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24-565: The grape is somewhat obscure and is not widely grown outside the Valle d'Aosta where it is primarily a blending variety but some varietal wines are produced. In blends, it adds floral aroma notes and dark color to the wines . Petit Rouge is primarily found in the Valle d'Aosta region of northwest Italy between Piedmont and the Alps separating Italy from France and Switzerland . In general, altitude determines which varieties of grapes may be grown in

48-506: A lawyer and winegrower from Châteauneuf-du-Pape , obtained legal recognition of the Côtes du Rhône appellation of origin in 1937. The AOC seal, or Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée , was created and mandated by French laws in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Before 1935, despite the fact that the INAO was yet to be created, champagne enjoyed an appellation control by virtue of legal protection as part of

72-475: A particular location, with reds growing at lower elevations and whites at higher elevations. However, despite its high altitude and mountainous location, nearly 90% of the wine in the Valle d'Aosta is red or rosé with Petit Rouge playing a considerable role in many of the blends produced under the Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) designation of the region. This is because the variety thrives during

96-560: A significant dent in traditional French export markets like the UK , and so the French are adopting varietal labeling in some cases, particularly for vin de pays . Australia has virtually completed a three decade long transition from labelling by style, e.g. "claret", "burgundy", "hock", "chablis" to a varietal system. While this has been done in response to pressure from the EU, particularly France, it has paved

120-421: A single named grape variety , and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label . Examples of grape varieties commonly used in varietal wines are Cabernet Sauvignon , Chardonnay and Merlot . Wines that display the name of two or more varieties on their label, such as a Chardonnay- Viognier , are blends and not varietal wines. The term is frequently misused in place of vine variety;

144-626: A wine bottle label. The rules that govern appellations are dependent on the country in which the wine was produced. The tradition of wine appellation is very old. The oldest references are to be found in the Bible, where wine of Samaria , wine of Carmel , wine of Jezreel , or wine of Helbon are mentioned. This tradition of appellation continued throughout the Antiquity and the Middle Ages, though without any officially sanctioned rules. Historically,

168-646: Is for the United States. The only requirement to use an AVA name on the wine label is that 85% of the wine must have come from grapes grown within the geographical AVA boundaries. The first AVA was in Augusta, Missouri , in June 1980. The approval of the Augusta AVA was based largely on its long historical relationship with wine in the United States. The Augusta wine-growing area is a 15-square-mile (39 km ) plot of land along

192-635: Is thought to surpass the impact of variety, so almost all French wines traditionally have no variety listed at all, and would in many cases not be allowed for AOC wines. Champagne , for instance, is typically a blend of Chardonnay , Pinot noir and Pinot Meunier , but this is not indicated anywhere on the label. In Alsace, winemakers adopt the German custom of varietal labeling. In recent years, varietal labels have become more common for French wines. Most of these wines are Vin de pays rather than AOC wines, but varietal names are also seen on some regional AOCs. In

216-536: The Treaty of Madrid . The treaty stated that only sparkling wine produced in Champagne and adhering to the standards defined for that name as an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée could be called champagne. This right was reaffirmed in the Treaty of Versailles after World War I . Germany is unusual among wine-producing countries in that its most prestigious classifications, the various grades of Prädikatswein , are based on

240-631: The Vintners Quality Alliance system. The system covers the provinces of British Columbia and Ontario . British Columbia is divided into four "Designated Viticultural Areas" ("DVAs"): Okanagan Valley , Vancouver Island , Fraser Valley , and the Similkameen Valley . Ontario includes three DVAs: Niagara Peninsula , Lake Erie North Shore, and Prince Edward County . On June 11, 2012, Nova Scotia launched its first appellation, Tidal Bay. The American Viticultural Area ("AVA")

264-495: The ripeness of the grapes , though their geographical origins are also legally defined. Thus Germany's geographical classification, Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA), is akin to France's defunct Vin Délimité de Qualité Superieure , which has been subsumed into the current Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée system. Georgia has 24 registered wine appellations . Historically, the world's first vineyard classification system

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288-621: The 1970s. Varietal wines are commonly associated with New World wines in general, but there is also a long-standing tradition of varietal labelling in Germany and other German-influenced wine regions including Austria , Alsace , and the Czech Republic . The alternatives to the marketing differentiation of wines by grape variety are branded wine, such as Hearty Burgundy, or geographical appellations , such as Champagne or Bordeaux . The poor quality and unknown provenance of many branded wines and

