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Galets Roulés
Galets roulés are components of the terrain, or terroir, and a distinguishing feature of many of the vineyards in the Côtes du Rhône AOC and more specifically Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC and other top wine producing areas in the regions such as Gigondas_AOC and Vacqueyras_AOC. They are often larger, rounded stones that have been smoothed by both glacial and fluvial actions over time and deposited in the region by the Rhône. Galets roulés (means rolled pebbles) are predominantly quartzite and are thought to be integral to the growth of vines and more importantly the ripening of the fruit by absorbing the heat from the daytime sunshine and then releasing that heat slowly overnight due to their natural capacity for heat retention and transmission. This is well suited to the Grenache varietaDefining 18 Noble Grapes to Expand Your Palatethat is widely grown, and is the base of much of the red wines produced in the region. Galets roulés also serve to protect the vine and minimize so ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Terroir
(, ; from ''terre'', "land") is a French term used to describe the environmental factors that affect a crop's phenotype, including unique environment contexts, farming practices and a crop's specific growth habitat. Collectively, these contextual characteristics are said to have a character; ''terroir'' also refers to this character. Some artisanal crops for which ''terroir'' is studied include wine, cider, coffee, tobacco, olive oil, chocolate, chili peppers, hops, agave (for making tequila and mezcal), tomatoes, heritage wheat, maple syrup, tea, and cannabis. ''Terroir'' is the basis of the French wine ''appellation d'origine contrôlée'' (AOC) system, which is a model for wine appellation and regulation in France and around the world. The AOC system presumes that the land from which the grapes are grown imparts a unique quality that is specific to that growing site (the plants' habitat). The extent of terroir's significance is debated in the wine industry. Origins Ove ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Côtes Du Rhône AOC
Côtes du Rhône is a wine-growing ''Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée'' (AOC) for the Rhône wine region of France, which may be used throughout the region, also in those areas which are covered by other AOCs. In a limited part of the region, the Côtes-du-Rhône Villages AOC may be used, in some cases together with the name of the commune. Côtes du Rhône are the basic AOC wines of the Rhône region, and exist as red, white and rosé wines, generally dominated by Grenache for reds and rosés, or Grenache blanc for whites. History Wines have been produced in the region since pre-Roman times, and those from the right bank were the favourite wines of kings and the papal community in Avignon at the time of the schism. In the mid-17th century the right-bank district of Côte du Rhône had issued regulations to govern the quality of its wine and in 1737 the king ordered that casks of wine shipped from the nearby river port of Roquemaure should be branded with the letters CDR to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a French wine, an ''Appellation d'origine contrôlée'' (AOC) located around the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Rhône wine region in southeastern France. It is one of the most renowned appellations of the southern part in the Rhône Valley, and its vineyards are located around Châteauneuf-du-Pape and in neighboring villages, Bédarrides, Courthézon and Sorgues, between Avignon and Orange. They cover slightly more than 3,200 hectares or and produce over 110,000 hectolitres of wine a year, more wine made in this one area of the southern Rhône than in all of the northern Rhône.K. MacNeil (2001). ''The Wine Bible''. Workman Publishing. p. 248. . History Châteauneuf-du-Pape literally translates to "The Pope's new castle" and, indeed, the history of this appellation is firmly entwined with papal history. In 1309, Pope Clement V, former Archbishop of Bordeaux, relocated the papacy to the town of Avignon. Clement V and subsequent "Avignon Popes" we ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gigondas AOC
Gigondas () is a French wine ''Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée'' (AOC) in the southern Rhône wine region of France. It is primarily a red wine region, with a very small amount of rosé wine produced. No white wines carry the Gigondas appellation. Considered a little brother to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the wine is moderately prestigious and can age well when treated with care. Gigondas AOC wine is produced exclusively in the commune of Gigondas, in Vaucluse. History The name of the appellation is of Roman origin. ''Jocunditas'' means great pleasure and enjoyment in Latin; the town was founded as a recreational site for the soldiers from the Roman Empire Second Legion. The finding of a Bacchus-head indicates that wine was already grown at this time. Later the fields went to the church and later still, one finds the Prince of Orange to be a large land owner in the area. As early as 1894 the wines from the region won a gold medal at the agricultural fair in Paris. But until the beg ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vacqueyras AOC
