Aspect: East, West, (and Romeo’s)

What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.

Many people will recognize these famous lines  from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (Act 2, Scene 2) . However, it would take a true-and-total wine geek to understand how hearing that line—one of the most romantic ever written—inspired me to write a blog post about east-west aspect and its effect on a vineyard (and yet it did). Something about Romeo invoking the sun rising in the east reminded me of the concept of eastern aspect—as it was used in a recent discussion of the vineyards of the Côte d’Or—and here we are.

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Wine students are well-aware that in the Northern Hemisphere, south-facing slopes (hillsides with southern aspect) receive the benefit of more direct sunlight (solar radiation/insolation) than other areas (those that are flat or facing north). These directions are flip-flopped in the Southern Hemisphere, where hillsides with a northern aspect have the sunshine advantage. The CliffsNotes version of north-south aspect is that if a hill faces the equator, it receives the bonus insolation.

Lesser known to wine students (but very important to realtors, as I learned) are the effects of eastern and western aspects, as discussed below:

Eastern aspect: These vineyards receive sunshine in the morning, when the sun’s rays are at their gentlest, and the ambient temperature is comparatively cool. This morning glow helps to dry out the vineyards from dew and overnight rain, helping to prevent fungi, mildew, and some disease. Eastern aspect can “kick-start” photosynthesis in the morning and can also help prevent vines from over-heating in the hot afternoons. Vineyards with eastern aspect tend to have lower maximum daytime temperatures, cooler overall ambient temperatures, and may experience delayed budbreak as compared to other spots.

Western aspect: Vineyards on west-facing slopes receive a good deal of sunlight during the afternoon—typically the warmest time of the day. Vineyards with western aspect may warm earlier in the spring and be among the first vines to undergo budbreak. Western aspect can be especially beneficial in areas near the coast and other places that are susceptible to wind and marginal weather. Western aspect can be a boon to late-ripening and heat-seeking grapes that require a lot of warmth and energy in order to fully ripen. However, It can be a challenge in areas prone to humidity, as the drying-out of dew-, fog-, or rain-related moisture will occur later in the day (as compared to east-facing vines).

Does that make sense to you, Romeo?

References/for more information:

• http://www.wine-grape-growing.com/wine_grape_growing/vineyard_site_selection/vineyard_site_selection_topography.htm
• https://www.eoas.ubc.ca/courses/atsc113/snow/met_concepts/07-met_concepts/07h-aspect-effects/
• https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/types-of-garden-shade/

The Bubbly Professor is “Miss Jane” Nickles of San Marcos, Texas… missjane@prodigy.net

(Wine Geo) Burgundy’s River—the Saône

From its source west of the Vosges Mountains, France’s Saône River flows past Burgundy’s Côte-d’Or and the finest vineyards of Beaujolais before it joins the Rhône River in the city of Lyon. Read on to discover five fast facts about the Saône River!

#1—It’s Burgundy’s River: The Saône River flows—generally to the southeast—for just over 294 miles (473 km) across eastern France. For much of its length, it helps to define the wine region of Burgundy and Beaujolais (located along or west of its western shores). Many of the grands crus of the Côte-d’Or are located a mere 10 miles/16 km to the west of the Saône, and once the river makes its way a bit further south, it forms a small part of the eastern border of the Mâcon AOC before heading further south toward Beaujolais. The river then flows past the northern and central portions of the Beaujolais AOC (about 6 miles/9 km from the eastern edge of the vineyards) before it takes a sharp turn to the east just past the town of Villefranche-sur-Saône on its journey to the Rhône.

Map of the Saône River by PRA via Wikimedia Commons

#2—It all begins in the Faucilles: The source of the Saône River can be found within the rolling hills of the Monts Faucilles (Faucilles Mountains).  The Faucilles Mountains mark the boundary between the Lorraine Plateau (to the west) and the Vosges Mountains (to the east). The precise source of the river— a spring located at the foot of a cliff (elevation: 518 feet/158 m)—may be found in the Grand Est commune of Vioménil.

