Beaumes de Venise AOC
Encyclopedia
Beaumes de Venise is an appellation of wines from the eastern central region of the southern half of the Rhône Valley. It produces wines of two distinctly different types:
1. A sweet fortified wine
of the type vin doux naturel (VDN), under the designation Muscat de Beaumes de Venise.
2. A red Côtes du Rhône Villages from the classification of named villages, which typifies the quality wines of the Côtes du Rhône region.
The vines are grown on the slopes around the foot of the Dentelles de Montmirail
, an extraordinary vertical comb of rock jutting out of the plain between the Rhône river and the Luberon
-Ventoux
mountains. Beaumes is famed for its natural fortified wine
made from the Muscat grape, and records of its use go back almost two millennia. More recently it is also the producer of a high quality red wine. In 1943 the natural Sweet Beaumes de Venise Muscat was accorded its appellation contrôlée, to be followed in 1956 by an AOC for its Côtes du Rhône. The red, white and rosé wines were elevated to the appellation of Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC
(named villages) in 1978, and in 2005 the greatest honor of all was bestowed on the sweet fortified wine when it became a cru
- the highest order of the wines in the Rhône Valley. Today, over 100 producers including fifteen domaines and a cooperative winery combine their efforts to maintain the highest standards and the centuries old reputation of the town and its wines.
wrote in his Natural History: "The Muscat grape has been grown for a long time in Beaumes and its wine is remarkable".
In 1248, St. Louis
took supplies of it with him on his 7th Crusade, and during the early 14th century, at the time of the reign of Pope Clement V
, production was increased by 70 hectares to cater for the demand from the Popes' Palace in Avignon
.
A unique feature of the way the grapes ripen is the way in which the warmth of the sun reflects and radiates down over the vines from the huge vertical limestone slabs of the Dentelles de Montmirail - the 'Lace of Montmirail'.
Just under 500 hectares are currently under cultivation. The average yield is approximately 28 hectolitres per hectare.
The wine is produced from a single variety, the small berried Muscat which is also known as the Muscat de Frontignan, and must contain a minimum alcohol level of 15%. Mutage
is carried out during the fermentation by the addition of 95° (minimum) proof spirit.
, Suzette
, and La Roque-Alric
, all in the department of Vaucluse
, and is situated on the southeastern flank of the Dentelles de Montmirail at an altitude of 100 to 600 metres. About 100 growers/producers are concerned with the average annual production of around 18,000 hectolitres for an average yield of 33 hectolitres per hectare and the grapes are manually harvested.
Varieties that are blended to produce the red AOC are Grenache Noir min. 50%, Syrah 25%, Mourvèdre
and other varieties permitted by the appellation to a maximum of 20% with 5% of white grapes.
The minimum degree of alcohol is fixed at 12.5%.
1. A sweet fortified wine
Fortified wine
Fortified wine is wine to which a distilled beverage has been added. Fortified wine is distinguished from spirits made from wine in that spirits are produced by means of distillation, while fortified wine is simply wine that has had a spirit added to it...
of the type vin doux naturel (VDN), under the designation Muscat de Beaumes de Venise.
2. A red Côtes du Rhône Villages from the classification of named villages, which typifies the quality wines of the Côtes du Rhône region.
The vines are grown on the slopes around the foot of the Dentelles de Montmirail
Dentelles de Montmirail
The Dentelles de Montmirail are a small chain of mountains in Provence in France, in the département of Vaucluse, located just to the south of the village of Vaison-la-Romaine....
, an extraordinary vertical comb of rock jutting out of the plain between the Rhône river and the Luberon
Luberon
The Luberon or Luberon Massif , also called Lubéron, has a maximum altitude of 1,256 m and an area of about 600 km²...