Vacqueyras is a French wine ''Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée'' (AOC) in the southern Rhône wine region of France, along the banks of the River Ouvèze. It is primarily a red wine region with some white and rosé wines being produced. Being a little brother of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and, arguably, Gigondas, the wine is moderately prestigious and can yield pleasing results when treated correctly. History Wine has been produced in the region since the 15th century. However records are sparse, reduced to mentioning large vineyards and a decree on how to keep hungry goats away from the grapes. Vacqueyras received the A.O.C. Côtes du Rhône Decree appellation in 1937, and in 1955 was promoted to Côtes du Rhône Villages status, becoming a named village in 1967. In 1990, Vacqueyras was granted its own AOC, the first in the region since Gigondas in 1971, and the first of a number of candidates for that particular honour, recently bestowed to Beaumes-de-Venise and Vinsobres. Clima ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rhône
The Rhône ( , ; wae, Rotten ; frp, Rôno ; oc, Ròse ) is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea. At Arles, near its mouth, the river divides into the Great Rhône (french: le Grand Rhône, links=no) and the Little Rhône (). The resulting delta forms the Camargue region. The river's source is the Rhône Glacier, at the east edge of the Swiss canton of Valais. The glacier is part of the Saint-Gotthard Massif, which gives rise to three other major rivers: the Reuss, Rhine and Ticino. The Rhône is, with the Po and Nile, one of the three Mediterranean rivers with the largest water discharge. Etymology The name ''Rhône'' continues the Latin name (Greek ) in Greco-Roman geography. The Gaulish name of the river was or (from a PIE root *''ret-'' "to run, roll" frequently found in river names). Names in other languages include german: R ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Quartzite
Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock which was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts. Pure quartzite is usually white to grey, though quartzites often occur in various shades of pink and red due to varying amounts of hematite. Other colors, such as yellow, green, blue and orange, are due to other minerals. The term ''quartzite'' is also sometimes used for very hard but unmetamorphosed sandstones that are composed of quartz grains thoroughly cemented with additional quartz. Such sedimentary rock has come to be described as orthoquartzite to distinguish it from metamorphic quartzite, which is sometimes called metaquartzite to emphasize its metamorphic origins. Quartzite is very resistant to chemical weathering and often forms ridges and resistant hilltops. The nearly pure silica conte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grenache
Grenache () or Garnacha () is one of the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in the world. Niels Lillelund: ''Rhône-Vinene'' p. 25, JP Bøger – JP/Politikens Forlagshus A/S, 2004. . It ripens late, so it needs hot, dry conditions such as those found in Spain, where the grape most likely originated. It is also grown in the Italian island of Sardinia, the south of France, Australia, and California's Monterey AVA and San Joaquin Valley. It is generally spicy, berry-flavored and soft on the palate and produces wine with a relatively high alcohol content, but it needs careful control of yields for best results. Characteristic flavor profiles on Grenache include red fruit flavors (raspberry and strawberry) with a subtle, white pepper spice note. Grenache wines are highly prone to oxidation, with even young examples having the potential to show browning (or "bricking") coloration that can be noticed around the rim when evaluating the wine at an angle in the glass. As ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mistral (wind)
The mistral ( ca, Mestral, el, Μαΐστρος, it, Maestrale, mt, Majjistral, Corsican: ''Maestrale'') is a strong, cold, northwesterly wind that blows from southern France into the Gulf of Lion in the northern Mediterranean. It produces sustained winds often exceeding , sometimes reaching . It is most common in the winter and spring, and strongest in the transition between the two seasons. Periods of the wind exceeding for more than sixty-five hours have been reported. In France, it refers to a violent, cold, north or northwest wind that accelerates when it passes through the valleys of the Rhône and the Durance Rivers to the coast of the Mediterranean around the Camargue region. It affects the northeast of the plain of Languedoc and Provence to the east of Toulon, where it is felt as a strong west wind. It has a major influence all along the Mediterranean coast of France, and often causes sudden storms in the Mediterranean between Corsica and the Balearic Islands. The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Viticulture
Viticulture (from the Latin word for ''vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, ranges from Western Europe to the Iran, Persian shores of the Caspian Sea, the vine has demonstrated high levels of adaptability to new environments, hence viticulture can be found on every continent except Antarctica. Duties of the viticulturist include monitoring and controlling Pest (organism), pests and Plant pathology, diseases, fertilizer, fertilizing, irrigation (wine), irrigation, canopy (grape), canopy Glossary of viticultural terms#Canopy management, management, monitoring fruit development and Typicity, characteristics, deciding when to harvest (wine), harvest, and vine pruning during the winter months. Viticulturists are often intimately involved with winemakers, because vineyard management and the resulting grape characteristics ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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