Fiefs Vendéens
The Fiefs Vendéens wine-growing region is part of the Loire wine-growing region despite its isolated location . The area is still part of the Pays Nantais area, but is about 50 km south of the mouth of the Loire , halfway between Nantes and La Rochelle . Since October 24, 1984, the area had the status of a Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieur . In 2011 the area was upgraded to AOC .
The approved vineyards are spread over 19 communes in the Vendée department . An average of 26,800 hectoliters of wine are produced on approximately 480 hectares of vines . This corresponds to an average yield of 56 hl / ha.
The appellation is divided into five zones:
- Fief Vendéens-Brem with the municipalities of Brem-sur-Mer , Bretignolles-sur-Mer , Île-d'Olonne , Landevielle , Olonne-sur-Mer , Vairé and Talmont-Saint-Hilaire is only a few kilometers from the Atlantic coast. The fresh white wines with a light apple aroma are made from the grape varieties Grolleau Gris and Chenin Blanc . The proportion of chenin must be at least 50%. The light rosé wines as well as the red wines are made on the basis of Pinot Noir (share at least 50%), Gamay and Cabernet Franc .
- Fief Vendéens-Mareuil with the municipalities of Bessay , Chaillé-sous-les-Ormeaux , Champ-Saint-Père , Château-Guilbert , Corpe , La Couture , Mareuil-sur-Lay-Dissais , Rosnay , Saint-Florent-des-Bois and Tablier . The grape variety is dominated by Gamay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir. The blend results in fruity wines with a pronounced currant aroma. The white wines mostly consist of the Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay varieties and are usually fuller and more structured than the wines of the Brem zone.
- Fief Vendéens-Vix as a parish appellation in the parish of Vix
- Fief Vendéens-Pissotte as a municipality appellation in the municipality of Pissotte
- Fiefs Vendéens-Chantonnay as a parish appellation in the parish of Chantonnay
In addition to the typical grape varieties already mentioned, the cultivation of Négrette , Melon de Bourgogne and the dye grape Gamay de Chaudenay is also permitted.
In general, the wines should be enjoyed in their youth. The ideal drinking temperature for white wines is 10–12 ° C, that of red wines at 15–16 ° C.
In recent years some winemakers have tried to fully exploit the area's potential. In particular, the red wines of these prestige cuvées can be stored.
climate
The annual average sunshine duration is very high at over 2,300 hours. In the period from June to September that is important for the grapevine alone, the sun shines for an average of more than 1,120 hours and reaches almost Mediterranean values. In general, the climate is strongly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. In coastal areas such as Brem, the annual rainfall is 680 mm, in the interior near Pissotte the amount has risen to over 800 mm.
The winter months are very mild with average temperatures of at least 5 ° C. The annual mean temperature is almost 12 ° C (for comparison: in the Palatinate wine-growing region , this value is 10 ° C)
ground
The Vendée lies in a transition area between the Loire and the Aquitaine region . While the southern municipal appellations Vix and Pissotte are already on a limestone base, the two northern zones rest on primarily crystalline rock layers such as slate and rhyolite .
history
The first vineyards were laid out by the Romans on their way north. But only the influence of large monasteries revived viticulture from the 9th century. It was operated in feudal estates of the dioceses, so-called Fiefs. In the 17th century, Cardinal Richelieu donated the vineyards of the dioceses to the population. Therefore the wine region was still well into the 20th century Anciens Fiefs du Cardinal ie former fiefdoms of Cardinal .
literature
- Jancis Robinson : The Oxford Wine Lexicon . Gräfe and Unzer Verlag, Munich 2003, ISBN 3-7742-0914-6 .
- Pierre Galet : Cépages et Vignobles de France . Lavoisier Publishing House, Paris 2004, ISBN 2-7430-0585-8 .
- Benoît France: Grand Atlas des Vignobles de France . Éditions SOLAR publishing house, Paris 2002, ISBN 2-263-03242-8 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Les vins des Fiefs Vendéens obtiennent l'AOC . www.vendee.fr. Archived from the original on March 9, 2014. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
- ↑ a b c Fiefs Vendéens Chantonnay . www.inao.gouv.fr. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