 #3—It’s Petite and then it’s Grande: The Saône meanders as a slow, winding river—known as the Petite  Saône through the Faucilles Mountains and across the Lorraine Plateau for about 93 miles/150 km until it is joined by the Doubs River in the town of Verdun-sur-le-Doubs. At the point of its confluence, the Doubs is a much more impressive waterway than the Saône (and some would argue that the Saône joins the Doubs instead of the other way around). From Verdun-sur-le-Doubs to its confluence with the Rhône—where it is known as the Grande Saône—river is a high-capacity waterway crisscrossed with canals leading to the vineyards of Burgundy as well as many other large rivers—including the Loire, the Marne, and the Rhine.

Photo of the Presqu’île by David Monniaux with Wikimedia Commons

#4—There is “almost an island” near the end: Located with the 1st and 2nd arrondissements of the city of Lyon, the Presqu’île is a peninsula extending from Croix-Rousse hill in the north and surrounded by the Rhône and Saône Rivers—precisely at the point where they join. The word presqu’île translates literally to “almost an island,” an apt way to describe the prestigious area, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to Lyon’s City Hall (the  Hôtel de Ville) and the 14th-Century Church of St. Nizier in addition to a plethora of restaurants, cafés, and department stores.

#5—It feeds the Rhône: In the city of Lyon, the Saône flows into the Rhône as a right-bank (and the Rhône’s largest) tributary. From Lyon, the Rhône flows south through a valley (well-known to wine lovers as the Vallée du Rhône/Rhône Valley) tucked between the Alps and The Massif Central. Just past Arles, it breaks into two arms and forms the Camargue Delta on its way to the Mediterranean Sea.

References/for more information:

• https://www.franceafloat.com/burgundy-saone/
• https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monts_Faucilles
• https://www.french-waterways.com/waterways/south-east/grande-saone/
• https://www.french-waterways.com/waterways/north-east/petite-saone/

The Bubbly Professor is “Miss Jane” Nickles of San Marcos, Texas… missjane@prodigy.net

Wine Geo: What (exactly) is a Cape?

The impressive cliffs of Cape Horn

Cape Canaveral, Cabo San Lucas, Cape Cod…we’ve heard of them all, we’ve visited some of them…but do we really know what a cape is?

Geographically speaking, a cape is a narrow point of land—usually quite high and rugged—that extends into a body of water. Capes can be part of a large land mass (such as Cape Finisterre in Galicia and the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa ) or part of an island (such as Cape Hatteras in North Carolina).

Technically, a cape is a peninsula (although geography geeks may argue that a cape is smaller). Other terms that may be used to describe a cape include headland (a cape is often defined as a large headland), bluff (geographers will say a bluff is typically rounded via erosion, whereas a cape is jagged), or promontory (a more general term that also includes raised lands surrounded by lowlands).

All is well at Cape Foulwind

Terroir-derived benefits of a cape—a rugged spot perched high above the surrounding waters—are likely to include the following: include typically cool, maritime climate; low risk of frost; moderate elevation and slope; aspect; and well-drained (often rocky and infertile) soil.

The concept of the cape is woven into the language of wine. South Africa, for instance, contains at least six wine regions that are so designated, including the Western Cape, Cape South Coast, Cape Agulhas, Cape Town, Eastern Cape, and Northern Cape—all official geographical indications for South African Wine

Here are a few more capes that should be well-known to wine lovers:  

• The Cape May Peninsula AVA: located in southern New Jersey and to date, the only AVA with the word “cape” in the name.
• Cape Kidnappers: best story ever and part of New Zealand’s Hawks Bay GI.
• Cape of Good Hope: part of South Africa’s Cape Town GI, often thought to be the southernmost point in Africa—but that award goes to Cape Agulhas, located on the other side of False Bay.
• Cabo da Roca: the western-most point of continental Europe and part of Portugal’s Colares DOC.
• Cape Naturaliste, Cape Leeuwin, Cape Hamelin, Cape Freychinet, and Cape Mentelle: all are located within Western Australia’s Margaret River GI, several will sound familiar for their namesake wine estates.

