sabato 14 settembre 2013

Ribera del Duero

Ribera del Duero is a Spanish Denominación de Origen (DO) located in the country's northern plateau and is one of eleven 'quality wine' regions within the autonomous community of Castile and León.[1] It is also one of several recognised wine-producing regions to be found along the course of the Duero river.
The region is characterised by a largely flat, rocky terrain and is centred on the town of Aranda de Duero, although the most famous vineyards surround Peñafiel and Roa de Duero to the west, where the regional regulatory council or Consejo Regulador for the denominación is based.
Production of red wine from the Tempranillo grape.

Rías Baixas

Rías Baixas is a Spanish Denominación de Origen (DO) for wines located in the province of Pontevedra and the south of the province of A Coruña in the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain. It is renowned for its white wines made from the Albariño grape variety.
Albariño is a variety of white wine grape grown in Galicia (northwest Spain), Monção and Melgaço (northwest Portugal), where it is used to make varietal white wines.
Albariño is actually the Galician name for the grape. In Portugal it is known as Alvarinho, and sometimes as Cainho Branco.
It was presumably brought to Iberia by Cluny monks in the twelfth century. Its name "Alba-Riño" means "the white [wine] from the Rhine and it has locally been thought to be a Riesling clone originating from the Alsace region of France, although earliest known records of Riesling as a grape variety date from the 15th, rather than the 12th, century. It is also theorized that the grape is a close relative of the French grape Petit Manseng

Priorat

Priorat is a Catalan Denominació d'Origen Qualificada (DOQ) in Catalan for wines produced in the Priorat county to the south-west of Catalonia
The DOQ covers 11 municipalities. It primarily produces powerful red wines, which came to international attention in the 1990s. The area is characterised by its unique terroir of black slate and quartz soil known as llicorella.
It is one of only two wine regions in Spain to qualify as DOCa, the highest qualification level for a wine region according to Spanish wine regulations, alongside Rioja DOCa.
Priorat is the Catalan spelling, which is the one usually appearing on wine labels, while the Spanish spelling is Priorato.
The area is of volcanic origin which confers interesting characteristics to the soil. The basis (called llicorella in Catalán) comprises reddish and black slate with small particles of mica, which reflects the sunlight and conserves heat. The 50 cm thick topsoil is formed of decomposed slate and mica. These characteristics force the roots of the vines to reach the base for water, nutrition and minerals. These soil characteristics confer special quality to the wine and keep the vines firmly anchored to the earth during the strong winds and storms which are common to the area.
The traditional grape variety grown in El Priorat is the red Garnacha tinta, which is found in all the older vineyards. Also authorized are the following red varieties: Garnacha Peluda, Cariñena, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. Four white varieties are also authorized: Garnacha blanca, Macabeo, Pedro Ximénez and Chenin.
The trend among the red varieties is that Garnacha stays constant, Cariñena decreases and the international grape varieties increase. While Cabernet Sauvignon has always been in the lead among these, in recent years, Syrah has increased faster.
The traditional reds from El Priorat are a single grape bottling of Grenache and Carignan or then a blend of these two grapes blended in a "Bordeaux" style with other French varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon (which is falling out of favor), Merlot, or Syrah among others.
  • Criança wines must remain in oak barrels for 6 months and then 18 months in the bottle.
  • Reserva wines must remain in oak barrels for 12 months and then 24 months in the bottle.
  • Gran Reserva wines remain in oak barrels for 24 months and then 36 months in the bottle.
Few wineries (cellers) follow these guidelines strictly and the usual practice is to produce what is known as vi de guarda (aged wine) that has been in oak barrels for 18 months followed by 6 months in the bottle, the optimal moment for consumption being 2 years later

Alsace

Alsace wine or Alsatian wine (in French: Vin d'Alsace) is produced in the Alsace region in France and is primarily white. Because of its Germanic influence, it is the only Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée region in France to produce mostly varietally labelled wines, typically from similar grape varieties to those used in German wine. Along with Austria and Germany, it produces some of the most noted dry Rieslings in the world as well as highly aromatic Gewürztraminer wines. Wines are produced under three different AOCs: Alsace AOC for white, rosé and red wines, Alsace Grand Cru AOC for white wines from certain classified vineyards and Crémant d'Alsace AOC for sparkling wines. Both dry and sweet white wines are produced. 

