AOC/AOP Regulations
Département
- Gard
Communes of Production
- Aubord, Beaucaire, Beauvoisin, Bellegarde, Bernis, Bezouce, Bouillargues, Le Cailar, Caissargues, Garons, Générac, Jonquières-Saint-Vincent, Lédenon, Manduel, Meynes, Milhaud, Nîmes, Redessan, Rodilhan, Saint-Gilles, Sernhac, Uchaud, Vauvert, Vestric-et-Candiac
Styles and Encépagement
- Blanc:
- Principal Varieties: Min. 50% combined Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, and Roussane (no single variety may exceed 80% of the vineyard, and at least two principal varieties must be planted)
- Accessory Varieties: Bourboulenc, Macabeu, Vermentino, Clairette, and a max. 20% Viognier
- Rouge:
- Principal Varieties: Min. 60% combined Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Syrah (min. 20% combined Syrah and Mourvèdre)
- Accessory Varieties: Carignan, Cinsault, and a max. 10% Marselan
- Rosé: As for Rouge wines, with a max. 20% white varieties
- Ugni Blanc was permitted for white wines at a max. 30% through the 2009 harvest
Assemblage
- Blanc: Min. 2 varieties, with principal varieties accounting for at least 60% of the blend. Max. 20% Viognier
- Rosé/Rouge: Min. 2 varieties, with principal varieties accounting for at least 50% of the blend. Max. 10% Marselan
Minimum Potential Alcohol
- 11.5%
Minimum Must Weight
- Blanc/Rosé: 189 g/l
- Rouge: 198 g/l
Maximum Residual Sugar
- Blanc/Rosé: 4 g/l
- Rouge: 3 g/l (4 g/l if potential alcohol is greater than 14%)
Minimum Planting Density
- 4,000 vines per hectare
Maximum Yield (Rendement de Base)
- 60 hl/ha
Primary Soils
- Alluvial rounded pebbles within a sandy matrix, locally called gress, atop clay subsoil.
AOC Established
- 1986 (as Costières du Gard; renamed in 1989 to Costières de Nîmes) (last updated 2011)
Links
Production Data (2016)
| Total Production | 221,215 hl |
| Total Production (Red Wine) | 134,941 hl (61%) |
| Total Production (Rosé Wine) | 75,213 hl (34%) |
| Total Production (White Wine) | 11,061 ha (5%) |
| Total Hectares Under Vine | 4,091 ha |
| Production data sourced from www.rhone-wines.com | |