View from the Cape of Good Hope

Beyond the world of wine, famous capes include the following:

• Cabo San Lucas: Baja California’s famous beach resort area
• Cape Fear: located off the coast of North Carolina’s Bald Head Island, also a scary movie.
• Cape Canaveral: on Florida’s Atlantic coast, part of the Space Coast, famous site for launching spacecraft.
• Cape Cod: famous beach town located off the southeast coast of Massachusetts, technically a series of glacier-formed islands that have experienced significant erosion.
• Cape Foulwind: located on the west coast of New Zealand’s South Island, and so named after Captain James Cook’s ship was blown far off course from this point. It had previously been known as Rocky Point.
• Cape Horn: the often-frozen southern edge of Chile’s Tierra del Fuego archipelago, close to the southernmost point of South America, intrepid sailors can slip through Drake’s Passage and brag about rounding the horn.
• Cape Finisterre: the western-most point on the Camino de Santiago; during Roman times the land was literally believed to be the edge of the known world; the term derives from the Latin finis terrae (end of the earth).

References/for more information:

• https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/cape/
• https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/91472/cape-horn-a-mariners-nightmare
• https://westcoast.co.nz/visit/plan-your-trip/cape-foulwind-walkway/
• https://www.beportugal.com/cabo-da-roca/
• https://www.britannica.com/place/Cape-of-Good-Hope
• https://www.newjerseywines.com/cape-may-wine-trail/

The Bubbly Professor is “Miss Jane” Nickles of San Marcos, Texas… missjane@prodigy.net

Wine Geo: The Camargue

The largest river delta in Europe—the Rhône River Delta—lies just south of the town of Arles, France. Known as the Camargue, this area—located within the aptly named Bouches-du-Rhône (Mouths of the Rhône) Department—is a vast plain dotted with brine lagoons (étangs), sandbars, and marshlands surrounded by a large area of rich agricultural cultivation.

The Camargue is tucked between the two arms of the Rhône River Delta—the Grande Rhône (on the eastern edge), and the smaller Petite Rhône (along the west). A large portion (as much as a third of the total area) is a protected nature reserve and part of the Parc Naturel Régional de Camargue. The area is one of the few European habitats for the Greater Flamingo and home to hundreds of species of unique flora and fauna, including the beautiful, white-grey, semi-wild breed of Camargue Horses.

Aside from the protected areas, ranching and agriculture rule the Camargue. The region is one of the largest producers of rice in Europe and has achieved a protected geographical indication (PGI/IGP) for Riz de Camargue, cultivated since the 1600s.  The rice fields in the area provide most of the rice consumed in France and also allow for the other main crops of the Camargue—including cereal gains and grapevines—by desalinating the water and soil.

The wine specialties of the region are vin gris (a very pale pink style of rosé produced via direct press followed by little-to-no maceration time on the grape skins) and gris de gris (an ultra-pale vin gris made from lighter/thinner-skinned grapes) are regional specialties. The wines are meant to be delicate, fresh, and reflective of the ethereal landscape and sable (sand)-based soils of the area.

The Camargue is also known for its fleur de sel (salt). Salt has been harvested in the marshlands since the Middle Ages, when several religious orders (including the Benedictines and the Cistercians) settled in the area and established several “salt abbeys,” made wealthy through the extraction of salt.  The remains of one—the Benedictine Abbey of Psalmody—was declared a Monument Historique in 1984.

The black cattle of the area—Raço di Biòu—are spread over dozens of ranches and tended to by the gardians (herders). The bulls are the stars of the Course Camarguaise—a type of bloodless bullfight where the object of the raseteur is to grab a rosette from between the horns of the bull. The cattle are also bred for beef and the meat of the young bull—a protected product known as Taureau du Camargue AOC—is bright red, ultra-lean, tender, and meant to be consumed extra-rare.

References/for more information:

• Sable de Camargue IGP
• Map of the Sable de Camargue IGP via the INAO
• http://www.parc-camargue.fr/
• Riz de Camargue IGP
• Taureau de Camargue AOC
• https://www.frenchentree.com/living-in-france/local-life/food-recipes/camargue-rice/
• https://www.france-voyage.com/cities-towns/saint-laurent-d-aigouze-9828/abbey-psalmodie-14078.htm

The Bubbly Professor is “Miss Jane” Nickles of Austin, Texas… missjane@prodigy.net

And the award for the smallest AVA goes to….