Rhone Valley


The Rhône wine region in Southern France is situated in the Rhône river valley and produces numerous wines under various Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) designations. The region's major appellation in production volume is Côtes du Rhône AOC.

The Rhône is generally divided into two sub-regions with distinct vinicultural traditions, the Northern Rhône (referred to in French as Rhône septentrional) and the Southern Rhône (in French Rhône méridional). The northern sub-region produces red wines from the Syrah grape, sometimes blended with white wine grapes, and white wines from Marsanne, Roussane and Viognier grapes. The southern sub-region produces an array of red, white and rosé wines, often blends of several grapes such as in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.


                                           ://www.rhone-wines.com/en/appellation

Loire Valley wines

Loire Valley AOCs

There are 69 Controlled Place of Origin (AOC) (Appellations d’Origine Contrôlées) wines in the Loire Valley which are produced from Nantes to Sancerre.
The wines of
Anjou, Saumur and the Touraine come from the centre of this area, making up a total of 49 AOC
s.
Loire Valley
AOCs offer a wealth of colourful  oenological delights as there is a diverse range ofstill, rosé, white,red and sparkling wines produced throughout the region.
The best known terroirs in the Loire valley are :
 

Pouilly and Sancerre
In the eastern part of the Valley, most of the grapes used are Sauvignon Blanc, which also contributes to the superb white Bordeaux.

The delicious, dry white Pouilly-Fumé (do not confuse with the Burgundy
Pouilly-Fuissé) is produced in this area. The Pouilly-Fumé has a bewitching perfume, rich aromas and a distinctive flavour.

The Sancerre is produced on the other bank of the river. The white wine is very dry, with a robust aroma, delicately lively and pure.
Touraine
Further West, in the center of the Valley, in the province of Touraine, the predominant grape-variety is Chenin Blanc. The better known wines are the Vouvray and the Montlouis. They are generally smooth, fruity and fresh.

Touraine is also the homeland of the best red Loire wines, Bourgueil and Chinon, elaborated mainly from
Cabernet Franc.
Anjou - Saumur
The large Anjou-Saumur region, neighbouring the Touraine on the West, also produces a white wine from Chenin Blanc. It is a charming wine, dry with a slight smoothness.
Muscadet
The Muscadet at the far West of the valley, produces a pale white wine, dry refreshing, light and astringent. The grape-variety is also called Muscadet. The wine is at its best served fresh and young.  

 

 

Bordeaux

A Bordeaux wine is any wine produced in the Bordeaux region of France, centred on the city of Bordeaux and covering the whole area of the Gironde department, with a total vineyard area of over 120,000 hectares, making it the largest wine growing area in France. Average vintages produce over 700 million bottles of Bordeaux wine, ranging from large quantities of everyday table wine, to some of the most expensive and prestigious wines in the world. 89% of wine produced in Bordeaux is red (called "claret" in Britain), with sweet white wines (most notably Sauternes), dry whites, and also (in much smaller quantities) rosé and sparkling wines (Crémant de Bordeaux) collectively making up the remainder. Bordeaux wine is made by more than 8,500 producers or châteaux. There are 54 appellations of Bordeaux wine.
There are a number of classifications of Bordeaux wines, covering different regions. None of these attempts to be a comprehensive classification of all the producers within a given area: rather, only the producers (universally known as châteaux, although not usually possessing the architectural grandeur that might imply) perceived as being of an unusually high standard are included in the classification. The châteaux included in the classification are referred to as classed or classé, and those not included are referred to as unclassed. Some classifications sub-divide the classed châteaux, according to the perceived quality. On the Left Bank, the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 is the starting point for classification. Although this purports to be a classification of all Bordeaux wine, it in fact exclusively lists red wine producers from the Haut-Médoc plus Château Haut-Brion of Graves, and (in a separate list) sweet white wine producers from Sauternes (including Barsac). Estates in the Médoc which were not classified in that listing may be classified under the Cru Bourgeois label. In 1953, a Classification of Graves wine was produced. Although this purports to classify the whole of Graves, it exclusively lists châteaux in Pessac-Léognan. In 1954, a separate classification of Saint-Émilion wine was set up for this Right Bank region.
The major reason for the success of winemaking in the Bordeaux region is the excellent environment for growing vines. The geological foundation of the region is limestone, leading to a soil structure that is heavy in calcium. The Gironde estuary dominates the regions along with its tributaries, the Garonne and the Dordogne rivers, and together irrigate the land and provide an Atlantic Climate, also known as an oceanic climate, for the region.
These rivers define the main geographical subdivisions of the region:
  • "The right bank", situated on the right bank of Dordogne, in the northern parts of the region, around the city of Libourne.
  • Entre-deux-mers, French for "between two seas", the area between the rivers Dordogne and Garonne, in the centre of the region.
"The left bank", situated on the left bank of Garonne, in the west and south of the region, around the city of Bordeaux itself. The left bank is further subdivided into:
  • Graves, the area upstream of the city Bordeaux.
  • Médoc, the area downstream of the city Bordeaux, situated on a peninsula between Gironde and the Atlantic.