312-469: The Petit Rouge vine by the small "dusty" colored grapes that, according to wine expert Jancis Robinson , can almost look gray. During the growing season , the variety is late ripening and is often harvested with low levels of acidity . This is one reason why it is often blended where it can improve the color of the usually light-colored Valle d'Aosta wines while adding floral notes to the bouquet. Over

336-561: The United States, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau regulations specify a minimum variety content of 75% of the labeled grape, for Vitis vinifera wines, and 51% for Vitis labrusca wines. There is no restriction on the identity of the balance. Many states in the United States require specific compositions to qualify for sale under a particular varietal labels. For example, in Oregon , wines subject to its regulation must be identified by

360-635: The grape variety from which it was made, and certain varietals must contain at least 95% of that variety, although the new "Southern Oregon" sub- AVA allows for the minimum 75% figure. Appellation An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical boundaries, such as what grapes may be grown, maximum grape yields, alcohol level, and other quality factors may also apply before an appellation name may legally appear on

384-521: The hot, dry mouths of the summer, allowing time to develop sufficient sugar levels and physiological ripeness . Within the Valle d'Aosta DOC, Petit Rouge must be harvested below a maximum yield of 12 tonnes / hectare and be fermented to a minimum alcohol level of 9.5%. Prior to release, the wines must be aged a minimum of 6 months which may include some time in oak . Within the larger regional DOC are several smaller DOCs that may also include Petit Rouge. These include: Ampelographer can identify

408-536: The multitude of potentially confusing appellations leaves varietal labeling as perhaps the most popular for quality wines in many markets. This is much less the case in places where appellations have a long and strong tradition, as for instance in France . In the past, the grape variety was very uncommonly mentioned on the labels of French wine bottles , and was forbidden for almost all AOC wines. New World varietal wines from newcomers like Australia and Chile have made

432-569: The term variety refers to the vine or grape, while varietal refers to the wine produced by a variety. The term was popularized in the US by Maynard Amerine at the University of California, Davis after Prohibition seeking to encourage growers to choose optimal vine varieties, and later promoted by Frank Schoonmaker in the 1950s and 1960s, ultimately becoming widespread during the California wine boom of

456-475: The way for growing interest among Australian consumers for so called alternative varietals, such as Pinot grigio / (Pinot gris) , Sangiovese and Tempranillo . Within the European Union , a wine using a varietal label must contain at least 85% of that variety. 85% is a common minimum standard; national regulations may set the limit higher in certain cases, but not lower. In most regions of France, terroir

480-681: The world's first exclusive (protected) vineyard zone was introduced in Chianti , Italy in 1716 and the first wine classification system in Tokaj-Hegyalja , Hungary , in 1730. In 1935, the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO), a branch of the French Ministry of Agriculture , was created to manage wine-processing in France. In the Rhone wine region Baron Pierre Le Roy Boiseaumarié ,

504-414: The years Petit Rouge and its wines have been known under various synonyms including Orion gris, Oriou, Oriou Curare, Oriou gris, Oriou Lombard, Oriou Petit-Rouge, Oriou Pitchou, Oriou Voirard, Petit Rouge de Châtillion, Pitchon Roza, Ritchou Oriou, Pitchou Radzo, Pitchou Rouge, Pitchou Rozo, Picciourouzzo, Pitchou Rodza and Ritchou Rouge. Varietal A varietal wine is a wine made primarily from

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528-581: Was introduced in Tokaj-Hegyalja , Hungary , in 1730. Vineyards were classified into three categories depending on the soil, sun exposure, and potential to develop Botrytis cinerea . The subdivisions were: first-class, second-class and third-class wines. A decree by the Habsburg crown in 1757 established a closed production district in Tokaj . The classification system was completed by the national censuses of 1765 and 1772. Italy 's first origin classification system

552-561: Was introduced in Tuscany in 1716 for delimiting Chianti production. After the unification of Italy several attempts were made to introduce some kind of protection for wine appellations, to no avail. Only in 1963 the " Denominazione di origine controllata " law was approved, starting with 1967 vintage. The world's third-oldest appellation control, after Chianti and Tokaj , was introduced in Portugal in 1756, pertaining to port wine , which

576-545: Was produced in the region of the Douro valley. Some Spanish wines were already famous or even regulated ( Rioja : 1925; Sherry : 1933) when the market started being regulated. It was not until 1980 that legislation on denominación de origen was stablished, following the French scheme with more tiers of classification and prompted by the impending accession to the European Union. Canadian wine appellations are regulated by

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