhin: Northern portion of Alsace

Front 6

List the soil types of Alsace and the general locations where they can be found

Back 6

-Steeper mountain slopes generally consist of: Schist, Granite, and Volcanic sediment
-Lower slopes consist of: Limestone
-Plain at the base of the mountains consist of: rich alluvial clay and gravel soils

Front 7

What percentage of Alsace AOP wine is white? What percentage of France's total AOP still white wine production does that make up?

Back 7

-90%
-18%

Front 8

List the noble grapes of Alsace

Back 8

-Riesling
-Pinot Gris
-Muscat
-Gewurztraminer

Front 9

List the secondary grapes of Alsace

Back 9

-Pinot Blanc
-Chasselas
-Sylvaner
-Pinot Noir

Front 10

What percentage of the wine must come from the stated varietal for a varietally labeled wine in Alsace? What is the exception?

Back 10

-100% with the exception of Pinot Planc
-Auxerrois can be blended with with Pinot Blanc while the wine can still be labeled Pinot Blanc

Front 11

Which grapes represent the largest volume of production in Alsace?

Back 11

Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois

Front 12

What is the most planted grape in Alsace and the last noble grape to ripen?

Back 12

Riesling

Front 13

Describe the characteristics of Alsatian Rieslings

Back 13

-Dry, more powerful, and higher in alcohol than German Rieslings
-Among longest lived dry whites in the world due to high acidity and minerality
-Alsatian AOP law mandates that Riesling wine must be dry in style

Front 14

Describe the characteristics of Alsatian Pinot Gris

Back 14

-Quintessential wine of Alsace
-Full, rich, spicy-smoke qualities, and a frame of good acidity
-Aromas and flavors of honey, dried apricots, mushroom, and ginger
-Fuller in body than Riesling

Front 15

What was Pinot Gris formerly known as in Alsace?

Back 15

Tokay d'Alsace or Taky Pinot Gris

Front 16

Describe the characteristics of Muscat in Alsace

Back 16

-Aromatic with fragrant floral and grapy notes
-Orange, flowers, and peach on the nose
-Lighter than Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer
-Low Acid
-No new oak

Front 17

Describe the characteristics of Gewurztraminer in Alsace

Back 17

-Aromatic with perfumed, sweet spices, and tropical fruits
-Low acid but higher in alcohol than Muscat
-Flavors of Lychee, fruit cocktail, rose
-Can be made off-dry
-No new oak

Front 18

What does the term Edelzwicker indicate?

Back 18

-An inexpensive blended wine
-No grape variety can be listed
-Does not need to be vintage dated

Front 19

What the term Gentil indicate?

Back 19

-Superior designation for blends, requiring a minimum of 50% noble grapes
-Any other Alsace AOP grape nay compose the remainger, and the base wines must be vinified separately

Front 20

What is field blend?

Back 20

-Different varietal grapes are vinified together and produced under a vineyard name
-Marcel Deiss is one of the staunchest advocates of using this approach as a means of emphasizing Alsatian terroir

Front 21

What are the 2 designations for sweet wine that can be printed on either Alsace AOP or Alsace Grand Cru AOP labels?

Back 21

-Vendages Tardives (VT)
-Selections de Grains Nobles (SGN)

Front 22

What does term Vendages Tardives imply on a label?

Back 22

-Late-harvest sweet wine
-Wine contains a single, noble variety and pass a blind tasting panel
-May be Botrytis infected but emphasize varietal purity
-Typically originate from wines in a state of passerilage
-Not mandated to be sweet and may very in actual sugar. Can be quite dry in practice

Front 23

What are the minimum must weights for wines labled Vendages Tardives?

Back 23

-Muscat and Riesling: 235 grams per liter residual sugar
-Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer: 257 grams per liter residual sugar

Front 24

What does Selections de Grains Nobles imply on a bottle?

Back 24

-Late-harvest sweet wine
-Wine contains a single, noble variety and pass a blind tasting panel
-Picked in tries
-Suppress varietal character in return for complexities of Botrytis
-Not mandated to be sweet but always dessert-like in practice

Front 25

What are the minimum must weights for wines labeled Selections de Grains Nobles?

Back 25

-Muscat and Riesling: 276 grams per liter residual sugar
-Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer: 306 grams per liter residual sugar (among the highest in France). Always sweet.

Front 26

List the AOPs of Alsace

Back 26

-Alsace Grand Cru AOP (now comprise of 51 separate AOPs)
-Alsace/Vin d'Alsace AOP
-Cotes de Toul AOP
-Cremant d'Alsace AOP
-Moselle AOP

Front 27

List the varietal white grapes permitted in Alsace/Vin d'Alsace AOP

Back 27

-Auxerrios
-Riesling
-Pinot Gris
-Gewurztraminer
-Muscat
-Pinot Blanc
-Chasselas
-Sylvaner

Front 28

List the grapes used in varietally labeled red and rose wines from Alsace/Vin d'Alsace AOP

Back 28

-Pinot Noir

Front 29

What percentage of Alsace's wine production comes from Alsace/Vin d'Alsace AOP?

Back 29

74%

Front 30

What year was the Alsace vin d'Alsace AOP created?

Back 30

1962

Front 31

What is a Lieu-Dit?

Back 31

Name given locally to a pliot of lasnd or vineyard within a larger appellation. Standards are stricter than for communal appellations.

Front 32

What are the requirements for wines that designate a communal geographical name (subzone) on their label?

Back 32

-Must meet strict production standards of that commune
-Must come from one of 11 allowed communal names

Front 33

How many Grand Cru Vineyards exist in Alsace?

Back 33

51

Front 34

Name the Grand Cru AOP that produces varietal white wine from a grape that is not one of the 4 noble varieties. List the grape used

Back 34

-Zotzenberg AOP
-Sylvaner

Front 35

What are the minimum alcohol requirements for Alsatian Grand Cru's?

Back 35

Riesling and Muscat: 11%
Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer: 12.5%

Front 36

List the Grand Cru AOPs that allow blends

Back 36

-Altenberg de Bergheim (Riesling dominant but allows all 8 grapes)
-Kaefferkopf AOP (Gewurztraminer dominant with Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Muscat allowed)

Front 37

List the styles and encepagement of Cremant d'Alsace AOP
What is the dominant grape?

Back 37

-Sparkling Whites: Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Auxerrois, and/or Chardonnay
-Sparkling Rose: 100% Pinot Noir
-Pinot Blanc

Front 38

List the additional requirements for sparkling wines from Cremant d'Alsace AOP

Back 38

-Tradtional method secondary fermentation
-Wines must spend a minimum of 9 months on the lees prior to disgorgement

Front 39

List the styles of wine from Cotes de Toul AOP

Back 39

-Whites: Auxerrois and Aubin
-Vin Gris: Gamay and Pinot Noir plus max. 15% Pinot Meunier, Aubin, and Auxerrois
-Red: 100% Pinot Noir

Front 40

List the style of wine from Moselle AOP

Back 40

Red, white, and rose wines principally from Pinot Noir and Auxerrois

Front 41

What is Gres de Vosges?

Back 41

Local pink sandstone that can be found throughout Alsace