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For decades—since 1983, when it was first established—the Cole Ranch AVA held the title as the smallest AVA in the United States. However, as of June 30, 2021, there’s a new (tiny) kid in town, and it is the Ulupalakua AVA.

The Ulupalakua AVA is unique in many ways—including its location on the Hawaiian Island of Maui. Ulupalakua is Hawaii’s first and only AVA (to date), as well as the southern-most AVA of the United States (it sits in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on the 20^th parallel). However, maritime influence and elevation helps to make this tiny corner of the 50^th state conducive to quality viticulture. Believe it or not, grape-based wine production was first introduced to the region in the early 1800s—although pineapple wine and other fruit wines were (and remain) a specialty as well.

These days, there are 16 acres of vineyards located within the Ulupalakua AVA. Leading grape varieties include Syrah, Grenache, Malbec, Chenin Blanc, and Viognier. Varietal wines—Syrah is a specialty— blended wines, and sparkling wines are crafted (under several different brands) by the nearby Maui Winery, many of them using estate-grown grapes.

About that new “smallest AVA” title, here are the statistics of our two teeny contenders:

• Ulupalakua AVA:
  • Total land area: 70 acres
  • (Reported) acres planted to vine: 16
  • Date established: June 30, 2021

• Cole Ranch AVA:
  • Total land area: 150 acres
  • (Reported) acres planted to vine: 55
  • Date established: May 16, 1983

And the winner of the title smallest AVA in the United States is…the Ulupalakua AVA!

P.S. As part of my day job with the Society of Wine Educators, I’ll be updating the material in the 2023 Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) Study Guide to describe the Cole Ranch AVA as the “smallest AVA in California.”

References/for more information:

• Final Rule-Cole Ranch AVA
• Final Rule-Ulupalakua AVA

The Bubbly Professor is “Miss Jane” Nickles of Austin, Texas… missjane@prodigy.net

Wine Geo: The Allier

The Allier Department

There is a lot to love about the Allier: it’s a river…it’s a department…it’s the former Duchy of Bourbonnais!

It’s a department: The Allier is a department (political area similar to a county) situated smack-dab in the center of France, within the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Its namesake—the Allier Rive—flows through its center, while the Loire and Cher wind their way to the east and west. The main cites of the Allier Department include Moulins, Vichy, and Montluçon. Much of the Allier department is located on land that once-upon-a-time housed the Duchy of Bourbonnais, and inhabitants are sometimes referred to as Bourbonnais. In addition to over 500 castles, the Allier department is home to forests, ponds, woodlands, pastures, and vineyards. Notable products include Charroux Mustard, Charolais Beef, Tronçais Oak, and wine from the Saint-Pourçain AOC.

It’s a river (a left tributary of the Loire): The Allier River flows north for 262 miles/421 km from its source in the Massif Central to a point about 4 miles/6 km west of the city of Nevers, where it joins the Loire. The point where the Allier joins the Loire is about 26 miles/42 km south of Sancerre.

There are vineyards: The Allier River helps to define several of the wine regions of Central France, with the Saint-Pourçain AOC located right on the Allier River and completely within the Allier Department. The Côtes d’Auvergne AOC—located to the south of Saint-Pourçain in the Puy-de-Dôme Department—is also directly on the river. These two appellations are—quite literally—located very close to the geographic center of France and as such, are sometimes grouped together (with a few others) as the“appellations of Central France.”

For serious wine students only: the other appellations included in the “appellations of Central France” group include the Châteaumeillant, Côte Roannaise, and Côtes du Forez AOCs. Keep in mind that this is an informal grouping and there is no official appellation with a title referring to “Central France.”

There are forests and trees: Oak from the Tronçais Forest (Forêt de Tronçais)—located in the northwest quadrant of the Allier Department—is used to produce some of the most renowned oak barrels in the world. Interestingly, the Tronçais Forest is not part of the primeval (untouched) forest that once covered most of France but was planted in 1670 under the order of Jean Baptiste Colbert—a minister in the court of Louis XIV—to supply the French Navy. These days, the Tronçais Forest is considered one of the principal oak forests of Europe. The forest is largely planted to Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea). The ancient name for Sessile Oak was Tronce, from which the forest derives its name. Other trees in the Tronçais Forest include Scots Pine, Beech, Larch, and Common Oak (Quercus robur).