There are 57 AOCs in Bordeaux, which can be broadly grouped into seven categories.

Médoc Appellation
Médoc – Haut-Médoc – Listrac – Moulis - St. Estèphe – Pauillac - St. Julien - Margaux

Red Graves & Pessac-Léognan Appellation
Graves - Red Pessac-Léognan

St Emilion, Pomerol & Fronsac Appellation
St. Emilion Grand Cru - St. Emilion - Montagne St. Emilion - Lussac St. Emilion - Puisseguin St. Emilion - St Georges St. Emilion - Lalande de Pomerol – Pomerol – Fronsac - Canon Fronsac

Red Wines From The Côtes Appellation
Premières Côtes de Blaye - Côtes de Bourg - Premières Côtes de Bordeaux - Côtes de Castillon – Graves-de-Vayres - Côtes de Francs

Bordeaux & Bordeaux Supérieur Appellation
Red Bordeaux - Bordeaux Supérieur

Bordeaux & Dry White Wines Appellation
Bordeaux Blanc – Entre Deux Mers – Graves - Crémant de Bordeaux - Pessac-Léognan - Premières  Côtes de Blaye – Blaye – Graves de Vayres - Côtes de Bourg - Côtes de Blaye - Côtes des Francs

Sweet White Wines Appellation
Sauternes – Sainte Croix du Mont – Loupiac – Barsac – Cadillac - Cérons

In Bordeaux the concept of terroir plays a pivotal role in wine production with the top estates aiming to make terroir driven wines that reflect the place they are from, often from grapes collected from a single vineyard. The soil of Bordeaux is composed of gravel, sandy stone, and clay. The region's best vineyards are located on the well-drained gravel soils that are frequently found near the Gironde river. An old adage in Bordeaux is the best estates can "see the river" from their vineyards. The majority of land facing riverward is occupied by classified estates.
The red grapes in the Bordeaux vineyard are Merlot (62% by area), Cabernet Sauvignon (25%), Cabernet Franc (12%) and a small amount of Petit Verdot, Malbec and Carménère (1% in total). The white grapes are Sémillon (54% by area), Sauvignon blanc (36%), Muscadelle (7%) and a small amount of Ugni blanc, Colombard and Folle blanche (3% in total).





Chablis and the grand auxerrois

Vineyard of Chablis and the grand Auxerrois


The Chablis vineyard

Chablis in BurgundyThe Chablis vineyard occupies the slopes which border the valley of the Serein. It is an undulating region whose hilltops are very often wooded. The production of the Chablis vineyard covers about twenty villages.


→ The soil :  

The stony, clay-limestone ground, belongs geologically (link to the "terroir" section) to the Jurassic and the Kimmeridge periods is the most frequently found stratum. 


→ Climate : 

Summers are hot, winters long and severe. The levels of sunshine and rainfall vary considerably from one year to another, making the quality and quantity of each vintage extremely vulnerable. Another problem is spring frosts, which have long been a dreaded threat to the harvests

From March to May the young shoots are particularly vulnerable and the history of Chablis is punctuated by disastrous years.
Since the 1960s, various protection processes have been set up (small heaters and sprinklers). Expensive and restrictive, these techniques are now effective and contribute to stabilising production levels and to protecting vine growers from the unpredictable climate. 



