Piquepoul
Encyclopedia
Piquepoul or Picpoul is a variety of wine
grape
grown primarily in the Rhone Valley
and Languedoc
regions of France
. It exists both in dark-skinned (Piquepoul noir) and light-skinned (Piquepoul blanc) versions, as well as a very little grown Piquepoul gris. Piquepoul blanc is the most common of the Piquepouls, with 1000 hectares (2,471.1 acre) cultivated in France in 2000, and an increasing trend.
Piquepoul tends to bud late and has some sensitivity to oidium
. Its name means "lip-stinger" and refers to the high acidity of the grapes.
and Clairette
is one of the oldest domestic grape varieties of that region. Piquepoul had a reputation as a quality grape as early as the early 17th century. It was blended with Clairette
to produce the wine Picardan
in the 17th & 18th centuries.
After the Great French Wine Blight
, when large shifts in varieties planted took place, Piquepoul lost popularity due to its susceptibility to fungal diseases such as oidium and its low yield.
wines.
Both the blanc and noir versions of Piquepoul are permitted blending grapes for the production of Châteauneuf-du-Pape
. However, in 2004 only 0.15% of the appellation's surface was planted with the Piquepoul varieties.
which may be used within the Languedoc appellation for white wines made exclusively from Piquepoul blanc in the communes Pinet
, Mèze
, Florenzac, Castelnau-de-Guers
, Montagnac
and Pomérols
.
The wines are green-gold in colour, full-bodied, and show lemon flavours. Modernization of the winemaking has led to increased interest in these wines.
Synonyms for Piquepoul gris include Avillo, Languedocien, Picapulla, Picpoul, Pikepul Seryi, Piquepoul rose, Szürke Piquepoul.
Synonyms for Piquepoul noir include Avillo, Kek Piquepoul, Languedocien, Pical, Pical Negro, Pical Polho, Picalpolho, Picapoll, Picapoll Negro, Picapouia, Picapouya, Picapulla, Picpouille, Picpoul, Picpoule, Picquepoul, Pikepul Chernyi, Pique Poule, Piquerette noire.
Picpoul is also a synonym for the variety Folle Blanche
, which has no known relationship to Piquepol.
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
grown primarily in the Rhone Valley
Rhône (wine region)
The Rhône wine region in Southern France is situated in the Rhône river valley and produces numerous wines under various Appellation d'origine contrôlée designations...
and Languedoc
Languedoc wine
Languedoc - Roussillon wine, including the vin de pays labeled Vin de Pays d'Oc, is produced in southern France. While "Languedoc" can refer to a specific historic region of France and Northern Catalonia, usage since the 20th century has primarily referred to the northern part of the...
regions of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It exists both in dark-skinned (Piquepoul noir) and light-skinned (Piquepoul blanc) versions, as well as a very little grown Piquepoul gris. Piquepoul blanc is the most common of the Piquepouls, with 1000 hectares (2,471.1 acre) cultivated in France in 2000, and an increasing trend.
Piquepoul tends to bud late and has some sensitivity to oidium
Oidium
This article is about a type of fungal spore. For the ascomycete genus, see Oidium . For the fungus that causes powdery mildew on grapes, see Uncinula necator....
. Its name means "lip-stinger" and refers to the high acidity of the grapes.
History
Piquepoul has a long history in the Languedoc region, and along with CinsautCinsaut
Cinsaut or Cinsault is a red wine grape, whose heat tolerance and productivity make it important in Languedoc-Roussillon and the former French colonies of Algeria and Morocco...
and Clairette
Clairette
-People:*Clairette , a French-Canadian actress and singer-Wines:*Clairette de Die AOC, a French sparkling wine appellation*Clairette blanche, a white grape variety* Clairette Ronde, synonym for the grape variety Trebbiano...
is one of the oldest domestic grape varieties of that region. Piquepoul had a reputation as a quality grape as early as the early 17th century. It was blended with Clairette
Clairette
-People:*Clairette , a French-Canadian actress and singer-Wines:*Clairette de Die AOC, a French sparkling wine appellation*Clairette blanche, a white grape variety* Clairette Ronde, synonym for the grape variety Trebbiano...
to produce the wine Picardan
Picardan
Picardan or Picardan Blanc is a white wine grape which is one of 13 permitted blending grape within the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC in Rhône wine region in France, altohough very little planted. The Vitis International Variety Catalogue previously listed Oeillade Blanche as the primary name of the...
in the 17th & 18th centuries.
After the Great French Wine Blight
Great French Wine Blight
The Great French Wine Blight was a severe blight of the mid-19th century that destroyed many of the vineyards in France and laid to waste the wine industry...
, when large shifts in varieties planted took place, Piquepoul lost popularity due to its susceptibility to fungal diseases such as oidium and its low yield.
Piquepoul wines
In Languedoc, Piquepoul blanc is used both for blending and for varietal wines. Red wines produced from Picpoul noir are high in alcohol, are richly scented, but have a very pale colour, which has made the variety more popular as a blending ingredient than as a producer of varietalVarietal
"Varietal" describes wines made primarily from 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.
Both the blanc and noir versions of Piquepoul are permitted blending grapes for the production of Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a French wine Appellation d'origine contrôlée located around the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Rhône wine region in southeastern France. It is the most renowned appellation of the southern part of the Rhône Valley...
. However, in 2004 only 0.15% of the appellation's surface was planted with the Piquepoul varieties.
Picpoul de Pinet
Picpoul de Pinet is a designation or cruCru (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 ....
which may be used within the Languedoc appellation for white wines made exclusively from Piquepoul blanc in the communes Pinet
Pinet, Hérault
Pinet is a commune in the Hérault department in Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France.-References:* Based on the French Wikipedia....
, Mèze
Mèze
Mèze is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France.Its inhabitants are called Mézois.-Geography:...
, Florenzac, Castelnau-de-Guers
Castelnau-de-Guers
Castelnau-de-Guers is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
, Montagnac
Montagnac, Hérault
Montagnac is a commune in the Hérault department in Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France. Its inhabitants are called Montagnacois.-History:*The Saint-Martin Chapel was mentioned in 847....
and Pomérols
Pomérols
Pomérols is a commune in the Hérault department in Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France.-References:Based on the French Wikipedia....
.
The wines are green-gold in colour, full-bodied, and show lemon flavours. Modernization of the winemaking has led to increased interest in these wines.
Synonyms
Synonyms for Piquepoul blanc include Avello, Avillo, Extra, Feher Piquepoul, Languedocien, Picapoll, Picapolla, Picapulla, Picpoul, Picpoul de Pinet.Synonyms for Piquepoul gris include Avillo, Languedocien, Picapulla, Picpoul, Pikepul Seryi, Piquepoul rose, Szürke Piquepoul.
Synonyms for Piquepoul noir include Avillo, Kek Piquepoul, Languedocien, Pical, Pical Negro, Pical Polho, Picalpolho, Picapoll, Picapoll Negro, Picapouia, Picapouya, Picapulla, Picpouille, Picpoul, Picpoule, Picquepoul, Pikepul Chernyi, Pique Poule, Piquerette noire.
Picpoul is also a synonym for the variety Folle Blanche
Folle Blanche
Folle Blanche was the traditional grape variety of the Cognac and Armagnac regions of France. It is also known as Picpoule as well as Gros Plant and Enrageat Blanc...
, which has no known relationship to Piquepol.