-Ventoux
Mont Ventoux
Mont Ventoux is a mountain in the Provence region of southern France, located some 20 km northeast of Carpentras, Vaucluse. On the north side, the mountain borders the Drôme département. It is the largest mountain in the region and has been nicknamed the "Giant of Provence", or "The Bald...
mountains. Beaumes is famed for its natural fortified wine
Fortified wine
Fortified wine is wine to which a distilled beverage has been added. Fortified wine is distinguished from spirits made from wine in that spirits are produced by means of distillation, while fortified wine is simply wine that has had a spirit added to it...
made from the Muscat grape, and records of its use go back almost two millennia. More recently it is also the producer of a high quality red wine. In 1943 the natural Sweet Beaumes de Venise Muscat was accorded its appellation contrôlée, to be followed in 1956 by an AOC for its Côtes du Rhône. The red, white and rosé wines were elevated to the appellation of Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC
Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC
Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages is a French wine Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the southern Rhône wine region of France. It is made up from a list of villages around the region which supposedly produces a high quality of wine. It is above the more generic Côtes-du-Rhône AOC but below appellations...
(named villages) in 1978, and in 2005 the greatest honor of all was bestowed on the sweet fortified wine when it became a cru
Cru (wine)
Cru is a French wine term which is traditionally translated as "growth", as it was originally the past participle of the verb "croitre" . As a wine term it is closely connected to terroir in the sense of an "extent of terrain having a certain physical homogeneity ....
- the highest order of the wines in the Rhône Valley. Today, over 100 producers including fifteen domaines and a cooperative winery combine their efforts to maintain the highest standards and the centuries old reputation of the town and its wines.
Muscat de Beaumes de Venise AOC
Nearly two thousand years ago, Pliny the ElderPliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
wrote in his Natural History: "The Muscat grape has been grown for a long time in Beaumes and its wine is remarkable".
In 1248, St. Louis
Louis IX of France
Louis IX , commonly Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death. He was also styled Louis II, Count of Artois from 1226 to 1237. Born at Poissy, near Paris, he was an eighth-generation descendant of Hugh Capet, and thus a member of the House of Capet, and the son of Louis VIII and...
took supplies of it with him on his 7th Crusade, and during the early 14th century, at the time of the reign of Pope Clement V
Pope Clement V
Pope Clement V, born Raymond Bertrand de Got was Pope from 1305 to his death...
, production was increased by 70 hectares to cater for the demand from the Popes' Palace in Avignon
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
.
A unique feature of the way the grapes ripen is the way in which the warmth of the sun reflects and radiates down over the vines from the huge vertical limestone slabs of the Dentelles de Montmirail - the 'Lace of Montmirail'.
Just under 500 hectares are currently under cultivation. The average yield is approximately 28 hectolitres per hectare.
The wine is produced from a single variety, the small berried Muscat which is also known as the Muscat de Frontignan, and must contain a minimum alcohol level of 15%. Mutage
Mutage
- Typical mechanism :The typical process involves the addition of alcohol to the must so that the fermentation process is prematurely stopped. Most yeast dies when the alcohol content in their environment is raised to approximately 13-15%. By stopping the fermentation of sugars, a sweet taste of...
is carried out during the fermentation by the addition of 95° (minimum) proof spirit.
Beaumes de Venise AOC
The vineyard is surrounded by the communes of Beaumes de Venise, LafareLafare
Lafare is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-References:*...
, Suzette
Suzette
Suzette is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-References:*...
, and La Roque-Alric
La Roque-Alric
La Roque-Alric is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-Geography:Placed on a rocky outcrop, La Roque-Alric is in the centre of the Dentelles de Montmirail.-Sights:...
, all in the department of Vaucluse
Vaucluse
The Vaucluse is a department in the southeast of France, named after the famous spring, the Fontaine-de-Vaucluse.- History :Vaucluse was created on 12 August 1793 out of parts of the departments of Bouches-du-Rhône, Drôme, and Basses-Alpes...
, and is situated on the southeastern flank of the Dentelles de Montmirail at an altitude of 100 to 600 metres. About 100 growers/producers are concerned with the average annual production of around 18,000 hectolitres for an average yield of 33 hectolitres per hectare and the grapes are manually harvested.
Varieties that are blended to produce the red AOC are Grenache Noir min. 50%, Syrah 25%, Mourvèdre
Mourvèdre
Mourvèdre , Mataró or Monastrell is wine grape variety used to make both strong, dark red wines and rosés. It is an international variety grown in many regions around the world....
and other varieties permitted by the appellation to a maximum of 20% with 5% of white grapes.
The minimum degree of alcohol is fixed at 12.5%.