→ The grape variety:

This is the land Chardonnay flourishes in best (Link to "grape variety" section), the only grape variety authorised to produce all the white wines of the Chablis vineyard.
This vineyard is very famous and Chablis has for many years been synonymous with great dry white wine, worldwide. 



→ The appellations :

The Chablis vineyard has 4 levels of appellation :
Chablis Grand Cru
Chablis Premier Cru
Chablis
Petit Chablis

The Grand Auxerrois vineyards


Grand Auxerrois in BurgundyThe Grand Auxerrois vineyard is a group of ancient vineyards, which produce a whole range of Bourgogne regional appellations. The majority of these Bourgogne appellations are identified by the name of the vineyard or the village of production.

Auxerrois:
Located immediately to the south and south east of the town of Auxerre, this vineyard covers ten villages.
Tonnerrois:
This vineyard is in the valley of the Armançon near the town of Tonnerre.
Vézelien:
To the south of the department, the Vézelay vineyard covers the terroirs of the villages of Vézelay, Asquins, Saint-Père and Tharoiseau.
Jovinien:
Right in the north of the department, the Vézelien vineyard overlooks the town of Joigny, on the banks of the Yonne.

→ Soil

The main appellations of this vineyard (Irancy, St Bris, etc.) are situated on hillsides of light Upper Oxfordian limestone dominating the valley of the Yonne.

→ The climate

The climate is very much like that of Chablis: semi-continental, relatively free from Atlantic influences, with long cold winters, wet springs and quite hot, sunny summers. The greatest risks are late frosts and hailstorms.


→ The grape variety: 

The wines are produced from Bourgogne grape varieties:  Chardonnay and Aligoté for whites, Pinot Noir and Gamay for reds. (link to “grape variety” heading)
Other types
. whites:  Sauvignon (introduced more recently)
. reds:  César (this variety is sometimes blended with Pinot Noir to make the Irancy appellation)


→ The appellations:

BOURGOGNE CHITRY
BOURGOGNE CÔTE SAINT-JACQUES
BOURGOGNE CÔTES D'AUXERRE
BOURGOGNE COULANGES-LA-VINEUSE
BOURGOGNE ÉPINEUIL
BOURGOGNE TONNERRE
BOURGOGNE VÉZELAY
CREMANT DE BOURGOGNE
IRANCY
SAINT-BRIS
 

Côtes de Nuits and Hautes côtes de nuits

Côtes de Nuits and Hautes côtes de nuits vineyard

Côte de Nuits et Hautes côtes de Nuits in Burgundy / Bourgogne The Côte de Nuits vineyard has contributed for nearly two thousand years to the reputation of Bourgogne wines and continues today to be one of the world benchmarks for great red wines. Its "crimson and gold" vineyard occupies a narrow strip of slopes which extends over twenty kilometres between Dijon and Corgoloin, and in places is only two or three hundred metres wide. The richness and fame of its appellations are such that some authors, when talking of the Côte de Nuits, call it the Bourgogne Champs Elysées. The notions of terroir, climate and clos, highlighted since the 10th century by the monks of the great abbeys, here assume their full dimension. It is the paradise of the Pinot Noir which, on Mid-Jurassic limestone, produces a range of red wines unique in the world.

The Hautes Côtes de Nuits vineyard, which extends over twenty or more villages behind the Côte, was reconstructed in the 1950s in order to obtain a high quality wine. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay were planted on the best slopes. The efforts developed to improve quality are now bearing fruit to the full in the wines of the Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits appellation.


The soil 

The Côte de Nuits vineyard is on Mid-Jurassic limestone.  The Hautes Côtes de Nuits vineyard backs onto the Bourgogne plateaux behind the Côte de Nuits vineyard

The climate

The production of great red wines at such a northerly point is found nowhere else in the world. But the influence of the continental climate, with hot summers and dry autumns, as well as the perfect adaptation of Bourgogne grape varieties to the climate and soil conditions, explain the existence in this place of a great quality vineyard. Other determining factors include the exceptional length of sunlight and quality of light: the exposure of the vine to the sun and the total absence of waterways.
The grape variety:
The Côte de Nuits is the terroir where the Pinot Noir, the traditional red grape variety of Bourgogne, flourishes supremely well. However, in rare places, white Chardonnay can also be found - a traditional Bourgogne variety.
Two other vine types are used to a lesser extent:  Gamay for red and Aligoté for white.  (Link to “grape variety” section)