Sessile Oak trees thrive in high-density plantings, such as those found in the Tronçais Forest. In a high-density forest, the greater competition for water, sunlight, and nutrients causes the trees to grow slowly, with little space between the annual growth rings. This leads to oak (and oak barrels) with a tighter, smoother grain and a lighter transfer of oak-derived flavor to the wine.

References/for more information:

• Allier River | river, France | Britannica
• Allier, France: travel guide and attractions in Allier, Auvergne (francethisway.com)
• Tronçais Forest – Tourism & Holiday Guide (france-voyage.com)
• https://www.map-france.com/department-Allier/
• https://www.informationfrance.com/allier/

The Bubbly Professor is “Miss Jane” Nickles of Austin, Texas… missjane@prodigy.net

Wine Geo: the Navarro River

Base map via USGS: https://apps.nationalmap.gov

The Navarro River flows for just a short distance—about 28 miles/45 km in total—across Mendocino County. The beginning point, located in the foothills of California’s Coast Range, about one mile south of the town of Philo, is defined as the point where two creeks—Anderson Creek and Rancheria Creek—join to form the main stem of the Navarro River.

On its short journey to the Pacific Ocean, the Navarro River winds its way through the Anderson Valley, named by Walter Anderson, who settled near (what is now) the town of Boonville with his family in 1851. The Anderson Valley is a rich, cool-climate agricultural valley planted to vineyards—featuring Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Riesling—as well as over thirty bonded wineries. The Anderson Valley is also home to apple orchards, cideries, dairy farms, grazing land for sheep and goats, and breweries. California State Highway 128 cuts through the Anderson Valley—never too far from the river itself—from the town of Philo all the way to the river’s mouth at the Pacific Ocean.

Photo of Redwood Trees in the Navarro River Redwoods State Park by David Eppstein, via Wikimedia Commons

Just a few miles from its source, the Navarro River flows through Hendy Woods State Park. In this small area—tucked between vineyards, tasting rooms, and farms—you will find two small groves of old-growth coast redwoods. Named Big Hendy (covering 80 acres) and Little Hendy (covering 20 acres), and thanks to Joshua Hendy—a previous owner who stipulated that the property must always be protected from logging—these areas are known to contain some trees that are over 300 feet (91 m) tall and are estimated to be 1,000 years old.

If you continue your trek along the river, soon you will drive past the town of Navarro and leave the rolling fields of agriculture behind. At this point you will have entered the Navarro River Redwoods State Park. Here, you will be whisked into a narrow, 11-mile stretch of redwood forests known as the “Redwood Tunnel.”  Here, you can enjoy hiking, picnicking, swimming, kayaking, and canoeing (and even camping if you are so inclined).

Once you travel though the Redwood Tunnel you are just two miles from the coast. As you meet the Pacific Ocean, you have reached the end of Highway 128. At this point, if you are in the mood for a road trip, you’ve come to the right place—the end point of Highway 128 runs intersects with California Highway 1—portions of which are known as the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH)—and which can carry you across the Golden Gate Bridge, through Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, and all the way to Dana Point in Orange County.

Base map via the USGS

Prior to the arrival of European Settlers, the area around the Navarro River was inhabited by the Pomo people, who occupied nineteen known village sites. The Pomo people had a estimated population of 600 in 1855. European settlement in the area began in 1851; Walter Anderson (and family) as well as his two step-brothers, Issac and Henry Beeson, were among the first wave.

Wine students will no doubt know that the Navarro River flows through the Anderson Valley AVA—famous for cool-climate Pinot Noir and world class sparkling wine. Click here for a closer look at the Anderson Valley AVA and the vineyards planted in the watershed of the Navarro River.

References/for more information:

• Anderson Valley | Wineries, Vineyards, Restaurants, Lodging (avwines.com)
• Navarro River – Wikipedia
• Navarro River Redwoods State Park 
• Hendy Woods State Park 
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anderson_Valley
• USGS: https://apps.nationalmap.gov/viewer/

The Bubbly Professor is “Miss Jane” Nickles of Austin, Texas… missjane@prodigy.net