The appellations :

BOURGOGNE HAUTES-CÔTES DE NUITS
CHAMBERTIN
CHAMBERTIN-CLOS DE BÈZE
CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY
CHAPELLE-CHAMBERTIN
CLOS DE LA ROCHE
CLOS DE TART
CLOS DE VOUGEOT
CLOS DES LAMBRAYS
CLOS SAINT-DENIS
CÔTE DE NUITS
CÔTE DE NUITS-VILLAGES
ÉCHEZEAUX
FIXIN
GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN
GRANDS ÉCHEZEAUX
GRIOTTE-CHAMBERTIN
LA GRANDE RUE
LA ROMANÉE
LA TÂCHE
LATRICIÈRES-CHAMBERTIN
MARSANNAY
MAZIS-CHAMBERTIN
MAZOYÈRES-CHAMBERTIN
MOREY-SAINT-DENIS
MUSIGNY
NUITS-SAINT-GEORGES
RICHEBOURG
ROMANÉE-CONTI
ROMANÉE-SAINT-VIVANT
RUCHOTTES-CHAMBERTIN
VOSNE-ROMANÉE
VOUGEOT

 Like all the Bourgogne vineyards, the Côte de Nuits produces the whole range of regional appellations: Bourgogne, Bourgogne Aligoté, Bourgogne Passe-tout-grain, Crémant de Bourgogne
 

Côte de Beaune and hautes côtes de Beaune vineyard

Côte de Beaune and hautes côtes de Beaune vineyard

Côte de Beaune in Burgundy / BourgogneThe Côte de Beaune vineyard covers only about twenty kilometres, between Ladoix-Serrigny and the magnificent slope of the Maranges. On this often narrow slope (barely a few hundred metres wide), magnificently exposed to the rising sun, the greatest dry white wines in the world grow alongside renowned red wines. The fame of the Côte de Beaune vineyard is closely related to its capital, Beaune, the true historical and economic centre of Bourgogne wine production. Above the Côte de Beaune there is a plateau 400 metres in altitude, crossed by valleys that create a hilly landscape. These are the Hautes Côtes de Beaune. About twenty wine-growing villages have installed their vineyard there on the sunniest slopes, creating the appellation Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune.


The soil 

The foundation of the soils of the Côte de Beaune consists of marly limestone and marls from the middle and Upper Jurassic era. The Hautes-Côtes de Beaune vineyard extends over the slopes of valleys carved out to the West of the Côte de Beaune in the Burgundian plateau.  (link to the "terroirs" section)

The climate

Hot summers and dry autumns are factors for the good maturation of the grapes. These climatic conditions provide the grapes with rich sugars and colours.

The grape variety: 

The Côte de Nuits is the terroir where the Pinot Noir, the traditional red grape variety of Bourgogne, flourishes supremely well. However, in rare places, white Chardonnay vines can be found. (Link to the “grape variety” section)

The appellations : 

ALOXE-CORTON
AUXEY-DURESSES
BEAUNE  
BIENVENUES-BÂTARD-MONTRACHET
BOURGOGNE HAUTES CÔTES DE BEAUNE
CHARLEMAGNE
CHASSAGNE-MONTRACHET
CHEVALIER-MONTRACHET 
CHOREY-LÈS-BEAUNE
CORTON
CORTON-CHARLEMAGNE
COTE DE BEAUNE
CÔTE DE BEAUNE-VILLAGES
CRIOTS-BÂTARD-MONTRACHET
LADOIX
MARANGES
MEURSAULT
MONTHÉLIE
MONTRACHET
PERNAND-VERGELESSES
POMMARD
PULIGNY-MONTRACHET  
SAINT-AUBIN
SAINT-ROMAIN
SANTENAY  
SAVIGNY-LÈS-BEAUNE
VOLNAY

Like all the vineyards in Bourgogne, the Côte de Beaune vineyard produces the whole range of regional appellations: Bourgogne, Bourgogne Aligoté, Bourgogne Passe-tout-grain, Crémant de Bourgogne

Côte de Beaune and hautes côtes de Beaune